What types of chatbots do you build?+
We build four primary chatbot types: lead generation and qualification chatbots (engaging website visitors and capturing qualified leads through conversation), e-commerce chatbots (product recommendation, order tracking, customer service automation), customer support chatbots (first-tier support automation using RAG against the knowledge base), and appointment booking chatbots (conversational scheduling integrated with calendar and practice management systems). We also build custom chatbots for specific business requirements that do not fit neatly into these categories — including internal employee tools, onboarding assistants, and process automation chatbots.
What is the difference between a rule-based chatbot and an AI chatbot?+
A rule-based chatbot follows a predefined decision tree — the chatbot's responses are determined entirely by the specific rules and paths that were programmed into it, and it cannot handle inputs that fall outside those paths. Rule-based chatbots are predictable and appropriate for highly structured use cases (appointment booking, order status lookup) where the range of user inputs is limited and predictable. An AI chatbot uses a large language model to understand natural language with genuine comprehension — it can handle a much wider range of user inputs, maintain conversation context across multiple turns, and generate contextually appropriate responses. AI chatbots are appropriate for open-ended conversational use cases (product guidance, support issue diagnosis, general enquiry handling). We build both, and often combine them: AI for the open-ended conversational elements, rule-based flows for the structured transactional elements.
Which platforms do you build chatbots for?+
We build chatbots for: website chat widgets (deployed as JavaScript snippets on any website), WhatsApp Business (using the WhatsApp Business API for conversational engagement on the world's most-used messaging platform), Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, SMS/text messaging, and Slack (for internal employee tools). We also build chatbots within specific platforms: Shopify chatbot apps, HubSpot chatbot builder (Conversations), Intercom chatbot (Fin), and Zendesk chatbot (Answer Bot customisation and extension). Platform selection depends on where your customers and prospects actually initiate conversations.
How long does chatbot development take?+
A basic lead capture chatbot with CRM integration typically takes 2-4 weeks. A mid-complexity chatbot (LLM-powered with RAG knowledge base, multi-channel deployment, and CRM integration) typically takes 4-8 weeks. A complex e-commerce or customer service chatbot with multiple system integrations (order management, shipping APIs, scheduling systems) typically takes 8-14 weeks. The timeline depends primarily on the complexity of the conversation design, the number of system integrations required, and the size of the knowledge base that needs to be indexed for RAG.
How much does chatbot development cost?+
A basic rule-based lead capture chatbot with CRM integration typically costs $3,000 to $8,000. A mid-complexity AI chatbot (LLM-powered with RAG, multi-intent handling, and full CRM/marketing automation integration) typically costs $10,000 to $30,000. A complex e-commerce or customer service chatbot with multiple backend integrations typically costs $25,000 to $70,000. Ongoing management (conversation review, knowledge base updates, performance optimisation) is typically available as a monthly retainer. We provide detailed estimates after understanding the specific use case and integration requirements.
Can a chatbot replace my customer support team?+
A well-designed customer support chatbot can resolve 40-70% of first-tier support enquiries without human agent involvement — but it is designed to complement human support, not replace it. Complex issues, sensitive situations, complaints requiring empathy and judgment, and high-value customer interactions all benefit from human agents. A good chatbot handles the routine, repetitive queries that consume the majority of support volume — freeing human agents to focus on the interactions where human judgment adds genuine value. The result is typically a support operation that handles higher enquiry volume with the same or smaller team, at higher customer satisfaction scores.
Do chatbots work on mobile?+
Yes — modern web chatbots are fully responsive and work across desktop, tablet, and mobile browsers. WhatsApp and SMS chatbots are natively mobile experiences. We design and test chatbot conversation flows specifically for mobile interaction: shorter messages, touch-optimised quick reply buttons, and conversation pacing appropriate for mobile usage patterns. Mobile is typically the primary channel for consumer-facing chatbots and an important secondary channel for B2B chatbots.
How do I measure chatbot ROI?+
We establish ROI measurement frameworks before deployment. Depending on the chatbot type: for lead generation chatbots, we measure incremental leads captured (leads from chatbot that would not have come through the form), lead quality (qualification score and downstream conversion rate), and revenue attribution from chatbot-sourced leads. For support chatbots, we measure ticket deflection rate, average cost per resolution (chatbot-resolved vs agent-resolved), and customer satisfaction scores. For e-commerce chatbots, we measure assisted conversion rate, average order value for chatbot-assisted sessions, and product recommendation click-through-to-purchase rate.