A Complete Guide to Building an AI-based Chatbot App Like Replika

• Mobile
• July 21, 2023

by Riddhi Patel

Artificial intelligence is an everlasting bridge between evolvement and people who want to evolve. Soon after the existence of artificial intelligence, the world witnessed many incredible innovations, and still continues to.

As we have shined light upon the innovations of artificial intelligence, let’s talk about chatbots which are one of the prime features of AI. Chatbots have come a long way when it comes to chatbot applications, like Replika, Wysa, Chai, Messenger, and other popular chatbot apps in AI.

With that said, our motive for gathering here for discussion is to create a foolproof AI-based chatbot app like Replika.

As mentioned above, AI acts as a bridge between innovators and evolvement. Eugenia Kuyda is one of those innovators who chose to be a companion in the form of the chatbot app Replika. Let’s learn more about this application below from scratch:

Market Overview of Chatbots

Money accumulated from chatbot usage will surpass $112 billion in the year 2023.

The market for Chatbot estimated at USD 4600 million in the year 2023, is projected to reach a revised size of USD 14130 million by 2028, increasing at a CAGR of 20.6% during the prediction period 2023-2028.

Nearly 90% of chatbot users view chatbots as an acceptable way of obtaining help or guidance.

According to the survey done by Gartner, 70% of white-collar workers are communicating with some form of chatbot in 2022.

What is Replika (an AI-based chatbot app)?

Replika is a fully developed feature-rich AI chatbot application that behaves like a buddy of people. You can consider this chatbot application more like your companion as you are allowed to have a conversation with this bot (Replika) whenever you please.

Replika will always be there for you to talk to, and to keep up a constant conversation, it will offer the best possible solution. Basically, it’s here for you round the clock.

So, that makes Replika different from other applications. Let’s learn about the top features that are mandatory to create an app like Replika.

Top Features to Develop an AI-based Chatbot App Like Replika

Here we are listing down the common features that are required to create a foolproof AI-based chatbot app like Replika, let’s check them out:

1. Smart Voice Assistant

Gone are the days when you had to type everything, all your doubts or queries. This is an era of offering end-to-end customization to your audience, and smart assistants are the ideal example of the same.

Talking about smart assistants, the first thought that strikes our mind is Alexa and Siri. These two smart assistants are the perfect example. However, the process of implementing this feature is not as easy as a pie. But if you have a spiffing team of software engineers, they can make it possible with their skills.

Smart assistants are a great luxury for users while they are interacting with AI-chatbot apps. So, if it calls for going through a tedious process of implementing a smart assistant in your chatbot app, then it’s worth giving it a shot.

2. Multi-language functionality

The larger base of audience you want to target, the more you will need to take care of the language quotient. As you want your application to be accessible to the audience with different lingual practices, you need to ensure that your application is capable of understanding different languages.

You do not necessarily have to target every language, as it’s a sheer waste of time. All you need to do is to configure those languages into your applications that your target audience primarily speaks. As per the geographic location of your audience, you can learn which are the most spoken languages.

3. Customized elements

Unlike traditional methods of learning about users’ likes and dislikes, artificial intelligence is compatible with many brilliant features that can make your application stand out from others.

As we are here to discuss a chatting application like Replika and its purposes, it’s not a surprise that these chatbot apps receive multiple types of messages. AI can help you automatically reply to those messages by default after understanding their inquiries.

4. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is an added element of customization when it comes to offering a great user experience. It adds naturalism to the custom characters chosen by the users for a realistic experience.

Offering unique experiences to the user base is the most important thing to be the users’ top priority when it comes to AI chatbot applications. With augmented reality, attaining desired user engagement becomes quite an easy job, as incorporating AI with AR results in maximum realism; that’s exactly what our user base expects!

5. Games for a better experience

We guess you are musing about how come games are related to AI chatbot-based applications.

Like augmented reality, in-app games are also another big reason for better user engagement. Let’s just pick up the most common example of an austere game that you have commonly seen on Google Chrome when you are short of an internet connection. The moment you realize you have lost the internet connection, the next thing you do is press the space bars and arrow keys to play the game!?

Well, regardless of the fact that the Google Chrome browser has nothing to do with games, in particular, it has offered you this minimalistic game that manages to let your boredom bug off.

Remember what we began with? Let’s talk about the guesswork we made about the relevance of games with AI chatbot apps. If we were right, then we hope now you can see the reference point here. So, the moral is that creating in-app games is not really mandatory, but it’s surely a key to better user engagement and experience.

6. AI that gets along with users

Now that AI is no less than an artificial human, it should act like a human. Like in human relationships, they know about each other’s penchants, so why not AI should act exactly like humans in chatbot applications?

We have already given you a glimpse of how artificial intelligence can help you offer an added advantage or customized service to your users. For activating this kind of customization characteristics in artificial intelligence, you are supposed to speak with the development team to incorporate such features into the chatbot application.

Having this implemented in your app helps users unlock the high level of customization because now artificial intelligence is not only making things easy for users, it’s actually understanding their needs and helping them with viable solutions.

7. Digital goods for even better service

These days you will be finding a premium version of every application for users who want better than the best services from the app. You can provide some highly customized features in the form of digital goods.

Not only will these features make your app stand out from the others, but they will also help you generate revenue from those affluent users that chose nothing but the best and premium.

