DSL Telecom - Blog by Reagan

A quick start guide: No Code Chatbot With SalesIQ

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:45:34 +0200

Chatbots have become a crucial part of customer engagement, and they are only becoming more popular. With Zoho SalesIQ you are given the option to design and integrate no code, low-code and pro code chatbots based on your needs respectively. The SalesIQ no code chatbot builder allows businesses with very little coding knowledge to automate customer interactions and provide 24/7 customer services. In this blog we will shed light on the no code chatbot features provided by Zoho SalesIQ and how it can help you and your business improve customer engagement.

The difference between No code, Low-code and Pro code chatbots

No code, Low-code and Pro code chatbots refer to the way in which you design and build your chatbot.

No code chatbots, as the name states require no coding and use a visual interface to create pathways with rules and fields in order to determine the outcome of the interaction.
Low-code chatbots, similar to no code chatbots also use a visual interface however it allows for basic coding to be used for more advanced features and wider customisation options depending on the your needs.
Pro code chatbots are in a league of their own. Requiring advanced coding skills to build and design. Pro code chatbots give you the best results in terms of flexibility but this is due to the resource investment required to have it operational.

The differences between the three chatbot creation methods lie in the amount of resources and knowledge needed to build and design them. For this quickstart guide we will be focusing on the No code chatbot feature within SalesIQ.

The benefits of using a no code chatbot builder

Now there are multiple benefits of using the SalesIQ no code chatbot builder. The first as we mentioned above is that it does not require coding. You are able to design and build a custom chatbot without coding skills and this opens up the feature to businesses of all sizes. The second benefit is that the interface is user-friendly, this allows for easy navigation and setup. The integration blocks built into the chatbot builder are a huge benefit as they award you the ability to utilise applications like your Zoho CRM to store lead data and Zoho Desk integration allows for support tickets to be created and allocated automatically.

Creating a no code chatbot is as easy as 1, 2, 3

In this 5 step guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up a no code chatbot in SalesIQ, and help you start automating customer interactions and providing 24/7 customer service.

1. Log Into SalesIQ

The first step is to navigate to the Zoho SalesIQ website and sign in. If you do not have a Zoho account, you can head over to our website and signup for a 15-day free trial: www.dsltelecom.co.za/zohosoftware. Once you have signed in click on the settings icon and under bot coloumn and select Zobot.

2. Start the chatbot creation process

Once you have found the Zobot menu, you can then go ahead and name your chatbot as well as fill in the description and choose the platform you would like to use.

3. Define Triggers

Your next step is to choose the bot audience and define the triggers. Selecting how quickly you want your bot to reach out to your potential customer and how fast you would like the response time to be. For a more "genuine" interaction we recommend 2 seconds between response intervals.

4. Create the chatbot's responses

Here comes the fun part, this is where you use the visual interface to create your no code chatbot. Defining pathways and rules in order to guide the customer down a path of your choosing while gathering the information to determine the correct path for your customer to go down.

5. Test your bot

This is one of the most important steps in this guide. Test, test, test, ensuring that your bot is functional and the responses are accurate all have a role in determining customer satisfaction at the end of the day. Something as small as misspelled words or the inability to provide the content the consumer came to your site for can be the reason you lose a potential lead.

Integrations

Integrations are available at every turn within SalesIQ.

With Zoho CRM you can use an intergration card in the chatbot builder to store customer information or pull customer information from your CRM.
Zoho Campaigns allows you to use an intergration block to add the customers information to a mailing list should they need additional information or qualify for marketing mailers.
The Zoho Desk integration block can be used to allocate support tickets to support staff automatically allowing you to tend to customer issues quickly and effieciently. There is so much more to the integration side of Zoho SalesIQ, with multiple integration tools from numerous software applications.

Why we recommend Zoho SalesIQ

SalesIQ no code chatbot builder is a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to improve customer engagement. It's an easy to use tool that can help businesses automate customer interactions and provide 24/7 customer service. In this blog, we have highlighted some of the benefits and setup instructions for SalesIQ no code chatbot, showcasing how it can add value to your business and how easy it is to get started. We highly recommend you consider SalesIQ no code chatbot for your customer engagement solution.

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Zoholics South Africa 2022 Event Recap

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 11:47:50 +0200

More than 250 people travelled from across the country to attend the two-day Zoho events in South Africa.

