How to create a chatbot yourself: a step-by-step guide for business and personal projects

What is a chatbot, who needs it, and why?

Chatbots are not just a passing trend. Research shows that by 2029, the global chatbot market will reach $20 billion (for comparison, in 2024 it was $7 billion). This is because they really solve business problems.

A chatbot is a programme that simulates a conversation with a real person. Like a sales assistant in a shop, it greets visitors, answers their questions, helps them choose products and even takes orders. The only difference is that this robot assistant works in your messenger or on your website and never gets tired.

If you or your employees regularly perform the same actions, this can be automated with a chatbot. It is ideal for:

• Answering typical questions (80-90% of requests are just that)
• Collecting basic information
• Taking simple orders
• Reminders and mailings
• Initial customer filtering

The ideal scenario is for the bot to answer 80% of routine questions, while employees focus on important tasks that require human involvement. With this approach, customers receive quick answers and employees don't waste time on repetitive requests.

Classification of chatbots by role

Depending on their main functionality, there are:

1. Information bots (FAQ bots).
   They answer typical questions about operating hours, address, delivery terms, and prices. They are useful for any business with recurring questions.
2. Consultant bots.
   They help select products or compare options and provide recommendations. They can be found on websites or in apps for online stores, beauty salons, and travel agencies.
3. Transactional bots.
   They process orders, make reservations, and handle payments. They are popular with restaurants, shops, and delivery services.
4. Assistant bots.
   They make appointments and send reminders. They are well suited for clinics, salons, and training centres.
5. Support bots.
   They solve customer problems: check order status, process returns, and handle complaints. They are suitable for companies with an active customer base.
6. Marketing bots.
   They collect contacts, send out mailings, and promote products. They are popular in e-commerce, infobusiness, and marketing agencies.
7. HR bots (recruitment).
   Automate recruitment: collect CVs, conduct initial assessments of candidates, schedule interviews. Good assistants for HR departments and recruitment agencies.
8. Entertainment bots.
   They entertain, play games, and conduct quizzes. Useful tools for media, entertainment platforms, and brands for engagement.
9. Educational bots.
   Send and check homework assignments, test knowledge. Just what educational platforms and online schools need.
10. Analytical bots.
    Collect data (e.g., reviews), conduct NPS surveys and other research. Useful for marketing departments and research companies.

One bot can combine several roles. For example, a restaurant bot can be informational (provide the menu, address), consultative (recommend a dish), and transactional (take an order) at the same time.

Depending on how they work, chatbots can be divided into the following types:

• Simple bots (script-based). They work according to pre-written rules: «If the customer presses button A, show menu B». It's like a decision tree, where each answer leads to the next question. These bots don't understand natural language, but they're great at typical tasks: taking orders, answering frequently asked questions, and showing catalogues.
• Chatbots with artificial intelligence. They use AI to understand natural language. A customer can write «I want something tasty for dinner» or «Give me something inexpensive but good quality», and the bot understands what they want. Such smart chatbots are more expensive and complex, but they are capable of having a truly natural conversation.




• AI agents are the evolution of chatbots. They are the next level after regular bots. While a chatbot simply answers questions according to a script, an AI agent can make decisions independently, perform complex multi-step tasks, and integrate with various systems without constant human supervision.

The difference between a regular chatbot and an AI agent is as follows:

• Regular chatbot: «The customer asks about the availability of a product → the bot checks the database → responds».
• AI agent for business: «Customer is interested in a product → agent checks availability → sees that the product is out of stock → independently searches for alternatives → analyses the customer's purchase history → offers personalised options → places an order with the customer's consent → informs the warehouse».

For most small and medium-sized business tasks, a simple script-based bot is sufficient. We will discuss this in detail, as well as explore the possibilities of creating more intelligent solutions.

Where can your chatbot «live»?