8. Efficient customer service

No doubt you are putting your best foot forward to offer an unforgettably enjoyable user experience to your audience, though the chances of them getting confused at any point while interacting with your app can’t be 0! That’s nothing but the reality check!

Even though you have done and developed everything being in the shoes of your users, you still have to be available to them whenever they need your assistance.

Providing effective customer service plays a big part in creating a positive impression of your app in the market, so please bear in mind that you never fail to solve their queries or doubts.

These were the top features that will surely help you create an app like Replika. Let’s move towards the most important segment of this article, which is an in-depth guide to creating an AI-based chatbot app.

A Comprehensive Guide to Creating an Unfailing Chatbot App Like Replika

Let’s learn how to build the best chatbot app step-by-step with this guide:

1. Research, research, and research

The more you have dug deeper into the concept of chatbot applications, the more it will be easier for you to create one. Be it mobile app development or chatbot app development, research that is done from every possible angle is going to be helpful in creating an excellent app.

So, before you reach out to the outsourcing team for dedicated developers or the in-house team, you need to conduct wall-to-wall research to learn about every possible side of your chatbot app and its development process.

Hence, research is the key to starting with the process of unfailing AI-based app development!

2. Conduct a competitive analysis

Considering competitive analysis a subset of research won’t be incorrect. But we want to bring this particular aspect of research to your notice separately. Knowing what your competitors are doing to be on the top of the game is more than crucial, that’s where you know how to convert your plan into a master plan.

You can amplify your current app development and marketing strategies by implementing things your competitors do perfectly by merging them with things you have done perfectly in your strategy.

3. Choose a suitable business model

While implementing the idea of creating an AI-based chatbot app for your business, you must have thought about what type of business model is suitable for your business. It could be native or cross-platform, either of these two.

Both of these platforms have their set of benefits and drawbacks; it mainly depends on your application’s features and requirements; as per suitability, you can decide on the business model.

4. Suitable tech stack is quite necessary

This guide has given you a list of unique features that will make your application become the first choice for users when they want to opt for an AI-based chatbot app. But, all of this is directionless if you have not decided on a suitable technology stack.

So, while strategizing the concept of your chatbot application, that’s actually high time to opt for a suitable tech stack based on your planning and competitive analysis.

5. Do not forget to pay attention to the app’s UI/UX design

Millions of applications do exist in the market already, and making your app stand out from the others is not as easy as pie. But an appealing and comprehensible UI can change the game relatively.

An ideal design is something that creates an instant connection with the users. It does not let the user get distracted. There is a fine balance between functionality and appeal factor. So, next time you are planning for a chatbot app development, you know the significance of the balance between the design’s functionality and aesthetics.

6. Start with chatbot app development

From research and competitive analysis to UI/UX design and technology stack, you have taken care of every aspect of the development process and planned your strategy accordingly. Thus, it’s time to implement your thoughts into the app.

It’s time to ask your development team to roll up their sleeves to craft the minimal viable product of the oh-so-excellent chatbot app.

7. Minimal viable product (MVP)

While you are beginning with the first version of your app’s development process, you just need to develop basic features in the application. First, you need to learn how users are interacting with your application. Question yourself: did all your strategies prove to be in accordance with their likes and dislikes, or you both are not on the same page?

Thus, releasing the MVP after BETA testing will help you get insights regarding users’ behavior with the app. Subsequently, you can adorn your app with specific features after you have gotten a proper stance from users for the chatbot app.

Read also: Benefits that MVP offers in the App Development Process

8. Maintenance and support of the application

As we all know, the app development process is not stagnant; it’s not done after releasing the very first version of your application. Users always welcome new things when they find them advantageous for themselves. Releasing time-to-time updates and maintaining the existing code is indispensable for healthy user engagement.

Make sure you deal with every aspect of app development equally.

With this point, we round this section of the article off. Let’s head towards the section which will guide us with budget and cost estimations for chatbot app development.

Paramount Factors that Determine the Cost of Chatbot App Development

Here, let’s learn about the prime factors that majorly leverage the budget of a chatbot app. Let’s refer to them:

1. The intricacy of the application

If you are developing the application with the aim of offering your target audience an unforgettable experience, then adding special features is something you would consider on a primary note. But the more complexity, the more time and effort, and ultimately higher the budget.

So, you need to bear in mind the constraint of the higher budget while you are targeting to provide a premium experience for your users.

2. Outsourcing partner

The veteran the team of developers, the higher the price. Well, this is needless to say that the team of developers will charge you as per their efficiency and the number of experience they have.

So, while you are approaching outsourcing organizations, make sure their services fit into your final outlay.

3. Location

Yes, we have a reference point over here; when you will list down multiple countries along with the organizations and their cost sheets, you will see a big difference. The location matters a lot; it creates a tremendous impact on costs. That’s something you should tackle while you are searching for app developers.

Well, one thing we would like to add here is that these factors have only to do with higher budgets; the efficiency remains intact. With this statement, we would like to wrap up this article.

Signing off

Readers, that was all about AI-based chatbot app from our side! We hope we have made things easier for you all. Moreover, we are not yet satisfied to help you with insights only. We would like to be a part of your next milestone with our ace services.

As we always love the combination of ideas & effort, we are always ready to partner up with you using this combination. If you are looking to expand your landscape in the industry, you have got our back!

FAQs on Chatbot App Like Replika