Chatbot Prototype: The 10-Minute Practical Guide
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A chatbot is a software application that simulates human-like conversations with users via chat. It answers inquiries via instant messages. Many businesses and websites use them, and you may want one for the website you are building. We recommend creating a chatbot mockup to avoid expensive mistakes.
Unfamiliar with chatbot prototyping? Don't worry. We got you covered. Here's a quick practical guide that will help you know what to do.
- Part 1: What are Chatbots?
- Part 2: Preparations for Chatbot Mockup
- Part 3: Steps to Design a Chatbot Mockup
- Part 4: Best Tool To Create a Prototype [Step by step tutorial]
- Part 5: Chatbot Design Tips
Part 1: What are Chatbots?
As mentioned above, a chatbot is software with artificial intelligence that responds to questions through chats. It is very common to see them on websites for business.
Why is that the case? Because some questions are repetitive. Businesses can free their live agents by using chatbots to respond to those questions. Consequently, the live agents can respond to more specific cases.
As you can see, chatbots improve the business' resource management, efficiency, and productivity. Meanwhile, customers become able to find the information that they need quickly. They don't have to wait for a live agent to answer their question - the chatbot answers them.
Part 2: Preparations for Chatbot Mockup
You must know what the chatbot is for and how it will function. You need to do two things before you start creating a chatbot prototype. These two things are conversational flow and chatbot visualization.
A good conversation flow is also necessary. Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are very prevalent nowadays. They have sophisticated speaking styles. And according to studies, people now expect bots to be like that. They must have human-level conversation abilities. So please study how to create a good conversation flow for your chatbot.
Part 3: Steps to Design a Chatbot Mockup
How to make a chatbot mockup? Learn it through this step-by-step guide.
Step 1. Know Your Goal and Audience
Of course, the first step is to know your goal. What are you trying to achieve with your chatbot? What is its purpose? These critical pieces of information will help you identify the things you need.
Another thing to know is your target audience. Who are they? What are the questions you think they would ask or need? By knowing this, you can make a good conversation flow for your chatbot.
Step 2: Prepare Your Script and Interactions
So now you have an idea of what the chatbot will be. The next step is to prepare your script and interactions.
Map out the conversations. Add different branches for each user selection. This ensures the smallest margin of error and that your chatbot has answers to give. Please note that you should avoid free-form entry.
Step 3. Create Your Chatbot Prototype
Use design and prototyping tools like Wondershare Mockitt to create your chatbot prototype. This allows you to quickly simulate the chatbot without writing any code.
Step 4: Chatbot Visual Design
The conversational flow and the functioning prototype are done. It would be best if you now designed how the chatbot will look. Create wireframes, decide how to display information, and ensure the interface is intuitive.
Step 5: Function and Experience Testing
Everything is set, and only one thing is left on the to-do list: make a testing plan and execute it. Let some users test the chatbot prototype to have answers to some important questions. The said questions include:
- What is the right tone for the chatbot?
- How to hand off the customer to a rep?
- What things need adjustments?
Answer these questions, then iterate.
Part 4: Best Tool To Create a Prototype
What tool can you use for chatbot prototyping? You have many options to choose from. We recommend trying Wondershare Mockitt, the most convenient tool to use to create high-fidelity prototypes.
Mockitt offers templates you can use to create prototypes. On top of that, it has powerful design tools that ensure your interface is visually appealing. More importantly, Mockitt has collaboration features. Thus, you can invite your team to create the chatbot prototype with you.
Wondershare Mockitt is available as a desktop or web app. It's on Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu. Therefore, anyone can use this prototyping tool.
How to make a prototype using Wondershare Mockitt?
Step 1: Launch your favorite web browser. Go to Mockitt's website.
Step 2: Log into your account or make a new one if you are new.
Step 3: Click Prototype.
Step 4: Select Web Page since a chatbot is usually for websites. Click Create.
Step 5: Design your chatbot prototype.
You can also download the Wondershare Mockitt desktop app so that you can work on your projects offline.
Part 5: Chatbot Design Tips
Here's more information that you might find handy. These are some pointers you should keep in mind when designing a chatbot.
Voice and Personality
The chatbot is often the first to welcome the customer to the website. It's a representative of the company. That said, it must have a tone and personality that aligns with the corporate identity.
Information on Bot Commands
Teach users the bot commands that they can use. This will help users quickly solve their requests. You can make the chatbot introduces its capabilities to the user if they type "Get Started." Or you can provide conversation options for the user to choose from.
Chatbots Can Do More
You can use chatbots are promoters. Answering questions is not the only thing they can do. Suppose the customer has lingered on a page for a long time. The chatbot can tell them about the promos related to the products on that page. That can start a conversation and then lead to conversion.
Handoff
Always include a way for your customers to switch from bot to human easily. The chatbot can't answer all possible inquiries. For specific cases, customers should talk to a live agent. So add commands like "Chat with a live agent" or "Request for Escalation" for handoff.
Conclusion
Chatbots offer a lot to companies. So, making one for the websites you are making is wise. Making a chatbot mockup is recommended to ensure that the chatbot you are creating is good. And to make one, you should use reliable tools like Wondershare Mockitt. Its wide array of design and prototyping features will help you make prototypes that function like they're the actual product.