Conversational Commerce – the Next Big Thing in eCommerce

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Why is conversational commerce the next big thing in e-commerce (with examples)

Today everything lives and breathes convenience. Are you tired after a long day at work? Just order takeout! You need new jeans, but you dread long queues at the store? Just order it online and get it delivered to your doors.

An average person today spends a lot of time on the go. We’re rushing to complete our tasks, see our friends and family, and catch up on the latest news and trends. We’re racing through life so much, some of us frequently feel drained. The truth is – we need to be pampered!

Online retailers recognize this need, and they are ready to jump on board and grab the opportunity. This is why conversational commerce became the next big thing in e-commerce that will continue to grow in the following years. Here, we’re going to explain why.

  • Conversational commerce improves customer experience.

Conversational commerce offers the chance for brands to create more meaningful relationships with their customers. By using the methods of conversational commerce, brands can attend to customer’s needs immediately and learn from them and improve their offer based on the information they’re given. On the other hand, customers can get the information they need right away without waiting in long lines or a customer service agent and deciding whether the service or a product is right for them on the spot.

  • Moves customers faster through the sales funnel.

Conversational commerce can help businesses move customers through the sales funnel much faster. By deploying the methods of conversational commerce, brands can answer their customers’ most common questions, e.g., delivery fees or expected delivery time. Furthermore, customers can ask for help when choosing the items by typing their requests or sending them via voice messages.

  • Provides efficient and reliable customer support.

Customers nowadays want convenient and fast service. By one research, almost 90 percent of customers want the responses from brands in the first 60 minutes – if they fail to meet this deadline, they’ll leave. By deploying methods of conversational commerce, customers can get quick answers from brands, get the information they need, and make purchasing decisions much faster.

Conversational commerce done right!

Let’s look at brands that use conversational commerce potential and how you can apply this to your customer lifecycle management.

Lego

Lego used the methods of conversational commerce via the Facebook Messenger platform. The goal was to help customers choose highly personalized gifts and make the shopping experience fun and exciting.

Ralph starts a conversation by asking customers about the gift recipient, such as age, interests, etc. Based on that information, it suggests presents customers can buy. The chatbot was created to help with Christmas decision-making, but Lego decided to continue with it past the holiday season after its success.

Originally built to help with Christmas indecision around gift-buying and to give Lego an e-commerce foothold on Facebook, he was then taken on as a full-time employee after becoming a roaring success. 

Starbucks 

One of the most popular coffee shop franchises decided to streamline the morning coffee routine by utilizing the methods of conversational commerce too.

Unlike Lego which used Facebook Messenger, Starbucks decided to integrate a chatbot in their app and order coffee via their phone. The app decreased lines in the store since customers were alerted once their coffee was ready, and they didn’t have to order it in person. It improved overall customer satisfaction too as there was no need for waiting in the long queues at the coffee shop.

Amazon Alexa 

It seems like Amazon’s Alexa is set out to conquer the world! Amazon’s virtual assistant, carefully disguised in a smart speaker, will do (almost) anything their owners want. It will do the math, dim the apartment’s lights, make to-do lists, and more.

However, we shouldn’t be fooled, as Alexa is firstly meant to be a storefront, a virtual personal shopper.

Conversational Commerce – the Next Big Thing in eCommerce

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