Conversational UX is quickly becoming a key ingredient in an exceptional customer experience, but getting started can be difficult. Here’s everything you need to know about conversational UX (and how to successfully implement it) before you dive in.
In 2013, our world witnessed one of the most poignant and romantic love stories in recent memory between Joaquin Phoenix and…a robot. It’s a tale as old as time: Guy gets a phone, the guy falls in love with the phone’s operating system, and a beautiful relationship blossoms.
“Her” may be an extreme example, but the movie offers an important lesson for businesses: Humans and technology can have interactions that—at the end of the day—are deep, meaningful, and shockingly human. This communication is known as conversational UX. Although it probably won’t land you in a whirlwind romance, it is quickly becoming one of the most critical components of a successful customer experience.
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What is Conversational UX?
Conversational user experience (UX) incorporates chat, voice, or other technologies to mimic natural human conversation. Essentially, it’s two-way communication between humans and robots. This allows businesses to engage with customers more naturally and effectively.
While the idea of robotic interactions may feel futuristic, the reality is that conversational UX is already all around us. Consumers are telling virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Siri to play the latest songs and using chat features on shopping websites to ask questions. Thanks to conversational UX, they can access information quickly, get product recommendations, book appointments, and make purchases—all without ever interacting with another human.
Whether it’s voice-enabled or built on text-based interfaces, conversational UX is becoming a natural part of the modern world—particularly in business and customer communication. This evolution is transforming how companies interact with their customers.
The Importance of Conversational UX
While conversational UX itself is nothing new, in recent years, it’s shifted from something that’s “nice to have” to an essential feature for businesses across all industries. This shift is driven by changing consumer preferences and technological advancements.
A recent report shows that nearly 40 percent of Internet users prefer interacting with chatbots over virtual agents. By 2024, consumer retail spend via chatbots is expected to reach $142 billion—a significant increase from $2.8 billion in 2019. These figures highlight the growing importance of conversational UX in today’s digital landscape.
Conversational UX also enhances the agent experience. When tools like voice assistants and chatbots handle basic queries, human agents can focus on more complex issues. This improves workflow efficiency and overall job satisfaction for customer service representatives.
Benefits of Conversational UX
1. Improved Customer Experience (CX)
As an expected part of the customer experience, conversational UX is key to driving customer satisfaction. Consumers want to engage with businesses in a way that’s convenient and on their terms. When they can use chatbots and other technology to get the information they need through their preferred channel, it makes for a positive experience. This can heavily influence retention and revenue, as consumers are more likely to spend money with businesses that deliver great CX.
2. Increased Opportunities for Conversions
Conversational UX can also help with lead generation, prospecting, and cross-selling and upselling. For example, a chatbot can collect website visitors’ names and email addresses before they ask a question, providing context for agents and leads for marketers. Additionally, a bot can check if a consumer is eligible for a discount on an upgraded hotel room or suggest complementary products in a shopping cart.
3. Enhanced Agent Efficiency
When tools like voice assistants and chatbots are available to handle basic questions and requests, your agents have more time to focus on other inquiries that require a human touch. This reduces mundane tasks and improves workflows, allowing agents to serve more customers effectively. Happier agents are more likely to deliver better support, which results in better customer experiences.
5. Best Practices for Implementing Conversational UX
1. Lay the Groundwork
Before diving into the fun parts of conversational UX, you need to step back and work through the logistics. Consider the following:
- Channel deployment: Where will this experience live? On your website, app, social channels, or a combination?
- Interaction preferences: Will your interface be voice-based, text-based, or both?
- Additional capabilities: Does your conversational UX require advanced AI features and machine-learning functionality?
Understanding the logistical needs of your conversational UX will help you determine the complexity of your setup and find the right solution for your business.
2. Build Context-Gathering Chatbots
Some chatbots fall short in gathering customer context—the details that inform the conversation. To avoid this, account for both mandatory and optional variables when designing your chat flow.
- Mandatory variables: Necessary for the conversation to progress (e.g., appointment date and time).
- Optional variables: Additional details that can speed up the conversation but aren’t required.
Contextual chatbots use this information to provide thoughtful answers and adjust the conversation flow, leading to an efficient and enjoyable user experience.
3. Know Your Use Cases
Success in conversational UX occurs when the design of your system aligns directly with your customers’ intent. Start by identifying whether most interactions are sales-related or support-related. Design conversation flows that address relevant questions for your audience.
- Sales use cases: Finding pricing, booking appointments, purchasing products, connecting with sales teams.
- Support use cases: Gathering information, solving problems, contacting support teams.
Using a sales CRM can help track customer interactions and determine popular interaction types, guiding your design.
4. Write Like a Human, Not a Robot
Drafting the perfect script is crucial for a positive user experience. Consider the following tips:
- Keep it short: Provide quick, concise answers.
- Keep it simple: Use clear, straightforward language that mimics natural conversation.
- Account for conversational hiccups: Allow customers to re-state their needs before routing them to a live agent.
The goal is to address customers’ needs in a way that feels helpful, friendly, and human.
5. Review and Refine Regularly
Customer needs and preferences change over time, so should your conversational UX. Regularly revisit and enhance your setup by:
- Reviewing flow efficacy: Identify areas where processes break down or users face issues.
- Analyzing customer conversations: Identify frequently asked questions or recurring topics your UX can’t address and refine your script.
Consistent review and refinement ensure your conversational UX remains effective and user-friendly.
Case Studies and Examples
Several businesses have successfully implemented conversational UX to improve customer experiences. Here are a few detailed examples:
Sephora
- Challenge: Needed a way to provide personalized beauty advice to customers online.
- Solution: Implemented a chatbot on their website and app that offers product recommendations based on user preferences.
- Outcome: Increased customer engagement and satisfaction by providing quick and personalized beauty advice, leading to higher conversion rates.
H&M
- Challenge: Wanted to enhance customer service and streamline the shopping experience.
- Solution: Deployed a chatbot on their Facebook Messenger platform to answer customer queries, track orders, and provide style recommendations.
- Outcome: Improved customer service efficiency and boosted online sales through personalized recommendations and 24/7 support.
Domino’s Pizza:
- Challenge: Aimed to simplify the ordering process and reduce wait times for customers.
- Solution: Introduced a voice-enabled assistant named “Dom” on their mobile app and website to take orders and provide real-time order status updates.
- Outcome: Enhanced customer experience by making it easier and faster to place orders, resulting in increased customer loyalty and repeat business.
Conclusion
Conversational UX is transforming the way businesses interact with customers, offering significant benefits like improved customer experience, increased conversion opportunities, and enhanced agent efficiency. By following best practices and continuously refining your setup, you can leverage conversational UX to provide exceptional customer experiences and drive business success.