You've seen the widget in the corner of every website. Sometimes it's a real person. Sometimes it's a bot pretending to be one. And sometimes it's a bot that's honest about being a bot — and works better than either.
The Problem with Live Chat
Live chat converts great — when someone's online. But most small businesses can't staff a chat 24/7. So what happens at 11 PM when a potential customer has a question?
They leave. And they don't come back.
The Problem with Bad Chatbots
We've all dealt with chatbots that can't understand a simple question. "I didn't understand that. Can you rephrase?" — three times in a row. That's worse than no chat at all.
The Middle Ground: AI Chat
Modern AI chatbots (built on models like Claude or GPT-4) actually understand context. They can:
- Answer product questions accurately
- Qualify leads and collect contact info
- Book meetings on your calendar
- Hand off to a human when they're stuck
And they work at 3 AM on a Sunday.
What It Costs
A basic AI chatbot for your website starts from $299 setup + $19/month. It's trained on your products, FAQ, and tone of voice. Ready in 3-5 days.
Which Should You Choose?
- Live chat — if you have a team that can respond in under 2 minutes during business hours
- AI chatbot — if you need 24/7 coverage and can't hire for it
- Both — AI handles the volume, humans handle the value