Before creating a bot, you need to decide where it will «live». Let's consider the existing options for chatbot platforms:

• Telegram. The most popular messenger in Ukraine (81% of Ukrainians use it). Telegram offers many ready-made solutions, has good documentation, and allows you to easily create bots. Ideal for businesses that actively communicate with customers. You can create a bot in Telegram in literally 10 minutes.
• Viber. Also a very popular messenger in Ukraine, especially among the older generation. Great for mailings and messages — 90% of messages are opened within three minutes. Viber for business offers an official platform for chatbots with advanced features.
• On your own website (widget). A small window in the corner of the website where visitors can ask questions. It is convenient because the user doesn’t leave your website. Ideal for online stores and service companies.
• Instagram/Facebook.If your audience is on social media, it makes sense to create a bot there. You can create a chatbot on Instagram to automate replies in Direct.
• WhatsApp. A popular messenger for international business. It is less common in Ukraine than Telegram/Viber, but it has its own audience.

Our advice: start with one channel — the one where most of your customers are. You can add other platforms later.

How to create your own chatbot: step-by-step instructions

Creating chatbots without programming is now possible thanks to online builders. Here's how to do it yourself:

Step 1. Define the goal and scenario

Before opening the builder, clearly define what your bot should do:

• Answer frequently asked questions?
• Take orders?
• Register customers?
• Conduct surveys?
• Send reminders?

Write down a typical conversation on paper or in Google Docs.

Example:

...and so on.

This is the script. The more detailed you make it, the easier it will be to create the bot.

Step 2. Choose a builder

There are dozens of online builders for creating chatbots without programming. They differ in functionality, price, and complexity of use. Here's what to look for when choosing:

• Platforms. Check whether the builder supports the messengers you need (Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) or the ability to integrate with your website.
• Price.Most builders offer free plans with limitations (usually up to 50-1000 users). Paid plans start at $5-15/month.
• Ease of use.Look for a visual editor where you can ‘assemble’ scripts from blocks by dragging and dropping them with your mouse. This is much easier than writing code.
• Functionality:
  • Data collection (forms for name, phone number, email).
  • Integration with payment systems.
  • Mailings..
  • Analytics.
  • Integration with CRM.
  • AI features (ChatGPT and others).
• Support. Availability of documentation in Ukrainian, training materials, and technical support.

Start with a platform that has a free plan and supports the messenger you need. Test several options — most offer a trial period.

Step 3. Create a chatbot.

First, let's look at the process of creating a bot using Telegram as an example (the simplest option). Most builders work in a similar way.

1. Register on the chosen platform builder. Standard registration involves entering your email address and creating a password.

2. Create a bot.

• On Telegram

There is an important detail here: first, you need to «register» the bot directly in Telegram through a special bot called @BotFather:

1. Open Telegram.
2. Find @BotFather.
3. Type the command /newbot.
4. Come up with a name for your bot (for example, «Astreya Beauty Salon»).
5. Come up with a username (it must end with bot — for example, @astreya_bot).
6. BotFather will give you a token (a long string of characters) — copy it.

To connect the Telegram bot to the constructor:

1. Go to the chat bots section.
2. Select Telegram.
3. Insert the token provided by BotFather.
4. That's it — you can now configure the bot.

• In Viber

Features of Viber business chat:

• ‒ Here you can send carousel messages (products with photos that scroll).
• ‒ High percentage of messages opened by users (90% within 3 minutes).
• ‒ Works great for mailings and reminders.
• ‒ Popular among audiences aged 35+.

The process of creating a bot in Viber is slightly different from the similar process in Telegram and is more complex.

First, create a Viber Business Account:

1. Go to the official Viber for Business website.
2. Log in with your personal phone number.
3. Fill in all the required fields.

Important information: as of 5 February 2024, creating a Viber chatbot has become a paid service.

After creating the bot, you will receive an API token, which you need to save.

To connect the API token to your chosen builder:

1. Find the chatbots section in your builder → Viber → Add bot.
2. Paste the API token.
3. Set up a welcome message.

Step 4. Create a conversation script

Now for the fun part — putting together the script like Lego blocks:

1.Welcome message.

This is the first thing the user will see. Write a greeting and add buttons with action options.

Example:

2.Scenario branches.

Each button leads to a new branch of the conversation. For example, if the user clicks on «Our services», they will see:

In the constructor, it looks like a flowchart: one block leads to another, and several more branches off from the other. Just drag and drop the blocks with your mouse and connect them with arrows.

