Chatbot development - the costs, timeline, and functionality overview

Chatbots are getting more and more popular with businesses of all sizes and in all industries. While chatbot development from scratch is pretty complex and is mostly used in Enterprise chatbot strategies, there are solutions like Chatbit that can be easily added to your website.

We’ve developed Chatbit as a simple no-code solution for Wordpress, Shopify, and other websites, but we’ll go over the state of chatbot development in 2024 in case you want to expand your solution.

Chatbot development vs no-code

In the realm of chatbot development, the decision between traditional development and no-code platforms matters very much. Traditional development involves writing code from scratch or using pre-built libraries and frameworks. This approach offers a high degree of customization and control, allowing developers to create complex and unique chatbot functionalities. 

However, it takes more time, and resources, and costs more.

No-code platforms like Chatbit, on the other hand, provide a user-friendly interface where chatbots can be built using drag-and-drop features and pre-designed templates. This is faster, cheaper, and covers the chatbot needs of 99% of small businesses, even though no-code chatbots do not offer the same level of customization and complexity as traditional development models.

Chatbot Development Process Steps

The first step in the chatbot development process is identifying the purpose and objectives of the bot. You have to clearly understand the tasks the bot will perform, the problems it will solve, and the value it will provide to users, so make sure to clearly define the scope of the bot's functionality.

Once the purpose and objectives are clear, the next step is designing the conversation flow. This involves mapping out the possible user inputs and the bot's responses. The conversation flow should be designed to guide users toward achieving their goals in the most efficient and user-friendly way possible.

Next, the bot's personality and tone of voice should be defined. This should align with the brand's identity and target audience. The bot's personality can significantly impact user engagement and satisfaction.

Then, the development of the bot can begin. This involves coding the bot's functionality and integrating it with the chosen chat platform. The complexity of this step can vary greatly depending on the bot's functionality and the chosen platform.

Once the bot is developed, it should be thoroughly tested. This involves testing the bot's functionality, conversation flow, and error-handling capabilities. Any issues identified during testing should be addressed before the bot is launched.

After the bot is launched, it's important to monitor its performance and gather user feedback. This can provide valuable insights into how the bot can be improved. Regular updates and improvements should be made based on this feedback to ensure the bot continues to meet user needs and expectations.

Finally, it's crucial to have a maintenance plan in place. This involves regularly checking the bot's performance, fixing any issues, and updating the bot as necessary. This ensures the bot remains functional and relevant over time.

Chatbot development with Chatbit

The chatbot development timeline we’ve described above is valid for custom chatbot solutions that are an overkill for 99% of businesses. Chatbit makes it all way simpler.

Our website chatbot solution is extremely straightforward and user-friendly - you can install Chatbit on your website within minutes.

Sign up, create a new chatbot, provide data sources for training, select the tone of voice and “AI temperature”, design your chatbot appearance, and add it to your website. The whole process can take under three minutes - and you will have a modern & functional chatbot on your website.

Chatbot Development Costs

There are several factors that affect custom chatbot development.

The complexity of the chatbot

This is the key factor that influences programming costs. A simple, rule-based bot that responds to specific commands will be cheaper to develop than an AI-powered bot that uses machine learning to understand and respond to a wide range of inputs.

Chatbot platform

Another factor is the platform on which the chatbot will be deployed. Developing a chatbot for a single platform like Facebook Messenger might be less expensive than creating a multi-platform bot that works on several messaging apps.

Customization

Customization also plays a role in determining the cost. If the chatbot needs to be integrated with existing systems or requires unique features, the development cost will increase.

How custom do you need to go

The choice between using a chatbot development platform or building a bot from scratch can also affect the cost. Using a platform can be less expensive and faster, but it may not offer the same level of customization or complexity as a bot built from scratch.

Maintenance & updates

Maintenance, support, and updates should be considered. A chatbot will need regular updates and maintenance to ensure it continues to function effectively and achieve the goals you’ve set for it. This ongoing cost can significantly impact the total cost of chatbot development.

As for Chatbit - we have a very straightforward pricing policy that’s broken down in this blog post. 

You can start using Chatbit for free - and our plans go up to only $399 per month for the Enterprise edition which lets you use your own chatbot API keys and custom domains.

Chatbot Development Timeline

The timeline for chatbot development can be broken down into several key stages. 

Planning and design

This involves defining the chatbot's purpose, its target audience, and the problems it will solve - as well as a detailed design of the chatbot's user interface. 

The planning and design phase can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the complexity of the chatbot.

Development

This involves writing the code for the chatbot and integrating it with the necessary platforms. This stage also includes setting up the chatbot's natural language processing capabilities, which enable it to understand and respond to user inputs. 

The development phase can take several months to complete, again depending on the complexity of the chatbot.

Testing

Following the development phase is the testing phase. This involves running the chatbot through a series of tests to identify and fix any bugs or issues. The testing phase is crucial for ensuring that the chatbot functions as intended and provides a good user experience. This phase can take a few weeks to a month.

Maintenance

Once the chatbot has been tested and refined, it is deployed to the intended platform. After deployment, ongoing maintenance is necessary to ensure the chatbot remains functional and up-to-date. This includes monitoring the chatbot's performance, making necessary updates, and addressing any user feedback. 

The timeline for this phase is ongoing

If you can’t afford to waste that much time and want a functional chatbot solution for your website, sign up for Chatbit today and have it up on your site within minutes.

Modern Chatbot functionality to expect

Modern chatbots, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP), have revolutionized the way businesses interact with customers. 

Chatbots function by processing user inputs (usually text-based), interpreting the intent behind them, and providing relevant responses.

They are designed to simulate human conversation and understand user intent, making them an integral part of customer service, sales, and marketing strategies.

The core functionality of a chatbot revolves around three main components: user input, processing, and output. User input is the query or statement from the user. Processing involves understanding the input and determining the appropriate response. The output is the response that the chatbot provides to the user.

Chatbots can be integrated into various platforms such as websites, social media, and messaging apps. They can handle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as answering FAQs, booking appointments, or providing product recommendations. This versatility of chatbots a valuable tool for businesses looking to improve customer engagement and streamline operations.

Advanced chatbots can also integrate with other systems, like CRM or ERP, to pull in data and provide more personalized responses. For instance, a chatbot could access a customer's purchase history to recommend relevant products, or check an employee's leave balance in response to a query.

Chatbit offers a simple and robust website chatbot solution that can go live and fully operational on your website without any development. You can use it in sales, lead generation, marketing, customer support, and many other departments. 

Sign up today and see how easy modern website chatbots are to set up!