Chatbots are popping up on all business websites these days.
These automated characters can converse fairly well with human users, and that helps businesses engage new customers at a low cost.
However, not everybody likes to talk to bots.
To reduce that resistance, one key thing you can do is give your website chatbot a really cool name.
In this article, we will discuss how bots are named, why you should name your chatbot smartly, and what bot names you can consider.
All the bot names we suggest in this post are original and free for you to steal!
Table of Contents
Is it Necessary to Name My Chatbot?
In a way, yes. A nameless or vaguely named chatbot would not resonate with people, and connecting with people is the whole point of using chatbots.
Here are some key benefits of naming your chatbot, and naming it well:
Naming your chatbot makes it authentic
Having the visitor know right away that they are chatting with a bot rather than a representative is essential to prevent confusion and miscommunication.
This will demonstrate the transparency of your business and avoid inadvertent customer deception.
Adds life to the bot
Chatbot names instantly provide users with information about what to expect from your chatbot.
It can also reflect your company’s image and complement the style of your website.
This will improve consumer happiness and the experience they have with your online store. If you sell dog accessories, for instance, you can name your bot something like ‘Sgt Pupper’ or ‘Woofer’.
Humanizes your chatbot
The purpose of a chatbot is not to take the place of a human agent or to deceive your visitors into thinking they are speaking with a person.
This doesn’t mean you cannot make your chatbot sound lively.
Consider these questions presented to first-time website visitors:
- “Hello, I’m Woofer, your AI assistant. How may I assist you?”
- “Hi, I’m your AI assistant. Need Help?”
As you can see, the second one lacks a name and just sounds suspicious. By simply having a name, a bot becomes a little human (pun intended), and that works well with most people.
It’s an opportunity to resonate with your audience
Good names provide an identity, which in turn helps to generate significant associations.
Consider this: we give names to everything from people to mountains to even our cars!
Giving your chatbot a name will allow the user to feel connected to it, which in turn will encourage the website or app users to inquire more about your business.
Smart names make chatbots more approachable
The user feels more at ease and natural when you address them by name. Apple has an excellent example of this. Take a look at the following phrases: ‘Hey Apple Bot 2018?’ vs ‘Hey Siri?’.
Imagine saying Hey Apple Bot 2018 whenever you need assistance. Many people would disable this feature due to its unflattering name.
So, to emulate this approachability, give your chatbot a name that is simple and memorable to visitors. Users tend to relate a product’s name to its characteristics.
Giving a bot a name that sounds caring aids in creating the same impression in the user’s mind.
Use chatbots to your advantage by giving them names that establish the spirit of your customer satisfaction strategy.
Read also: eCommerce AI Chatbots: Important Use Cases And Popular Tools
Who is Your Chatbot?
To begin with, pick a name that has meaning. Creating the right name for your chatbot can help you build brand awareness and enhance your customer experience.
To put it another way, think about what it stands for.
Ever caught yourself wishing to shape someone’s personality? This is one of the rare instances where you can mold someone else’s personality. Not too bad, even if it is a chatbot.
Choose the language style you want the chatbot to speak in: would it be casual, formal, witty, professional, salesy, or what?
Focus on the amount of empathy, sense of humor, and other traits to define its personality.
You must choose a name for your chatbot that reflects its character once you’ve determined ‘who’ it is.
You might want to start with simple questions like:
- Would your bot be gendered or genderless?
- If the bot was sitting in for a person who’s on leave, where is this person from, geographically and culturally?
What Does Your Target Audience Want?
In many situations, giving a chatbot a name that promotes comfort and ease is crucial. What, however, creates comfort?
For instance, users might feel more at ease learning about the amenities offered by vacation rentals from ‘Sasha’, but they might prefer a bot called something like ‘Medic Companion’ if they need help troubleshooting a piece of medical equipment.
Nobody wants to hear medical advice from ‘Buddy’ or ‘Stacey’ 😅
Similarly, if people are reaching out to animal control, they might feel uncomfortable talking to ‘Simba’. The point is: understand your audience, and don’t overdo the ‘creative’ part of it.
What is a Chatbot and How Does it Help Sales?
Tips for Naming Your Bot
Since chatbots are new to business communication, many small business owners or first-time entrepreneurs can go wrong in naming their website bots.
If you’re looking for a chatbot name, here are some tips:
Avoid names that can confuse people
For example, ‘Oliver’ is a good name because it’s short and easy to pronounce.
However, something like ‘Olly’ could be confusing since many people would think of the cartoon character who lives on an island with his talking parrot friend named Puss In Boots (more commonly known as Shrek).
Use names that are easy to remember — but don’t make them too simple!
For example, if you have an app for restaurants where users can share their favorite places with friends via text message (like Foursquare), then maybe consider something like ‘Foodie Friend Finder’.
That sounds more like what it does, as opposed to a name like ‘foodie finder’, which could be confusing at first glance … and isn’t exactly catchy either.
Choose a name that will stand out
When designing your chatbot’s name, the first thing to remember is that it should be easy for users to remember.
Sometimes, that means using names that are overtly bot names.
For example, instead of calling your bot ‘Zeus’, consider calling it something like ZeusBot or ZeusBot1.
You can also use numbers as identifiers: if there’s already a bot named 1stGenChatbot or 2ndGenChatbot, then maybe yours should be 3rdGenChatbot?
And so on!
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Some Funky and Creative Bot Names
It is always good to break the ice with your customers so maybe keep it light and hearty.
On that note, here are some bot names that might bring a smile to your user’s face:
- Cometbot
- Light
- Dragon
- Gator
- Mr. Robot
- Bot of Hearts
- Dimwit
- Tutorial Bot
- Okay Sir
- Mr. Easy
- Sassiness
- Albus
- Solembum
- The Uniter
- Ace
If you like any of them, feel free to copy and use the name, or take them and add your own touch!
Check Out This Free Live Chat Software
How To Make the Most of Your Chatbot
It’s crucial that your chatbot — regardless of the messaging or chatbot platform you choose to use — identifies itself as an AI chatbot in a chat session, even if you give it a human name.
Customers may be kind and even conversational with a bot, but they’ll get annoyed and leave if they are misled into thinking that they’re chatting with a person.
To make the most of your chatbot, keep things transparent and make it easy for your website or app users to reach customer support or sales reps when they feel the need.
The bot should be a bridge between your potential customers and your business team, not a wall.
12 Incredible Benefits of Chatbots and How to Get Them All
One Last Thing …
If you’re a small business owner or a solopreneur who can use a chat tool that also comes with a whole bunch of marketing, sales, and customer support features, consider EngageBay.
It’s rated one of the best by top software platforms like GetApp, Capterra, and G2. It’s also loved by thousands of solopreneurs and SMBs.
Try it out with a free sign-up today.
