When business owners hear “AI for your website,” many immediately think of chatbots. And fair enough — chatbots have been around for years. But there’s a fundamental difference between a traditional chatbot and what Sherpa does. Understanding that difference could change how you think about your website’s role in driving revenue.
The Traditional Chatbot Approach
Most chatbots work on a simple model: a visitor asks a question, the bot tries to match it against a database of pre-written answers, and returns the closest match. More sophisticated versions use basic natural language processing, but the core logic is the same — wait for a question, then react.
This approach has clear limitations:
- Reactive only — the bot never starts a conversation
- Script-dependent — it can only handle scenarios someone anticipated
- No sales instinct — it answers questions but doesn’t guide toward a purchase
- Limited learning — it doesn’t get smarter from interactions
- One-size-fits-all — every visitor gets the same experience
For simple support tasks — “What are your opening hours?” or “Where’s my order?” — this works fine. But it’s leaving enormous value on the table.
The Sherpa Approach
Sherpa is built on a fundamentally different premise: your website should actively sell, not just passively support. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Proactive Engagement
Sherpa monitors visitor behaviour in real time. When someone lingers on a pricing page, compares two products, or shows signs of hesitation, Sherpa initiates a relevant conversation. It doesn’t wait to be asked.
Intelligent Selling
Rather than just answering questions, Sherpa recommends products, highlights relevant promotions, and adapts its approach based on the visitor’s behaviour and expressed needs. It’s the difference between an FAQ page and a skilled salesperson.
Brand Voice Adaptation
Sherpa doesn’t sound like a generic bot. You configure its tone, personality, and communication style through a simple portal. It becomes an extension of your brand, not a bolted-on widget.
Negotiation and Promotion Handling
Sherpa can intelligently apply discounts and promotions based on rules you set. A visitor who’s about to leave with an abandoned cart gets a different approach than a first-time browser exploring your range.
Market Intelligence
Every conversation is a data point. Sherpa captures structured insights about what visitors compare, what objections they raise, and where they drop off. This isn’t just customer service data — it’s market intelligence that helps you make better business decisions.
Which One Is Right for You?
If your website’s primary job is answering support questions and you’re happy with your conversion rate, a traditional chatbot might be sufficient.
But if you see your website as a sales channel — if you want more conversions, higher order values, and deeper insight into what your customers actually want — then you need something more. You need an AI sales engine.
That’s exactly what Sherpa was built to be.