Top Chatbots Development Companies

A good online chatbot can connect to a variety of messengers, social media, and its web forms on a site. It uses the interface of the service the user chooses, collects and stores information in a single database, and allows you to analyze statistics and customize scenarios.

Different Kinds of Chatbot Development

The first thing you should understand is there are two types of chatbots: simple ones that work strictly according to a well-defined algorithm, and self-learning ones.

Simple chatbot services use lists of keywords and menus with possible queries to analyze user requests. If a person uses words that aren't in the bot's database, it writes back something like "Sorry, I'm not familiar with that word, please, clarify the question."

When creating a "smart" chatbot tool, developers use machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. The work on the project takes much longer and requires a solid investment. But in the end, communication with users becomes as natural as possible. An example of such a service is the well-known Siri bot.

What a chatbot developer works with

To understand the basic principles of creating chatbot services, you need to understand its structure:

• Backend. The information system receives a request, analyzes it, and gives the most appropriate response to the user. You can write the program code in any language that allows you to create a web API. This can be Node.js, PHP, Java, or Python. Recently, more and more people create ruby chatbots, as this language has a rich set of automation tools.
• Frontend. Any popular messenger will do, as chatbots work on any platform.
• Data exchange. Messengers send and receive simple HTTP requests with Webhook. The API configuration allows to quickly organize communication between the messenger and the server of the bot.

What Chatbot Development Companies Should Be Able to Do

When creating chatbots for business, it's important for specialists to be able to develop simple tools, as well as:

• Integrate the chatbot with information systems: CRM, ERP, accounting system, etc.
• Work with the server. Business requires a user-friendly administrative panel, which allows you to change the scripts and analyze statistics.
• Develop complex business processes. The chatbot agency should provide the ready chatbot that can connect an employee to the dialog, determine which department to send information to, generate tables, charts, documents, etc.
• Set the work of the server. Users expect the chatbot to respond instantly even with peak loads.

What to Choose: A Chatbot Development Company or a Ready-made Constructor

Today, many chatbot providers offer ready-made solutions, which can be set up without knowing programming languages. Of course, we will talk only about simple scenarios that don’t involve artificial intelligence. Let's find out the pros and cons of such a solution.

Speed of development

Working with a chatbot development company takes on average 1-2 weeks. If you need some out-of-the-box integration or additional functionality, it will take even more time.

You can set up a ready service in a couple of days. But in this case, it will be impossible to implement tools not provided by the service. Not all constructors offer revision services, and even if they do, you will have to wait a long time.

Price and features of payment

If you create your own chatbot customer service, you pay for the services of specialists once. But the software product must be located on a server, and you will have to pay for its maintenance regularly.

Constructors offer a ready-to-use solution with a subscription fee, which depends on the number of operators, the number of daily requests, and functionality. You can start using the service for free or with a minimal investment. As your business grows, the cost of using the bot will grow as well.

Support, stability, changes

A development team responds to problems or the need to make changes almost immediately. Difficulties may arise in the case of cooperation with third-party Chatbot Companies, especially if, for some reason, you decide to change the developer.

Technical support chatbot providers handle customer requests in the general queue mode. Only by buying an extended package can you get a priority.

Storing and exporting data

If you use your own chatbot, the data is stored on your servers. The level of security depends only on internal company policy. All collected data belongs to you, and you can use it at any time.

Security of data storage in ready-made chatbots for business is determined by the privacy policy of the service. If you refuse to cooperate, there might be problems with exporting the necessary data. You should discuss in advance what exactly the provider will allow you to "take away".

Areas of use

Ready-made solutions are most often used by small and medium-sized businesses to automate typical processes:

• Customer support (extended FAQ section);
• Taxi ordering;
• Food delivery;
• Ticket purchase;
• Selection of tourist routes;
• Sales of goods and services.

Chatbot can't replace an online store or a full-fledged application. But ready-made solutions from chatbot companies allow you to quickly implement additional sales tools and estimate the need to develop more complex solutions.

How Much Do the Services of Chatbot Developers Cost

The price of the solution depends on the complexity and the required list of works:

• For simple chatbot services, which will work with popular messengers, freelancers will ask about $150 or more. In an agency, prices start at 250 dollars and above.
• Integrations with CRM, accounting systems, payment services, ticketing, and other backend systems will additionally cost from $1000 up to $2000 and higher. Here, it all depends on the complexity and availability of ready-made solutions.
• An administrative panel with the ability to adjust the chain of messages will cost another $1500-3000.
• Developing a "smart" online chatbot is something not every studio is ready to do. Thus, developers won’t tell you the cost, and the work is assessed individually.

We have mentioned minimal rates in the list above. If you apply for an organization located in the U.S., Canada, or another country with high salaries, the cost can increase drastically.

What Top Chatbot Companies Have to Offer

A small firm or a team of freelancers offers the development of software solutions for the ready-made scripts. They work mainly with popular messengers and often involve third-party specialists for integration with information systems.

The best chatbot companies:

• They work on projects of any complexity, including the integration of chatbots with NLP services for further machine learning;
• Conduct market research and help clients develop and optimize scenarios;
• Develop chatbots for business, which will work with SMS services and other services that don't provide their own frontend.
• At a client's request, they create tools for collecting and analyzing call statistics for further scripting and marketing development.

Choose Your Contractors Wisely

When searching for partners, you need to keep in mind the classic rules of choosing an IT company. Examine the portfolio, pay attention to successful cases close to your theme, talk to the experts. If a chatbot company confirms its level of knowledge, will share your values and priorities, you can get a reliable and high-quality tool for automating customer service or sales.

FAQ

Which is the best programming language for chatbot development?

The choice of programming language depends on the developer's preferences. Any tool that supports web API is good for chatbots. It can be traditional PHP, Java, Node.js, or Python. Lately, the ruby language has been gaining popularity in this field.

How much does it cost to develop a chatbot?

Developing a chatbot depends on the complexity of the project, so the price ranges from $150 to $15,000. Moreover, if you need to work with machine learning or self-made data processing tools, the price can be even higher.

How many days will it take to create a chatbot?

In most cases, it takes chatbot development companies from 10 days to one month to create a chatbot. If the project is complex or you plan to work with artificial intelligence, the work can take up to six months or longer.

Should I use a chatbot?

If your company receives a large number of requests from clients, the chatbot will be a great helper. It will reduce the workload of your employees, provide assistance to customers during after hours and on weekends, help you better understand your customers and partners.

Is it hard to create a chatbot?

Creating the simplest chatbot on the constructor from chatbot providers is possible even for experienced users. Developing a complex system that will have a natural dialogue, analyze and distribute customer requests, transfer information to different information systems is a complicated and expensive job.