Looking to build a better chatbot that sounds a little more…human? Same. We’ve built hundreds of chat flows, we’ve run thousands of tests, and we’ve identified exactly what gets a chat to pop off.
Ready to build a better chat? Let’s nail the opening first (Part 1 of 6).
1️⃣ STAY SIMPLE
No one likes a pushy bot.
Try, “Hey, what’s up? Need help with something?” Short, sweet, and not so desperate.
2️⃣ NAME DROP
If you’ve got their name, use it.
Start the chat flow by adding a prompt for AI to generate a personalized greeting. For example, you could write: “In under 5 words, greet and welcome the visitor by their first name in a casual tone. Use a waving hand emoji.” AI will then generate messages like, “Hey Steve! Welcome 👋🏼” or “Hey there, Steve! 👋🏼”
3️⃣ BE DIRECT
Skip the long-winded intros.
Don’t make it about you, make it about the visitor so they can start engaging ASAP. Ask something clear like, “Want to see how AI Chat works?” or “Looking to boost your sales?”
It can be tempting to hit ‘em with all the wonderful things about you, your company, and product or service, but please try your best to refrain from doing so.
4️⃣ KEEP IT ON BRAND
Sound like you and your brand.
Site chat is a branded interaction. If you drove people to your site because of your messaging, make sure they get that same type of messaging from your chat.
→ PRO TIP: The Warmly Way 👋🏼
We like to make our chatbot sound as human as possible so we use the names and photos of real team members to send our automated chat messages to visitors. This makes the transition seamless if you decide to step in and take over the chat to continue the convo with the visitor…AND it tends to get higher response rates.
⚙️ How to set up in Warmly
Make sure your team members are added to Warmly so let’s head over to your dashboard. To add team members to your list of reps, go to "Settings" and click on the "Members" tab. Once you're on the "Members" tab, you can manage and invite your organization's members.
Now, click on the “Chat” tab (it’s right under the “Members” tab in “Settings”). Inside each chat workflow in Warmly, you can choose to send it as one of your reps or as a generic team user by clicking “Edit Audience and Conditions” and then scrolling down to “Sender.”
5️⃣ SHORT AND SWEET
15 words max
Again, get to the point so the visitor can start engaging! Have you ever gotten a long text message that left you feeling way too overwhelmed to respond? Same. No one wants to read a novel. Keep the paragraphs for your blogs.
→ PRO TIP: The Warmly Way 👋🏼
We like to follow up on our initial greeting with a question with preselected answers by selecting “Ask a Question” in the chatflow and then adding buttons. Each button then branches out so you can customize your response based on what the visitor selects.
Ask the visitor something like, “What can I help you with today?” and then add buttons to the card for possible answers:
Button 1: “Explore AI Chat”
Button 2: “Fix My Sales Process”
Button 3: “Upgrade My Tech Stack”
Try to keep it to three buttons so you don’t overwhelm the visitor with options. In the case of a chatbot, too many options can slow down the interaction and make the experience feel confusing or cluttered. It’s better to provide clear, simple options that guide the visitor toward the next step, keeping the interaction smooth and focused. Less is more when it comes to engaging users effectively.
TL;DR: Remember, simplicity is key. Try these tips, and watch your chatbot go from “meh” to memorable, making each interaction feel smooth, on-brand, and worth their time.