AI ChatBots for Dummies.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mirabella, Kelly Noble.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Chatbots.

Artificial intelligence.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (322 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Newark : John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2026.

Summary:

A handbook for professionals implementing or upgrading chatbots In AI Chatbots For Dummies, chatbot expert Kelly Mirabella and veteran tech educator Eric Butow deliver a from-scratch guide to deploying AI-powered chatbots that keep your business' customers happy.

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part 1 Getting to Know Chatbots and AI

Chapter 1 Understanding the Chatbot Revolution

Knowing the Difference between Chatbots and AI Chatbots

Running regular ol' chatbots

Accessing AI chatbots: The next generation

Using Chatbots in Your Small Business

Considering customer service and support

Looking at lead generation and sales

Booking appointments and tackling other administrative tasks

Building the Business Case

Highlighting the value you get

Customers

Efficiency

Management

Crunching the numbers

Tracking ROI metrics

Getting started

Chapter 2 Breaking Down the Tech Without the Geek-Speak

Exploring the Key Concepts

Natural language processing (NLP)

Machine learning

Training your AI

Facing the issues

Conversational flow

Integrations

Discovering How AI Enhances Chatbots (and When It's Overkill)

Connection

Complexity

Cost

Capacity

Changes

Understanding the User Journey

Designing

Hitting every touchpoint

Knowing your customers

Using analytics

Always asking for feedback

Being consistent

Building your brand

Chapter 3 Exploring What Chatbots Can Actually Do

Racking Up Real-World Ways Businesses Are Using Chatbots

Super-charging customer service

Leveling up lead generation

Queuing up quizzes

Delivering content

Reviewing the Types of Bots

Rocking a rule-based chatbot

Advancing to the AI-powered chatbot

Checking out voice chatbots

Surveying short message service (SMS) chatbots

Dabbling in direct messaging (DM) chatbots

Holding out for hybrid chatbots

Knowing What Makes a "Good" Chatbot.

Considering clarity

Revving up value

Maximizing user experience (UX)

Understanding chatbots' limitations

Part 2 Choosing and Using the Right Chatbot Tools

Chapter 4 Comparing Chatbot Platforms

Introducing the Platforms You Should Know

Manychat

Chatfuel

Chatrace

Voiceflow

Botpress

ChatBot

Sizing Up Each Platform's Strengths and Weaknesses

Understanding Which Platform Is Right for You

Marketing agencies

Coaches

E-commerce

Customer support

Considering Your Options Before Choosing a Platform

Business needs

Customer interaction

Compliance and security

Operations

Risk to your business

Technical expertise

Onboarding questions

Infrastructure and maintenance

Your budget

Desired features and integrations

Core features

Integration

Scalability and flexibility

Pricing questions

Capacity questions

Customizability questions

Analytics and reporting

Vendor and community support

Chapter 5 Planning Your First Chatbot

Identifying Your Business Goals

Asking yourself the right questions

Avoiding trying to do everything in one flow

Using smart goals to stay focused

Mapping Out Your Ideal User Journey

Choosing a mapping process that works for you

Steering clear of common mistakes

Selecting Common Flows and Frameworks That Work

Getting into a flow

Picturing a framework

Starting with beginner-friendly flow options

Walking through a welcome flow

Flowing toward your chatbot's top-priority goal

Considering how multiple flows work with different chatbots

Getting Your Team and Tools in Place

Deciding who should be involved in the build

Choosing the right platform

Getting organized before you build.

Chapter 6 Building a Bot from Scratch (Without Needing to Code)

Walking through a Sample Chatbot Build

Step 1: Plan before you build

Step 2: Know your tone

Step 3: Write your welcome message

Step 4: Offer simple options

Step 5: Test like a real person

Reviewing the Three Building Types

Reviewing rule-based chatbots

Addressing AI-powered chatbots

Hearing about hybrid chatbots

Introducing Visual Builders

Building Your Chatbot Without Code

Fuely AI (easy mode)

Flows (manual mode)

Visual Builder (full flow map)

AI Builder and AI triggers

Writing AI

Step 1: Defining the purpose

Step 2: Adding your business profile

Step 3: Identifying your audience and language preferences

Step 4: Providing examples and constraints

Constraints

Examples

Getting and Connecting Your OpenAI API Key

Considering why you'd want your own API key

Obtaining your OpenAI API key

Reviewing key options

Adding your API key to your chatbot platform

Understanding How to Test, Revise, and Launch

Starting with real questions from real people

Tapping your team (but keeping it small)

