As software developers, we’re always looking for ways to enhance the user experience on any website we’re given. Forrester estimated that for every $1 invested in UX, you can expect to see a return of $100. Other research tells us that 70% of online businesses fail due to bad usability, 75% of customers judge a website's credibility based on its aesthetics, and 88% of online consumers say they wouldn't return to a website after having a bad experience.
While it may be best to take these figures with a grain of salt, the underlying message is loud and clear: user experience matters, and it can make or break a website. In a fast-paced digital world, Natural Language Processing (NLP) has become an important tool when trying to differentiate your site from others and ultimately innovate the way users interact with your brand.
NLP in a Nutshell
Think about how you talk to voice assistants like Alexa or Siri – they understand the context and provide precise answers to precise questions. This expectation now extends to websites. Users anticipate conversational support to yield relevant answers.
But as any online business owner will tell you, the real value lies in converting users who engage with the site. As a developer, when you’re tasked with making this conversion a regular occurrence, NLP is an obvious move since it uses algorithms that work to identify patterns, context, and underlying meanings within the queries from users.
As a result, even if the user's query doesn't match the exact phrasing of your product descriptions or content, your website is still able to rank if it falls under the same context or category. For instance, if someone searches for something specific like "best budget-friendly smartphones with good camera quality”, even if your website doesn't have the exact phrase explicitly stated, NLP recognizes the context and presents options from your product range that fit the description.
Industry Example
The financial sector is generally one of the best places to look when it comes to the introduction of automation or data-driven technologies. So if you take the compliance process for instance, the rules and regulations businesses follow require a level of precision that leaves very little room for error. NLP, in this case, makes sense of rules and requirements faster than manual review which ensures that everything is extracted and organized correctly.
Now, if a FinTech company was to integrate NLP into their website, these benefits go to their users as well. For instance, when a customer has queries related to compliance or regulations, the NLP system translates legal jargon into plain language so customers can understand their rights, obligations, and options. Also, if a customer asks about their spending patterns, the system looks at their transaction history and generates visual representations they can use for budgeting and/or planning. Over time, the system can understand the context better which then enhances the results it outputs.
Why is Natural Language Processing Different?
NLP bridges the gap between how people naturally communicate and how technology responds. It understands the nuances of language, the context behind queries, and even the emotions expressed which personalizes the experience.
When you take the traditional approach to technology, interactions often feel rigid and constrained. Users need to follow specific formats or keywords to get the desired response. It's almost like you need to speak a different language to communicate with machines. The way we can look at it is that we’re still just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI. By getting familiar now and integrating these processes, businesses get ahead.
Traditionally, website interactions have been a one-sided affair. Think about the last time you had to navigate through a website's menus, enter specific keywords, or get in touch with a support person to fix an issue. AI is about making technology understand us, not the other way around.
Exploring NLP Integration Technologies
NLP applications span across web and mobile apps. Here's a glimpse into some of the key technologies commonly employed during NLP integration:
Frameworks and Libraries: The realm of NLP is powered by open-source frameworks and libraries. These resources offer pre-trained models and APIs designed for diverse NLP tasks. Leading options include NLTK, spaCy, TensorFlow, and BERT.
Sentiment Analysis: This technique discerns sentiments expressed in text, which is great for social media analysis and evaluating customer feedback.
Named Entity Recognition (NER): Extracting insights from unstructured text is made possible through NER. This technique categorizes named entities whether it’s names of people, organizations, locations, or dates. NER allows systems to discern information from within the clutter of text.
The Takeaway
Because digital experiences define customer relationships, the importance of user experience cannot be overstated. You're not just integrating NLP or AI into your website, you’re redefining how your business or brand interacts with its users. Once you see what this approach to online business entails, you’ll never understand how you operated without it. It’s best to find consultants with experience who can set you up for success before you run the risk of wasting an investment on a system that doesn’t deliver the way you wanted.
Written By Ben Brown
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ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.
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