February 15, 2021
How long does it take to build a chatbot?
How long does it take to set up and deploy a chatbot, and what are some possible approaches to getting your chatbot up and running?
When we first chat to customers, one of their most frequently asked questions is “how long does it take to build a chatbot?” And they are always pleasantly surprised by the simple answer – “with Helpfruit, not very long!”
Timeframes for a typical Helpfruit implementation
A chatbot implementation with Helpfruit generally takes a few days up to a few weeks, depending on how much time the person or team responsible for your chatbot has alongside other duties.
You can have a chatbot prototype up and running within a few hours – no technical skills required.
What’s the process for getting a chatbot set up?
Generally, we’ll get you started with a 1-hour introductory session (included in all plans), to show you how to configure your bot and start adding questions and answers to your knowledge base.
Then it’s over to you to start adding frequently asked questions and answers, and customising your bot to suit.
If you already have an FAQ page on your website, or a list of frequently asked questions, that’s a great place to start.
Common bot questions already included
To help you get up and running fast, every Helpfruit comes with built-in chit-chat – a set of questions and conversation elements, like greetings and joke requests - common to any bot. We’ve also included a standard set of answers, which you can customise to suit your bot’s personality and tone of voice.
Different approaches to getting your chatbot up and running
1. Start with your existing FAQ
Many organisations already have a good understanding of the questions their customers want answered, and have them documented already. It’s quick and easy to adapt those so they work well in chat.
2. Pick a narrow area of knowledge and start with that
Rather than try to answer all questions immediately, you can start with a specific area of your business, and train your chatbot to answer questions about that topic. Customise your welcome message to set expectations, launch your chatbot, and add more topics when you’re ready.
3. Start with live chat
You can even get started without building a knowledge base first. Offer your customers live chat first, like Hirepool and the Domain Name Commission did, and learn from what they ask your bot. Use their questions to get your knowledge base started, and be confident that the language of your bot matches the language of your customers from the very beginning.
4. Work with us to get going even faster
Need extra help with configuring your bot, importing questions and answers, or integrations? Work with our chatbot specialists to fast track your setup.
(This blog was originally published by FAQ Bot. FAQ Bot rebranded to Helpfruit in April 2024. This blog has been updated accordingly.)