Using it as a customer would

Tweaking and trying again

Knowing when it's ready to go

Chapter 7 Connecting Chatbots to the Tools You Already Use

Integrating with Your Most Common Tools

Email

Deciding when to ask for the email

Making the connection

Collecting the email inside the chatbot

Tagging it, tracking it, and staying organized

CRMs

Checking your platform's built-in options

Proceeding if native integration isn't possible

Deciding what data to send

Avoiding duplicate contacts

Calendars: Setting up a smooth booking flow

E-commerce platforms

Keeping it simple for your shoppers.

Exploring what you can (and should!) do with chatbots and e-commerce

Payment options

Choosing your payment tool and location

Getting your payment tool and checkout flow set up

Incorporating Other Tools

Adding Google Sheets to your workflow

Delivering files and follow-up content

Using Third-Party Automation Tools

Working webhooks in

Creating a seamless experience with Zapier, Make, and Pabbly

Pulling data rather than just pushing it

Avoiding overcomplicating things

Watching the cost

Collecting and Organizing Customer Data Safely

Not asking for more than you need

Always asking for consent

Storing data where it belongs

Limiting access

Cleaning it up regularly

Giving users control over their info

Keeping your team in the loop

Part 3 Chatbots in Action

Chapter 8 Automating Customer Service and Support

Hearing How Bots Handle Their Business

Forging ahead with FAQs

Identifying the most common questions

Working with simple and complex questions

Making FAQs smarter, faster, and easier with AI

Recognizing who owns the updates

Taking on Ticket Deflection

Determining when to let the AI chatbot do its thing

Keeping your knowledge base fresh

Revving Up Real-Time Routing

Queuing up common real-time routing signals

Triggering the transfer

Voiceflow methods

Chatrace function triggers

Manychat approaches

Deciding between rules-based and AI-driven handoffs

Using Chatbots with Live Agents

Selecting notification methods

Knowing what to include in your notification

Reviewing Good Automation Examples

Chapter 9 Using Chatbots for Lead Generation and Sales

Building Lead Gen Flows, Quiz Chatbots, and Appointment Setters

Rainmaker fundraiser chatbot

Marking the main goals

Considering key features of the chatbot

Recapping the results.

Using this strategy yourself

Improving this system with AI

Kerwin Rae's high-ticket sales chatbot

Looking at the chatbot's key features

Seeing the results

Putting this strategy into action for your business

Adding AI to improve this system

Get Matt Deals comment-to-message automation

Breaking down key features of the chatbot

Reviewing the results

Making this strategy your own

Elevating this system with AI

Creating Messenger, Instagram, and SMS Lead Gen Strategies

Turning conversations into conversions with Messenger

Employing Instagram DM automation that doesn't feel automated

Using SMS without annoying people

Using AI to Segment and Personalize Follow-Up

Understanding why AI matters in personalization

Strategy over platform: Examining real-world uses for AI-powered follow-up

Developing a knowledge base

Seeing AI follow-up in action

Chapter 10 Creating AI-Powered Marketing Campaigns

Generating Personalized Content

Pulling in your data

Demographics

Preferences

Patterns

Segmenting your data

Putting AI to work for you

Responding dynamically

Communicating to the user

Needing foresight

Using AI Chatbots to Manage Campaigns

Product launches

Events

Promotions

Deploying Dynamic Ads, Retargeting Flows, and Campaign Triggers

Dynamic ads

Retargeting flows

Campaign triggers

Chapter 11 Using Chatbots to Create and Distribute Content

Repurposing Content with AI

Using Messenger Lists for Recurring Messaging on Facebook

Exploring what makes Messenger Lists different

Getting real-world results with recurring messaging

Working with long-form content

Delivering Blog Posts, Videos, Tips, and Downloads

Matching Content Format to Delivery Type

Creating Content Drip Campaigns and Newsletter Chatbots.

Timing and personalizing your campaign.

Notes:

Chapter 5 Planning Your First Chatbot

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-394-37857-2

9781394378579

OCLC:

1569119231