Zoho's annual user conference landed in South Africa on the 28th of November in Johannesburg and the 1st of December in Cape Town. Zoholics is a space where Zoho partners and customers can come together for training on all Zoho products, as well as engage in 1 on 1 sessions with product experts for a deeper understanding of the Zoho suite of apps. The goal behind the conference is to give users the resources and insights needed to take their business or team to the next level.

What went down at Zoholics South Africa

The event spanned over 2 days in Cape Town and 2 days in Johannesburg and was attended by over 250 Zoho customers and partners. By providing two tracks of content throughout the day, attendees could choose which seminars they would like to attend, and there was no shortfall when it came to the amount of valuable information presented by each speaker.

Day One featured a common track with sneak peeks, product announcements, customer case studies, with introductions into hidden features that enhance the user experience and workflow.

Day Two featured a deep-dive into specific Zoho products. With the content track split in two, track 1 focused on Marketing and HR platforms within the Zoho Suite where track 2 focused on the Business Operations and Sales elements.

Presenters

With excitement on everyone's face and an electric atmosphere the events kicked off with the Keynote speech presented by Ali Shabdar, the Regional Director for Zoho Middle East and Africa. There were so many great presenters but two that stood out were Zeeshan Panjwani, who spoke about "Hacking your job" and showcased ways in which hidden features within Zoho software such as the Zoho Annotator ability to take screenshots and record video can come in handy on a daily basis. Remya Nair, speaking on Zoho Creator and the ways in which you can automate your business process was an eye-opening seminar on the many features designed to simplify your life.

Key Takeaways From The Event

Over the course of the event, the ever present theme was automation and how new updates and features will drive the workflow process to a more automated system. Two main takeaways due to this were updates and features in the following areas:

1. Zoho Marketing Automation 2.0

A large update to Zoho Marketing Automation will see all marketing tools gathered under one umbrella for multi channel marketing campaigns. In simple terms this means that if you are looking for a way to manage all your marketing channels and their content you can do so with ease thanks to the new update coming in Q1 of 2023. If you are only focused on social posts or email campaigns you can continue to use them separately.

2. CRM Enhanced Features

The Zoho CRM conversation focused around the enhanced features such as Command Center, Colour Coding and the customers overall interface experience. CRM's command center was built to scale productivity and limit the need for manual engagement. By defining certain actions you can setup automated actions to follow when the criteria are met. Colour Coding was also mentioned in terms of generating a better user experience with the interface. Zoho users are able to colour code their panels and taskbar to suit their requirements.

DSL Telecom's Zoho Customer Presentations

DSL Telecom's Zoho Software clients RenEnergy and DPO Paygate presented testimonials on how Zoho attributed to the success of their daily operations. RenEnergy uses over 20 Zoho Software Applications but the core products they use are Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho Inventory.

" DSL Telecom has been able to support us immensely, just because of their industry knowledge, subject matter and expertise. "

- Raphael Devantier, the Chief Operating Officer at RenEnergy

We appreciate the acknowledgement as a Zoho Premium Partner to deliver on their Zoho software needs. It's awesome to hear how our clients benefit from the hard work and high level of service we aim to deliver each and everyday

Some snapshots from the Zoholics 2022 event

What's next for Zoho

Towards the end of the event, Zoho pulled back the curtain on their roadmap showcasing all the exciting applications and events that are coming up within the next year. One of these exciting announcements is a Zoholics Event in Durban that will be happening in August of 2023, this comes after plans were mentioned of Zoho opening offices right here in Johannesburg South Africa within the first quarter of 2023.

All in all, Zoholics South Africa was a big success and we can't wait for Zoholics 2023 next year. If you are interested in Zoho software to level up your business, contact us here: https://www.dsltelecom.co.za/contactus

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Top Ecommerce Platform Features To Consider For South African Businesses

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 08:10:33 +0200

With the world of ecommerce growing rapidly it can sometimes be a daunting task deciding what elements are important or on which ecommerce software you should use to launch your business. Worry not, we've done the research and are here to help. In the blog below, we dive into some of the key features you can use on Zoho Commerce, along with a comparison between Zoho Commerce and Shopify. We even give you a quick setup guide to help you get started with Zoho Commerce.

3 Key Features your Ecommerce store needs

With ecommerce being an R86 Billion industry in South Africa, standing out and being able to deliver the best experience to your customers is the only way to stay ahead of the competition. Being able to keep your customers coming back for more is easier than trying to find new ones, you can do this by giving your customers the best online shopping experience with three key back-end features:

1. Mobile Optimisation

A responsive ecommerce platform is the best defense against a high bounce rate over all platforms. Mobile and Tablet users account for over 46% of online consumers and 75% of them admit to leaving sites that aren't responsive or optimised for mobile.