Step 5: Personalise your bot

One of the most important but often overlooked steps is to give your bot a personality. A chatbot with personality is more trustworthy, more enjoyable to interact with, and more memorable.

• Create a «character» for your bot.

Think about what your bot should be like:

– Formal and professional (for a bank, medical clinic, law firm). .
For example, a chatbot for a bank:

Hello! I am a virtual assistant for a Finance Bank.
I can help you with information about our services and advice.
How can I help you?

– Friendly and informal (for a coffee shop, clothing store, beauty salon).
For example, a chatbot for a coffee shop:

Hello!
I am the bot for the Morning Coffee coffee shop.
I can tell you about our menu, suggest something tasty to try, or help you place an order. What are you interested in?

– Cheerful and playful (for entertainment services, youth brands).
For example, a chatbot for a T-shirt shop:

Yo!
This is ShirtMania bot — the coolest assistant in the world of T-shirts!
Looking for something stylish? Want to impress everyone at a party?
Need a gift for a friend? I know what to do!

– Caring and empathetic (for support services, psychological services).
For example, a chatbot for a medical clinic:

Good afternoon!
I'm Elena, an assistant at the Zdorovye+ clinic.
I can help you make an appointment with a doctor or answer your questions.
You're in good hands, I promise. How can I help you?

• Give your bot a name.

Instead of the boring «Company X Bot», come up with a name. It makes the bot «more alive» and creates an emotional connection with the user.

• Add emojis (but in moderation).

Emojis make the text more emotional. But it's important not to overdo it: 1-2 emojis in a message is fine, but 10 looks like spam from a teenager.

• Use a consistent style.

If you have chosen an informal tone, stick to it in all messages. Do not mix «Hi!» with «Dear customer». If the bot uses informal language, let it do so consistently. Consistency = trust.

• Add a brand element.

If your brand has a signature phrase, slogan, or special style, integrate it:

• ‒ Coffee shop: «Every cup is a little bit of happiness».
• ‒ Gym: «Today you run away from your problems, tomorrow you run towards your dreams!»
• ‒ Bookstore: «A good book is the best gift you can give yourself».

• Adapt to your audience.

• ‒ For young people (18-25 years old), it is better to choose an informal tone, slang, and memes.
• ‒ For a business audience (30-50 years old), use a professional but friendly tone.
• ‒ For the older generation (50+ years old), use a polite, understandable tone without slang.

A personalised chatbot for business doesn't just perform functions — it creates an impression of your brand. And often it is this impression that determines whether a customer will return to you again.

Step 6. Add useful features

• Data collection.The bot can ask for a name, phone number, email address, and save this information (for example, to sign up for a service).
• Payment forms. You can integrate payment systems so that customers can pay for services directly through the bot.
• File sending. The bot can send a price list, instructions, a contract — any file.
• CRM integration. Data from the bot can be automatically transferred to your customer accounting system.
• Mailings. You can send news, promotions, and reminders to all subscribers.

Step 7. Test the bot

Before launching the bot for customers:

1. Go through all possible scenarios yourself.
2. Let your friends/colleagues test it.
3. Check that all buttons are working.
4. Check for grammatical errors.
5. Ensure that the bot responds correctly to unclear commands.

Also add a «Contact an operator» option for situations that the bot cannot resolve.

Step 8. Launch and promote

Once the bot is ready, it's time to tell people about it:

• Add a link to the bot on social media.
• Place the QR code on business cards and flyers.
• Write about the bot on the website.
• Tell existing customers about it in a newsletter.
• Add a link to your email signature.

It's worth trying today

Creating a chatbot in 2025 is like creating a social media page ten years ago. Those who started earlier gained an advantage. In a couple of years, every business will have bots, and it will become the standard rather than a competitive advantage.

Even if you create a bot that only answers the five most frequently asked questions, it will save you an hour every day. Over a month, that's 30 hours of free time that you can spend on other things instead of routine tasks.

And for a chatbot to work reliably, especially if it is integrated with your website or CRM system, you need a reliable Internet connection. Maxnet provides a stable connection for home and business — exactly what you need for the smooth operation of all your online tools, including chatbots.