Will chat interfaces replace websites ?

Question

Rick Figueiredo · Accepted Answer

Chat interfaces like chatbots and live chat are popular means for businesses to engage with customers and provide personalized assistance.

However, websites are still crucial for establishing a brand's online presence and presenting comprehensive information. Integrating chat interfaces into websites can provide immediate assistance and enhance the user experience.

I do think chat interfaces will need to evolve. A good example of this is pagealive. pagealive.com offers a live video chat widget that enables businesses to connect with their customers in a personal and engaging way. The widget can be easily integrated into a website, allowing customers to initiate a video chat with a customer service representative or sales agent with just one click.

Eric Hulam · Answer

It might take a bite from search engine but not most websites. Its interface need constant input for information but websites, like this forum, or social media, most users might just browse, or clicking buttons, even the input like this comment, are not something chat interface can replace

Jesse Jensen · Answer

I build websites. Short answer: No Long answer: I will answer your question with a question. Will people still use Google to help their businesses? (Uh, Yeah?) A study shows that consumers trust a business more from their website than Google's business profile. https://www.searchenginejournal.... (2019) A study conducted by Verisign, (84% of consumers trusted that businesses) with a website are far more credible than the ones running without it. (2016) This digital trust, helps people understand who you are. Sure you could add all the answers on a chat interface. But that would be a waste of time and no one wants to click on something with little questions when it is easy to click the 'About Us page on a site. Even Alexa, when answering a question from a trusted site, looks up the site and reads the data. Even accordions that make the site look pretty with questions that you have to click to see an answer to are considered not user-friendly. Just having all the questions and answers laid out was the most effective. https://www.nngroup.com/articles... (2014) If you don't have a website you don't exist. A famous quote from Bill Gates is: “If your business is not on the Internet then your business will be out of business”. Let's say a company replaces its website with chat. Google will have no idea what it does since the web crawler is looking for content. There won't be anything there. RIP company.

Tiago Rangel · Answer

I think yes. In future probably websites will only serve to be scrapped for chat interfaces.

Answer

I think so with time, but not completely.

Vijayakumar · Answer

I would say there is a scope for chat interface to co-pilot the website.
- Quick Q & A
- AI + CRM driven responses
- Product Discovery & Recommendation on Chat
- Find it on website and answer it

Joelle TEMATIO · Answer

Chat interfaces depend on there being websites to scrape in the first place. If nothing new is created and updated in a static manner such as website pages, the beast won’t be fed 😉

Zhi Hong Gan · Answer

as a fullstack dev. My short and Simple answer = 100% Certain.
Why?
ChatGPT already RAISED the bar on Commonly use technology.
Now a lot. really a lot people already experience what AI capable of...

I spend a lot time to understand, and testing with AI. this is what I can tell in my next Project.

Website with AI living inside.
1. I don't like the question, Will Chat Interfaces replaced website?
Chat is not the ONLY channel we interact with AI

2. Imagine we have AI in control of generated UI/UX depend on situation and context.
We have input that is not hard-wired to certain func/link

3. Website is now personalized.it has now Context/history with each user
and ability to interact deeper with user.

4. Imagine the website already understand your preference, able to giving out idea/suggestion, or even "befriend" with you.

5. i don't even want to mention the website that able to self generate new content ( with in certain degree... SEOed )

6. and ability to... communicate in multiple language ( generative.... )
7. even generate some images? (for certain use case. we have now interior design AI, maybe furniture design company? t-shirt company??)

8. AI that able to communicate via Voice ( received , understand, and response )

Imagine you able to combine this "AI" into a website.
Compare to pre-AI website. can any1 tell me, how to go back if you seem this?
( as a user, or website owner )

The Answer is certainly YES. 
The question is only, as a Web Dev, are you going to be replaced? or Replace the Other.

Anil Matcha · Answer

@jessehojjensen But what if all the blog content can be replaced by chat ?

Anil Matcha · Answer

@joelle_tematio Yes, website content is needed to feed chat interface but the direct browsing may get reduced as browsing now happens from chat interface

Anil Matcha · Answer

@jessehojjensen As people are interested to chat than browse

Anil Matcha · Answer

@asaskevich Alexa was not as clever as Chatgpt

Zhi Hong Gan · Answer

@asaskevich i m happy majority of people do not understand why GPT(LLMs) is so powerful. this is the golden oppoturnity for those who take a deep dive and start digging LLMs/AI potential. Because unlike most trend where large crowd are entering.

your statement is purely a consumer perspective on a "Beta" phase products.....

And this is almost totally not related to how LLM can distrupt the market.
As a coder/dev... i really cant imagine, machine is finally "awake"

FYI, the AI seem to perform so much better if the user know how to "prompt" it.

Aliaksei Saskevich · Answer

@jessehojjensen @matcha_anil how many people are interested in chat interfaces? Are there any researches of market and community?

cute khan · Answer

Yes

Will chat interfaces replace websites ?

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