Facebook Messenger chatbots help companies boost sales
Chatbots on Facebook's Messenger have helped companies increase their sales more than expected, meaning the technology could soon become widespread.
The news was announced during Facebook's F8 keynote, with its VP of messaging products David Marcus discussing a number of big-name brands such as Sephora, SnapTravel and Tommy Hilfiger.
Sephora has allegedly seen an 11 per cent increase in booking rates through the Sephora Reservation Assistant. The bot also helped increase in-store sales, as well. Those consumers that booked an in-store service via Messenger usually spend more than $50.
SnapTravel has seen $1 million in hotel bookings in less than a year, since starting to use Messenger bots, and Tommy Hilfiger has seen an 87 percent return rate for people coming back again to use the Messenger.
The company says 3.5 times more was spent through Messenger than any other digital platform.
Businesses are just beginning to reap the benefits of chatbots, mostly since the introduction of Messenger 2.0. The new Messenger comes with features like the Discover tab, which allows businesses more visibility.
"The new capabilities of Facebook Messenger 2.0 greatly increased the customer user experience potential. Companies that can launch a Facebook Messenger bot on the new platform are poised to lock in a first mover advantage," said Bobby Mukherjee, the CEO of Loka.
"Bots are clearly the next wave in customer focused innovation, taking over the mantle from mobile apps. It’s exciting to see a new wave cresting, and helping companies maximize the opportunity," said Mukherjee.
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