Things you should know about conversational UI

Clark Finley
February 9, 2023
Metadialog

Fast and efficient customer service is the secret of their loyalty to your brand. Conversational UI, such as chatbots and business communication in messengers, enhance customer communication while also increasing corporate profitability and consumer convenience.

A conversational UI is a communication that mimics a real-world conversation. Artificial intelligence-based techniques, such as chatbot UI and voice assistants, are employed to make the text sound as natural as possible. You may read more to find out what is conversational user interface and discover its features in this post.

What is a conversational UI?

Artificial intelligence now has the ability to comprehend spoken language thanks to machine learning. A user can access a conversational user interface and get the needed information by sending a text or voice request. Making it simpler for users to interact with the system is the conversational interface’s main objective. It streamlines internal operations and enables customers to communicate in their own language.

Conversational interfaces employ natural language processing (NLP) to assist computers in understanding, parsing, and extrapolating meaning from human speech. Unlike word processors, NLP takes into account the structure of a language.

What are the types of conversational UI?

Voice assistants and chatbots are the two types of conversational user interface solutions. Since text interaction is more familiar to customers than voice commands, chatbots are becoming more and more common in business.

A chatbot is an interactive internet or mobile interface that lets customers make inquiries and get answers. This information may be broad, such as a Google Assistant chat box that enables online searches, or it may be specialized to a particular company or service that allows users to learn the current status of their numerous accounts. Large contact centers and tens of minutes spent waiting for an operator to respond to minor issues may be reduced if the most straightforward inquiries are answered automatically using the knowledge base. An interface known as a voice assistants UI enables users to carry out tasks by speaking a command. Siri by Apple debuted in October 2011 and was one of the first assistants to become widely used. By asking Siri questions, iPhone owners may access information and carry out tasks on their smartphones.

Is conversational UI the right decision for me?

The conversational interface is intended to transform into a personal virtual assistant that you can carry around with you at all times. It will assist customers in many areas, including hotel reservations, money transfers, and taxi orders. 

A conversational interface is the most excellent option if you need to counsel, assist, or motivate the user. It is capable of handling frequently asked inquiries, medical history, and customer service. When clients require data, want to set the alarm, or wish to hear the weather forecast while driving, cooking, or typing, this is an ideal time to use the conversational UI interface.

Conversational UI benefits

To wholly figure out the concept of what is conversational UI, it is vital also to consider its advantages:

  • Time savings and prompt responses to queries.
  • Simple integration and rapid use.
  • High client happiness, direct value, and less customer annoyance.
  • Individual communication. Chatbots can mimic human dialogue.
  • Lower expenses. Virtual assistants free up the capacity to deal with more complex cases requiring personalized care by automatically processing routine queries that are frequently asked. It saves your personnel a lot of time.

Moreover, you greatly alleviate the prior bulk input channels by moving the demands to the new digital media.

Pitfalls when implementing chatbots

Many users are under the incorrect impression that conversational interfaces don’t need to be extensively developed and are simple to use. You should know that poorly written scripts and frequent errors won’t do you any favors. Instead, they’ll only make your customers angry.

It is worthwhile to prioritize the client experience to prevent issues. The bot should be easy to operate and practical. Use a conversational button interface, pay attention to the order of actions, and write the scripts with the intended audience’s needs in mind.

Furthermore, setting up AI chatbots is time-consuming. Although artificial intelligence can understand user requests, it can only do so with careful configuration. Its primary responsibility in bots is to convert messages into a finite sequence of actions, which can only be accomplished with a substantial knowledge base. If not, users will have a bad experience with the bot since the AI won’t be able to determine their demands.

Useful tips

Follow a few tips to make your conversational UI project a success. They help you build a great product.

Establish the objectives of your chatbot

Create a brand-consistent personality for your conversational interface. Define the goal of the virtual assistant and determine the touchpoints where the chatbot or voice assistant should be available. Moreover, it is vital to specify knowledge areas and abilities. Performance KPIs will enable you to assess success afterward.

Don’t overload users

The job of making a virtual assistant user-friendly might be challenging. The bot should be practical and straightforward to use. Avoid providing clients with too much information or a colorful design. Keep it all brief and straightforward.

Encourage or soothe

Clients may become perplexed when they visit your website. They’ll require assistance or counseling. If there is anything they can take care of later or revisit if they change their minds, you can always remind them. Try to be supportive and helpful when starting a discussion, respect your clients’ choices, and refrain from using manipulative conversation design.

Combine several message types

Communication between humans and machines may not be easy. Your chatbots must know the data they are getting if you incorporate NLP into your design.

Use various compelling design approaches. Offer a variety of radio buttons and include chatbot cards. The customer should select from the chatbot’s pre-written responses rather than having to compose their own. Try to be supportive and accommodating while starting the conversation, but avoid patronizing.

Business use cases

Conversational UI is becoming more common in numerous sectors. Brands have implemented voice UI and chatbots to respond to inquiries on their websites and mobile apps. The most popular use scenarios are:

  • Education. Chatbots may be found on any website with educational content. They respond to client inquiries in the same manner as corporate personnel.
  • Healthcare. Through an app or website, chatbots may work with patients, book an appointment, and do much more.
  • E-commerce. You can offer information on product availability, upgrades, and more through chatbots and user interfaces.

It is also often used in smart gadgets. Many individuals today utilize smart devices that voice commands can control, for instance, Siri on iPhone.

Conversational UI changes the business

The conversational UI trend is only growing. Thanks to the ever-evolving technology, apps are already being created that enhance the user experience. It will be prevalent in various business domains even though regular e-commerce or online customer service is reaching its limits.

So, why conversational UI is good? Primarily, they have the potential to improve communication and open up new channels of communication. They will soon be able to explore their potential in the job and the smart home, particularly in situations where humans and AI collaborate.