What they actually do, what they cost, and how to get one working on your site this week — no hiring, no code, no learning a new tool.
An AI assistant for a small business is software that talks to your website visitors like a helpful front-desk employee would: it answers questions about your hours, services, and prices, it captures the details of people who are interested, and it points ready-to-buy customers toward booking or checkout — around the clock, without a salary.
Expect a one-time setup fee plus a monthly subscription. Entry plans start around $99/month for website chat and lead capture; higher tiers add appointment booking and email/SMS. The subscription is what keeps the assistant hosted, up to date with your latest info, and monitored so it never quietly breaks.
You have two paths: wire up a DIY chatbot tool yourself (and maintain it), or use a done-for-you service that builds it on your site, trains it on your business, and runs it for you. For most owners who'd rather sell than configure software, done-for-you is the shortcut.
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