Choose the right channel for your conversational project, based on your constraints and objectives.
The best channel is the one that your users, fans or prospects have mostly adopted. But when creating your chatbot, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each channel to optimize your conversational experience.
And in case you have an idea for a conversational project but don’t know which channel to deploy it on, this comparison will guide you in your choice.
1. Feature comparison table
Below you’ll find a table comparing the different channels in terms of prerequisites, content, information capture and different ways of engaging users.
 Web-Bot |  Messenger |  Instagram |  WhatsApp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||||
| No need for a Business Account |  | |  | |
| No Meta validation | | | | |
| Contents | ||||
| Texts | | | | |
| Media (img, audio, video) | | | | |
| Stickers | | | | |
| Buttons | | | | |
| Quick Replies | | | | |
| Caroussel | | | | |
| List of choices | | | | |
| Multiple choice | | | | |
| Evaluation | | | | |
| Poll | | | | |
| Capture GPS data | | | | |
| Capture a Date | | | | |
| Persistent menu | | | | |
| Personas | | | | |
| Escalation to human | | | | |
| Graphic customization | | | | |
| Info & Engagement | ||||
| Recover user info automatically | | | | |
| Ice Breakers | | | | |
| Launch after comment | | | | |
| Single notification | | | | |
| Notification campaign | | | | |
| Automatic reminder | | | | |
2. Advantages and disadvantages of each channel
Web-Bots
Benefits
- You don’t need to already have a Meta account to use the bot,
- No need to install an application,
- A host of exclusive features,
- Extensive graphic customization.
Disadvantages
- No engagement features,
- No automatic retrieval of user account information.
Perfect for offering an alternative navigation to your site, a FAQ and/or a contact form. It’s also a great alternative for making a complex form user-friendly.
Messenger Chatbot
Benefits
- Great flexibility of engagement,
- Recovery of user account data,
- A good selection of features.
Disadvantages
- No graphic customization,
- Some missing features.
Notification campaigns are a major asset. Perfect for engaging fans of your Facebook page and answering frequently asked questions automatically.
Instagram Chatbot
Benefits
- Engagement features,
- Recovery of user account data,
- A good selection of features.
Disadvantages
- No graphic customization,
- Some missing features.
Perfect for engaging fans of your account and answering frequently asked questions automatically. Ideal for brands targeting a younger, image-driven audience.
WhatsApp Chatbot
Benefits
- Engagement features,
- A good selection of features.
Disadvantages
- Requires the user to add the phone number to the application to reach the chatbot,
- Validation by Meta can take up to 8 weeks,
- Additional message costs,
- No graphic customization,
- No automatic retrieval of user accounts.
A lot of drawbacks, but necessary if your users and prospects use WhatsApp for the majority of their exchanges.
3. Conclusion
The choice of channel for a chatbot will depend on the company’s objectives, the nature of the desired interaction and the target audience. Each channel has its own characteristics that can influence the chatbot’s effectiveness.
Whatever you decide, Botnation lets you create chatbots across all these channels.