What is Conversational Interface?
A platform that mimics human conversations are known as Conversational Interfaces also known as conversational user interfaces. Since a long time computers have used their trusty interface GUI that heavily relied on a human action translated into machine language such as use clicking refresh button that translates into the commands that the computer can easily understand.
While this method didn't pose any limitations, but there is a huge learning curve when it comes to technology. Instead of actions translating into command prompts, conversational interfaces offer the user to directly interact with the system using NLP also known as Natural language processing that allows systems to analyze and understand human interactions, where the structure of the human language is considered in order to understand the human language. With conversational interfaces the system can respond to actions where the user is asking, agreeing etc to some queries.
Types of Conversational Interfaces:
Voice Assistants
Chat-bots
Voice Assistants
In general, voice assistants allow the user to interact with the system and get all the answers for the queries without the requirement of a GUI. The user can just use their voice to get things done in order to interact with the computer and the answer can be obtained in a similar way. This eliminates the excess use of space required for written content, as most of the conversation will take place on a voice level itself.
These kinds of voice assistants have features like machine learning, AI and a voice recognition function. This really is beneficial for a lot of businesses as it literally eliminates the chances of typing and boasts the idea of directly talking to our systems.
Chat-bots
A visual UI that can be used in both a mobile device & in a computer. Most of the times these chat-bots are generally used as a form of a chat with the user regarding their queries where the use of chat bubbles in the interface is common. This is a very good addition when it comes to utilizing BOTs for Enterprises to maximize the business’ efficiency.
There Are Generally Two Types of Chat-bots:
Artificial intelligence Driven Bot: will analyze each query with NLP & Machine learning to understand and respond.
Rule based bot: will reply only the rules pre determined by the developer.
Benefits of Conversational UI
Availability: The best benefit of using a conversational UI is that its available all the time of the day, month or year. No matter what time it is, there is always someone sitting there to answer the queries of the user. This can clearly increase lead generation as one of the most common causes of losing a potential customer is when they don't get a response they expect.
Saves Time: The one important benefit of the bot is that they literally save the time of the customer or the user. For example, if the user is looking around on the website for something, they’ll surf around and eventually in some time they may or may not find it, instead using a bot help decrease this time. They can directly ask the bot about their query and if that item is available they can help direct the user to a particular page without any delay.
Better use of resources: With the use of these interfaces, the basic conversations that generally require another executive, can directly be answered by the chat-bots and the more complex one can be redirected to an expert executive, saving time for both the user and the business.
Increases connection between brand and customer: As these chat-bots can be integrated into mobile devices as well, it gives businesses a chance to reach out to more users and stay connected to them as much as they can.
Stand out: Let's be honest, there aren't a lot of businesses that are currently using the conversational UI. If you implement it into your business, you already have jumped one step ahead of the competition.
