eCommerce is the act of selling things online. It applies to both goods and services. It was definitely on the rise before the pandemic, but now its popularity has exploded like never before.
There are tons of ways that you can optimize your website if you already have an eCommerce-based business model, or you’re moving toward one. While there may be some optional site features, others are critical.
Are chatbots vital? You’ll have to take some time and think about that. If you want them for your site, you’ll need to commission someone to create one for you. The financial outlay might be worth it when you think about all that they can do for you.
Let’s delve into chatbots a little bit more to make this decision easier.
Some of the Leading Brands are Already Using Chatbots
You should certainly know all about eCommerce chatbots that sell for you on Facebook Messenger and build relationships at scale. After all, that’s what your would-be customers want when they come to your site: the personalized experience.
It’s not just Facebook Messenger that has utilized chatbots, though. You can also find them on:
- Spotify
- Whole Foods
- Lyft
These companies can make a compelling argument that they’re on tech’s cutting edge. When you visit their website or app, you can engage with a chatbot, and it can make the shopping experience much easier for you.
Chatbots Can Execute Menial Tasks
Another advantage when you employ chatbots on your site or app is that you don’t have to assign humans to handle the things that a chatbot can do. For instance, a chatbot can help a would-be customer:
- Find gifts for their loved ones during the holiday season
- Locate a specific item on your website
- If they have a simple question about how a product works, or how long of a warranty they’ll get with it
Because chatbots are simply advanced computer programs, you can design them so that they’ll answer a wide variety of questions that you know your site visitors are most likely to ask. If the visitor asks a question to which the chatbot doesn’t know the answer, then at that point, they can pass the shopper off to a live human operator.
This means you’ll have to hire far fewer employees to answer common questions, saving you money.
You Can Get More Done This Way
If you’re working to expand your business, then it should please you that you don’t have to hire as many employees, so you save on their salaries. Beyond that, though, chatbots can save your employees time.
If you have a chatbot handling the bulk of customer questions, then your workers can dedicate their time to other tasks. They can handle the complex aspects of your business more expediently.
If you’re ready to start expanding within your niche, this is a great example of putting AI to work for you.
Chatbots are Getting Smarter
It will also interest you to know that chatbots are getting smarter and more sophisticated. For an example, look no further than the Amazon Alexa. Here you have a chatbot that you can interface with and have a conversation about various topics.
For instance, you can ask it for assistance finding sneakers, and then it will help you find ones in your size, in the color you want, and in your price range. You can program your own website proprietary chatbot to do similar things.
It can guide your customer through your site much faster than if they were browsing on their own. The chatbot can even help them with the payment process. When your would-be customer sees how easy the buying process is, they’re much more likely to convert.
This means not as much shopping cart abandonment and more cash in your pockets. That’s going to make a difference when you’re tallying up your sales each quarter.
Are Chatbots for You?
Before too long, a website or app without a chatbot will seem antiquated. This is the next evolution of the eCommerce shopping experience. You might elect not to create a chatbot for your site right now because you feel like it’s unnecessary or too expensive.
Be certain, though, that competing sites within your niche are going to have chatbots, and shoppers there are going to appreciate them. You’ll be at a disadvantage if you don’t get on board with this tech, if not right this second, then in the very near future.