Conversational commerce: the future of e-commerce

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The current technology-driven society, demands that companies continuously try to develop a name for themselves by implementing fresh solutions to their business processes. Conversational commerce and marketing have become the talk of the town because it allows you to interact with your target audience and build strong and deep connections with them.

What is conversational commerce?

Conversational commerce is a grab-all term for businesses sending messages to customers regarding their shopping habits and purchases. It can come in some different forms, like when you chat with a live representative or when your mechanic sends you a text message reminding you to get your oil changed.

The latest trend that is picking the light in conversational commerce is in-app messaging. It’s the future of marketing to consumers as well as purchasing online. Here are top three ways conversational business is bringing upgrades to conventional industry.

Makes secure transmit for customer comments and response

Customer services are the most crucial element of every business. Before conversational commerce made entry businesses were struggling in receiving customer’s feedback and comments on their products and services.

This was mere because, in this fast-paced world, customers found it difficult and time-consuming to log in to the website and leaving feedback there.

By making use of chatbots, e-commerce development companies decreased the time of going feedback and allowed customers to review multiple products with a single click. Useless to say, such fruitful criticism ultimately assisted the company in designing and re-devising its products quality and standards.

Helps you interact with multiple customers at once

It’s already possible with the ability of its artificial intelligence to interact with up to five users at the same time, thereby reducing the time in communicating with customers from around the globe.

Additionally, when paired with a strong marketing strategy, conversational commerce bots can also be used to promote goods to different clients internationally at the same time in various languages.

Provides modified customer support on the go

The digital world is full of individuals from all around the globe. Young users usually use messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. If the study done by the IT experts are accurate then by 2019 2.5 billion people will be using smartphones. Hence, conversational commerce bots can be used to interact with customers using messaging apps and providing instant support.

How conversational commerce effects customers

When opting to buy something online, consumers have to go through different stages before and after clicking on the checkout option.

There are five different steps in the customer buying journey:

• Need Recognition (Awareness): The most critical part of the purchasing process, is recognition because every sale starts when a customer is aware of what they are buying and what value does that product holds.
• Search for Information/ Research: During this phase, the customers are more interested in knowing their options.
• Evaluation Of Alternatives/ Consideration: This is the phase where you can compare your options.
• Purchasing Decision: During this phase, the purchasing behaviour turns into action – it’s time for the customer to purchase!
• Post Purchase Evaluation: After buying, consumers are more focused on whether it was worth it. Whether they will recommend the product/brand/service to others and what feedback they would give.

The trials going forward

Facebook has always been in controversy and has been accused countless times of crossing boundaries when it comes to user’s privacy. Facebook recently launched M, a bot that responds to consumers in private chats, but since Facebook is always in the heat for using users data.

This is the problem they may face with M. Since the app can only look at the info provided to them within the chat, it’s not going to be as intelligent as it could be if scanned all the users’ data. The social media network may be concerned about the backlash this kind of rollout can source.

Bots vs real people

Consumers are used to interacting with real people – their family members, friends, colleagues, acquaintances etc. via messaging apps. The idea of communicating with bots is still new. Having bots do searching for them and speaking to the bots in a language they understand.

According to Chris Messina from Medium, people are going to have to be trained not to talk in full sentences and talk more like programmers do.

If people don’t use bot friendly language, it will be harder for the bots to find what they need. For example, you may be in deep conversation with a friend about who will pay for the move tickets; you are going to keep doing it on your own. Apart from that, what if customers don’t want to trigger the bots? It might give them a feeling that their privacy is compromised.

Another issue with in-application informing and shopping is that hacks and security breaks happen every day. Customers may be careful about giving over the majority of their data, when they don't know how anchor an organisation is. They may not need their charge cards put away on Facebook or their PayPal data on Snapchat. At this moment, these stages are free, and shoppers aren't accustomed to doing business on them.

Even though it will take a considerable measure of work to substance out bugs, and decide customers' solace level, in-application informing can change how we approach our everyday lives.

It can spare everyone of our time and cash, and make it less demanding for brands to contact us when we require them the most.

Wrapping up

Companies from around the world are investing a lot of resources into cornering the chatbot market before their competition. For e-commerce businesses, the choice is pretty clear. Having details, strong and conversation commerce strategy is domineering for continued revenue and success.

Where do you see conversational commerce heading in 2019?