What Is Conversational Commerce? 6 Things All Business Owners Should Know
It’s easy to assume that a business selling the most affordable or best-quality products will stand out from the crowd. Those two factors can certainly make a company more desirable. Still, we also have to consider the impact of conversational commerce.
Conversational commerce refers to how online retailers can use conversation through various means to connect with their customers. The goal is to provide helpful and personalised service to compensate for the lack of personal touch they would receive in a brick-and-mortar shop.
Are you using conversational commerce to its full potential in your online store? Here’s what you need to know:
It Compensates For An Impersonal Shopping Experience
You no longer need a physical retail space to run a commerce business. All you need is a virtual office and professional address, and customers can shop for goods on your website instead.
However, online shopping can be an impersonal experience. You can struggle to connect with your customers and build trust. That’s where conversational commerce comes in. Also known as conversational marketing, it lets businesses communicate at each stage of the shopping process. They can then establish good customer-business relationships.
There Are Many Different Types
There are multiple types of conversational commerce worth exploring for your customers, depending on your business type, budget, and preferences. Live chat is easily among the most popular, with customers able to speak to real-life people to have their questions answered and queries addressed.
You can also choose chatbot software, messaging apps, and voice assistants. These can all be valuable for connecting customers with your business and ensuring 24/7 service.
It Can Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
Most business owners are familiar with the frustrations of shopping cart abandonment. This is when consumers put products into their cart but don’t buy them. The abandonment rate worldwide is nearly 70%!
You can’t solve all cart abandonment cases. However, conversational commerce might help. You can use live chat to send greetings to customers with items in their carts who haven’t purchased them. A simple message to offer your help to complete their order might be all it takes to bring a customer over the finish line.
It’s Helpful for Feedback
We all want to know what our customers are thinking. When we know, we can make changes to do better. Live chat post-chat surveys can be helpful in that respect. When a customer has had a conversation with your chat agent, you can send that customer a survey request. They can answer a few short questions so you can learn more about how well your customer service team is doing.
Research is Required
Despite there being many advantages associated with conversational commerce, research can be required before you implement it in your own eCommerce business. You should understand the problems your business is facing, the goals you want to achieve, and what you think your customers need for a more positive shopping experience.
The information you learn during the research phase can help you choose the right conversational commerce solutions.
Conversational Commerce Can Be Helpful for Automation
Most business owners know how important automation can be for streamlining sales and increasing productivity and profit. Conversational commerce can help. Chatbot automation streamlines order processing, order status information, FAQs answering, and more.
Online shopping doesn’t have to be an entirely impersonal experience for customers. With the right conversational commerce tools, customers can feel as welcomed and taken care of as they do in a physical store.
