Chatbot vs. Live Chat: What Small Businesses Should Know
A chatbot and live chat can both give website visitors a way to ask questions, but they solve different problems. The best fit depends on the questions customers ask, when someone is available to respond, and how the business handles follow-up. What live chat does Live chat lets a visitor message a person through the website. It is useful when questions are varied, a customer needs reassurance, or a team member must interpret context before replying. It only feels immediate when someone is actually monitoring it. If no one is available, set clear expectations and offer another way to get help. What a chatbot does A chatbot follows a designed conversation. It can answer common, predictable questions, collect basic information, or direct a visitor to the right next step. Some bots use scripted choices; others use AI features. Either way, the business needs to decide what the bot is allowed to answer and what should go to a person. When a bot may help A bot may fit when customers repeated...