Imagine losing potential customers around the world just because they can’t interact with your chatbot in their preferred language.
Disappointing right?
That’s where multilingual chatbots come to the rescue—these types of software are capable of understanding and responding to multiple languages.
In today’s global marketplace, offering seamless communication in multiple languages isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. That’s why this time, we’ll examine the benefits of these chatbots in multiple languages and guide you step-by-step on how to build one.
Let’s get started!
First of all, let us clarify the following—
How do chatbots know which language to use?
Thanks to language detection algorithms, user preferences, and context clues, chatbots can determine the appropriate language to use. These methods allow the chatbot with multilingual support to automatically detect and switch to the user’s preferred language, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience.
Now, let’s break down this process in more detail.
- Language discovery algorithms—they use Natural Language Processing (NLP) models to analyze text input and identify language based on linguistic patterns, syntax, and word usage. In addition, third-party libraries or chatbot APIs (such as Google’s Language Detection or Microsoft’s Azure Language Detection) can classify the language of user input.
- User preferences—these store language preferences in client profiles based on previous customer queries or user account settings. They can also prompt customers to select their preferred language in the first interaction, storing this choice for future conversations.
- Context clues—use the user’s geographical location to make educated guesses about their preferred language. Additionally, it can analyze metadata and referral URLs from websites to infer the customer’s likely language.
- Dynamic adjustments—monitors the conversation for any customer language shifts and adjusts accordingly. It also allows users to correct the chatbot if it uses the wrong language, refining its language detection over time.
By combining all of the above, chatbots can effectively identify and adapt to a person’s preferred language, making interactions smoother and more engaging.
Read more: Learn the benefits and key features of multilingual live chat.
With that out of the way, let’s see how you can configure your own multi-language bot.
How to create a multilingual chatbot (using Tidio)
A well-configured language learning bot can break down language barriers and significantly improve client engagement by catering to a diverse global audience.
In this section, we’ll guide you through the essential steps to create a chatbot that can seamlessly switch between languages, ensuring a smooth and personalized interaction for each user.
We’ll show you how to do this using two different types of chatbots that come with the Tidio platform—Lyro AI chatbots and rule-based chatbots, otherwise known as chat flows.
Setting up a multilingual conversational AI
Tidio’s Lyro is a conversational AI that currently speaks English by default and six other languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, and German.
The list of languages supported by Lyro can be found at Lyra >> Personality section, located below the Configure Tab.
Now, by default, Lyro will chat with your customers in the language of your chat widget. You should note, however, that the multiple language pack option that allows the widget to automatically switch between different versions is only available for Plus subscribers.
To set the preferred languageyou must add the required language packs by going to Settings >> Translations.
Once there, you need to select the desired language from the drop-down and press Add.
For any other languages without a pre-translated pack, you can select the desired language from the list and edit and change each field individually.
You can also access language options by going to Settings >> Live Chat >> appearancebelow the Multilanguage section.
Here, you can select the language of your default widget and also select and add translations.
Now, all that’s left to do is have Lyro pull the knowledge from your site or enter it manually through question-answer pairs.
It’s over! If a visitor speaks one of the supported languages, Lyro will automatically provide answers to user queries in that language.
Read more: Check out our Lyro case study and learn how this multilingual conversational AI helped Tidio’s team automate their support efforts.
Setting up chat flows in multiple languages
You can too create Tidio multilanguage flows which will send automated responses to the chatbot in multiple languages. It works by detecting the visitors default browser language and responding accordingly.
To do this, you need to open Tidio’s chatbot builder and have the Language condition placed after the chat trigger node and before other content.
This method can be used for every flow as long as the condition holds, and the paths are properly connected.
Firstgo to flowing >> My flows >> Create from scratch.
Click on Language condition, then select the language in which you want to view the flow. From then on, you can choose whether the language should be equivalent or not equivalent to the language you selected.
Once you connect the Language node with other nodes like Send a chat messageyou will be able to choose one of the options from the list:
You can now add separate messages and have the chatbot platform respond in different languages—English, Danish, and a third language (different from these two).
So, in short, the flow will send a custom English message if the specified language is English and a Danish message if the language is Danish. The bot will send a third message if the visitor’s language is different.
Read more: See practical cases and examples of chatbot use.
How do companies benefit from using multilingual chatbots?
Multilingual chatbots offer a great solution, enabling companies to engage with a wider audience and provide a seamless customer experience in multiple languages.
Here are some key benefits that companies can enjoy by implementing multilingual chatbots:
- Increased customer reach—with multilingual customer support, companies can connect with a wider audience, including non-English speaking customers, which can significantly expand their market reach. In fact, around 60% of consumers never buy from English-only sites.
- Improved customer experience—Offering support in a user’s native language makes interactions more comfortable and personalized, leading to higher client satisfaction and customer loyalty. According to Deepl localization challenges report, 75% agree that localized content boosts customer engagement.
- Increased conversion rates—when customers can access information and support in their preferred language, they are more likely to make purchasing decisions, leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales. REVIEWS.io is a great example of this, as they experienced a 120% increased traffic and 20% increase in conversions after translating their website into German.
- 24/7 global multi-language support—A study shows that 51% of clients need a business that is available at any time. Multilingual chatbots can provide round-the-clock support in different languages, ensuring that customers from different time zones can get help whenever they need it, without the limitations of traditional operating time.
By harnessing the power of multilingual chatbots, companies can maintain better global customer relationships, ultimately driving growth and success in the global marketplace.
Get the most out of a multilingual AI chatbot
Adopting a multilingual conversational AI chatbot can greatly benefit your business by expanding customer reach, improving customer experience, and driving higher conversion rates.
Despite challenges such as accurate language detection, managing translations, and addressing cultural nuances, the rewards outweigh the risks. Multilingual chatbots provide real-time, 24/7 global support and improve customer satisfaction through personalized interactions.
By using multilingual bots, your business can strengthen relationships with diverse global audiences and achieve significant growth in new markets.
Why not start now?
