The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how customers live, work, and shop. But, again, the numbers tell the tale:
- More and more customers embrace a digital- (12%) and mobile-first (10%) mindset.
- According to data, 36% of consumers shop online every week since the rise of COVID-19.
- More than 62% of customers are now shopping online than in the pre-pandemic phase.
- IBM predicts that “The pandemic has accelerated consumers’ shift toward eCommerce by five years.” The same report claims that the eCommerce sector will grow by 20% in 2020.
The customers aren’t shying away from adopting digital eCommerce trends and intuitive technologies and are readily going the omnichannel route to fulfill their needs.
In this blog, we will look at how eCommerce businesses can boost their sales with the help of one such technology that can increase sales, revenues, and user happiness.
Top-5 Advantages Of Using AI-Powered Chatbots
1- Chatbots Can Handle Multiple Customers At Once With Speed & Efficiency
There’s no doubt that sales during the holiday season peak. But with more-than-usual customers already shopping online owing to the pandemic, your customer support teams may be overburdened with additional queries. This is where an automated chatbot can lend a helping hand, especially for basic and routine queries that don’t need the expertise of a live agent:
The bot can track packages, provide shipment information, and throw light on the customer’s order every step of the way. This ensures that the queries are addressed with speed and accuracy.
2- Chatbots Can Lower Cart Abandonment & Boost Conversion Rates
Not everyone who lands up on your website completes the purchase. Research by CXL suggests that eCommerce websites have an average bounce rate that lies anywhere between 20 and 45%.
Customers often abandon the cart because of last-minute shipping costs and taxes or a complex checkout process. Plus, they may have questions about the delivery timeframes, return policy, etc. To address these kinds of customer issues, especially at the checkout page, you can place a 24×7 chatbot. This intelligent tool can nudge the customers in the right direction to complete the purchase seamlessly without hiccups. Take a look at Sephora’s bot, which takes the shopping experience to the next level and allows customers to ‘Try on’ looks or book a makeover and provide unparalleled convenience in the process:
As you can imagine, this small effort significantly reduces the number of support emails and calls. In addition, it frees up your support agent’s valuable time, which they can use to address more complex issues that require a ‘human touch.’
3- Chatbots Can Personalize The Buying Experience & Boost User Engagement
Around 70% of customers today expect brands to know – and anticipate – their needs and offer relevant product suggestions all the way through. Well-trained bots can help eCommerce brands achieve this. Here’s how it works.
The bot asks the customer a few questions to understand what they’re looking for. Alternatively, it can also encourage the user to take a quick quiz and understand their needs (as shown below):
Once the customer inputs the answers, the bot can segment the target audience depending on various factors such as new users, returning customers, customers incoming from social media pages, etc. This data-driven categorization enables the bot to roll out contextual deals, offers, and product suggestions and better complement the customer’s buying journey:
This way, both the customer and the business save time and effort during the buying process – a win-win for all!
4- Chatbots Can Up-Sell & Cross-Sell Effectively
The power of gathering valuable and real-time customer data shines through again. For example, chatbot tools can track the customer’s past shopping behavior and note items placed in the shopping cart. This valuable information can then be stored in your CRM or email marketing software and be used for driving hyper-personalized marketing campaigns. Plus, bots can also send discounts to customers in exchange for finishing feedback surveys, providing their email addresses, or referring the brand to their friends and family:
That’s not all. You can also use these data points to recommend other products that complement the products your visitors are looking for. One fantastic example of cross-selling or up-selling is sending ‘replenishment messages,’ which encourages repeat purchases:
In other words, the bot can up-sell and cross-sell effortlessly and boost sales. In addition, the bots can also be triggered to proactively reach out to new customers and offer discounts once they land on the checkout page:
5- Chatbots Can Optimize Your Email/Paid Ad Campaign Conversions
You need to integrate a chatbot on your home page if you’re using a personalized email marketing campaign or a paid advertising campaign to drive traffic to your website. Then, once the customer lands on your home page (after clicking the email or advert), you can thank/greet the customer with the help of the chatbot and make them feel welcome:
When drafting your greeting/thank you message, make sure to keep it creative, short, and engaging (as shown above). No one likes to read endless paragraphs of irrelevant content:
You can also send customized offers, deals, and additional product information for the user’s benefit. Starting the customer’s journey on the right note can make all the difference between an abandoned cart and a purchase, boosting your conversion rates.
Wrapping Up
“Around 85% world over are shopping online today.” – Facebook Report.
The holiday season is ripe with shopping moments, and your eCommerce brand should make the most of it by using automated tools such as chatbots and live agents’ support to deliver highly targeted campaigns, personalized messages, and a frictionless experience at scale.
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