2. Automated Payment & Checkout System

Having an automated payment system deals with the billing process so that you don't have to, allowing you to avoid manually processing transactions entirely. This can be done through payment integration with online payment platforms like Zoho Checkout, PayPal, or Stripe.

3. Reporting & Analytics Tool

Data and Information are key components to understanding your business. With the correct data you can monitor consumer behaviour, gain insight into product performance as well as track payment reports. These in return helps you make better business decisions related to the growth of your online store.

Using the right ecommerce platform for your business is vital to it's success, whether its functionality, user experience, templates or security. The features ecommerce platforms provide need to be tailored to your business. With so many platforms to choose from, such as Spotify, Woocommerce, Wix etc. you need to choose a platform that works best for you. Not every platform will suit your business' needs, however there are a few that come close, one of them is Zoho Commerce. If you are looking for easy setup with vast integration options, nothing comes close to Zoho Commerce.

What is Zoho Commerce?

Zoho Commerce is an ecommerce platform, providing you with effective ways to design, tailor and maintain your online business. The idea behind Zoho Commerce is to keep your everyday decision-making process to a minimum, allowing you the time to focus on the key aspects of what makes your business unique and leave the mundane tasks to the software.

With the features designed with your success in mind, let's dive into some of them and how they work for you:

Website Templates
Product Cataloging
Inventory & Shipping

Website Templates

Zoho Commerce offers a wide range of pre-built templates and designs that are mobile optimised to help to get started faster. If pre-built sites aren't for you then take advantage of the customisation tab where you can design and arrange your store the way you want it.

Product Cataloging

You can easily add your products and their details without breaking a sweat. Uploading product images and adding alt text to aid with search engine optimisation with ensure higher levels of traffic to your store.

Inventory & Shipping

It is important to keep track of orders and their position within your pipeline. Zoho Commerce can automatically monitor inventory levels and shipment integration with your preferred shipping carriers to ensure a smooth shipping process. Not to mention the Batch & serial tracking feature that allows you to keep track of large orders effortlessly.

Integrations

Easy integrations are essential to managing an ecommerce store with efficiency. Zoho Commerce integrates with all the relevant sales, marketing, and finance apps within the Zoho suite, empowering you to scale your business operations as your sales multiply.

As you begin making use of more tools and services to support your ecommerce business and its growth, you're soon to find that a lot of your customer data is distributed across different systems. With Zoho CRM integration you are able to improve user experience with the help of detailed information in order to tailor product marketing channels.

Zoho SalesIQ integration allows you to use live chat features on your website, effective in answering customer queries in real time to help you continuously move them down your sales pipeline. Other marketing integrations such as Zoho Campaigns allows you to trigger emails based on customer actions. Delivery of your product is not the final step with Zoho Survey, you can gain valuable feedback from customers and their experience with your online store.

Setting up your store with Zoho Commerce

When it comes to launching your ecommerce store, it does not come easier than Zoho Commerce. Follow these simple steps and you'll be up and running in no time.

6 Easy Steps:

Fill in your Store Information
Select a Template
Add your Products
Publish your Store
Configure your shipping rates + times
Set up your tax information Integrate payment gateways

6 Easy Steps:

Fill in your Store Information
Select a Template
Add your Products
Publish your Store
Configure your shipping rates + times
Set up your tax information Integrate payment gateways

How does Zoho Commerce compare with Shopify?

In the table below we compare Zoho Commerce and Shopify to give you insight on the limitations you are presented by other ecommerce platforms and the risk it poses to your business.

Zoho Commerce	Shopify
Large variety of templates, absolutely free	Hardly any free templates to choose from
Effortless integrations with other Zoho products to scale your business	Greatly dependent on third-party applications
High level of data privacy thanks to Zoho's stringent privacy and security policies	Integrations with high number of apps increase data privacy and security risks
Plans starting at R324/month	Plans starting at R326/month

Why we recommend Zoho Commerce

We strongly recommend Zoho Commerce for small, medium, and micro enterprises in South Africa. With all the easy to use features, it awards you time to focus on what is important. Zoho Commerce was built to empower your everyday business operations and develop the growth for your business.

Start your 15-day free trial, or contact us to get a Zoho Premium partner to implement your online store for you.

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