Context no longer has to be siloed. Today, conversation APIs power superior communication with the context that moves with the customer and creates customer journeys through conversations that deliver a better overall experience.
The modern customer is not a single channel user – they switch seamlessly between their social media profiles, private phone numbers, and email addresses to communicate with others. And they retain the context of those conversations no matter what channel is being used.
Today, consumers expect the same thing of their brand experiences. They are not interested in old-fashioned, one-way communication with businesses. They expect two-way, contextual conversations, on the channel of their choosing, to and from any device; and they expect this process to be frictionless and hassle-free.
Businesses need to realize this shift in communication preferences and strategically evolve. Traditional omnichannel messaging may be a good start, but it fails to effectively meet customers where they are and often tends to be a one-way conversation.
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According to Gartner, by 2021, half of all businesses will be spending more on conversational AI such as chatbots than on mobile apps, a testament to the momentum for conversational messaging.
The next generation of omnichannel messaging will bring in true two-way conversations between brands and customers. With two-way messaging, brands can cultivate more personalized, mutually beneficial conversations by encouraging customers to respond with questions, selections, and the like.
By driving engagement, two-way messaging can strengthen customer experience, leading to customer loyalty.
However, it can be immensely complex to develop, integrate, and mobilize two-way interactions over different channels. Fortunately, to a great extent, this can be streamlined through the use of APIs.
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Conversation APIs
Mobile is how consumers consume, experience, and engage with businesses online today. Businesses have to present wherever the customers are, and they need to be ready to converse too – be it through SMS or RCS, on a chat app, with a chatbot, or on social media. Hence, it is crucial for mobile to be the centerpiece of customer experience in today’s world.
Customer engagement vendors have now developed specialized APIs to address the lack of context and consumer history that limits traditional omnichannel messaging. These APIs can offer a single endpoint for sending and receiving messages over various popular channels, all while using a unified format.
With these solutions, brands can provide customers with a personalized chat experience on their preferred channel, whether marketing-driven or service-driven. APIs can facilitate a true two-way conversation between brands and their customers.
A good omnichannel conversational API approach gives businesses the power to interact with their customers anywhere, no matter the channel. It allows for seamless transitions across channels, as customer data and history are easily transferable from channel to channel.
That way, a customer can say, start a conversation on one platform and transition to another without the brand losing any conversational context. Hence, companies that adopt omnichannel conversational messaging are well-equipped to meet today’s realities and thrive amid tomorrow’s challenges.
True Omnichannel Experience
Today’s digital-first consumer has access to mobile round the clock. Every mobile channel has its own functionalities and limitations, and customers use different channels for different reasons. With Conversation APIs, businesses can streamline their applications, development, and customer support processes by providing a unified approach to customer communications.
The rapidly evolving messaging landscape presents a significant opportunity for businesses that are ready to offer customers a true omnichannel experience. Hence, moving forward, to maintain connections with customers in today’s digital world, they must incorporate next-gen omnichannel messaging into their planning.
