Conversational commerce - statistics & facts
Since companies have started to sell online, the way they communicate with customers has massively changed. Retailers aim to replicate interactions shoppers would have had in person on digital channels, making the customer journey as pleasant as possible. In e-commerce, where the entire customer experience is as important as the product sold itself, shoppers expect to reach out to brands via messaging apps and any other automated system of customer service.
As generative AI enhances AI-assisted shopping, retailers and chatbot providers should be aware of what human interaction seems to be irreplaceable for. Shoppers still preferred to interact with human agents to receive comprehensive advice or additional clarification, as well as conclude contracts. How well can AI do that?
Messaging apps in the customer journey
Messaging apps are versatile in driving consumers to stores – either online or brick-and-mortar. Survey findings from Mexico revealed that messaging apps embedded in social media are used more often to build up brand awareness. As an ideal extended arm of brand presence on social media, they are widely used in assisting customers after the purchase. However, messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram are more effective in post-sale communication and in maintaining long-term relationships with shoppers. Being among the most popular messaging apps, WhatsApp allows users to interact with business accounts, a habit registered especially in Asia and Europe.Conversations with shoppers
Implemented either on messaging platforms or in marketplaces, chatbots allow companies to automate interaction with customers, as the most recurring topics seem to be pretty straightforward. Buyers enquire e-commerce AI chatbots about product specifications, order and shipping, and return or exchange of online orders. Most consumers believe conversational AI will make traditional call centers obsolete, even though the percentage of consumers valuing interactions with human agents is significant in certain countries. Companies have refined conversational features of AI chatbots, looking at the frequency shoppers get influenced by them in purchase decisions.Tune with consumers
After the first pioneering launches of voice assistants by Google and Amazon, voice shopping seemed to have lost its hype until generative AI kicked in. AI technologies have improved voice-activated shopping assistants contributing to the shift of voice commerce transactions, which had more than a fourfold increase between 2021 and 2023. In the latest year, over one in four consumers engaged with voice-activated shopping at least monthly, with Gen Z being the most receptive towards innovative ways to shop online.As generative AI enhances AI-assisted shopping, retailers and chatbot providers should be aware of what human interaction seems to be irreplaceable for. Shoppers still preferred to interact with human agents to receive comprehensive advice or additional clarification, as well as conclude contracts. How well can AI do that?
