By no means, chatbot based Ecommerce is a new thing. However, what is novel is the new use cases that chatbots are finding in the terrain of Ecommerce. It stems from the fact that a chatbot, which began as a mere special software to support a conversation, has come a long way. It has regularly refined itself over the years so much that it is almost impossible for a user to recognize whether he is speaking to a real person or a bot.

Also, the functional additions through algorithms have made chatbots more than a chatting tool. Consequently, they are equipped to help the e-commerce sector holistically. Thus, before diving into the details of chatbot based Ecommerce, let’s first try to understand what makes chatbots so effective in customer engagement.

Why Chatbots Are Popular?

Parallels can be drawn between the over-reliance of people on online messaging and the rise of chatbots. Hubspot has found that people are happier to chat with bots. Maybe, they feel less inundated with the sales pitches while interacting with bots. The same study also found that 70% of respondents are happy to get automated assistance.

Another reason for the popularity of chatbots in Ecommerce is that they don’t have queues or long hold time – especially if you aren’t connected to a live support agent. It makes it fairly simple to get on-demand help.       

Use Cases for Chatbot in Ecommerce:

1) Top of Funnel Conversions:

Chatbots, with their ability to give a personalized buying experience, can influence the buying decisions of customers. They can do so by acting as a product guide and eliminating the doubts that customers might have about the products.

Similarly, they can be used to take data from email marketing campaigns, upsell and cross-sell products, and offer discounts codes, much like a store manager. Chatbots will learn more about the customers with each interaction. As time goes by, the chatbot will provide higher quality customer interactions.

2) Dealing with International Shoppers:

Since dropshipping has become a norm today, people are ordering items from anywhere in the world. Smartphone data connections make it simple for non-natives to order online. It opens up the need to deftly cater to shoppers who speak different languages.

Chatbots are well-placed to deal with different languages. Though they can be wired to comprehend natural languages, they are capable of being language-independent. Chatbots may find themselves unable to handle a particular request, but this feature of chatbot based Ecommerce would assist you in more efficient ways. 

3) Smart Identification of Products:

With voice search gaining prominence and visual search becoming more viable, the search comes in many more forms now. It goes beyond the regular method of carrying out reverse image searches to catch similar images. AI system can be programmed to scan a provided image and identify the subject.

Consider a case where the shopper is interested in buying a particular item but don’t know its name. With the help of a photo of that item in situ, the chatbot could easily scan the photo, identify the item, and deliver a link to purchase it. If not this, then it can suggest a comparable product.

4) Personalized Ads:

A customer agent trying to convert every grievance into a sales opportunity will drive customers away in the end. It’s important to understand the customer’s needs and preferences even when you are advertising while providing support. This is where chatbots, with access to the customer data, are extremely helpful.

A support chatbot can be programmed to advertise particular products at the most appropriate times such as upselling or cross-selling. Further, it can be equipped with various ad templates and configurations.

Chatbots come with a definite psychological advantage as well. Customer is far less likely to get angry when a chatbot advertises to them as opposed to when an actual person forces them to buy. Naturally, this benefit of chatbot based Ecommerce raises the possibility of customer engagement and thereby conversion. 

In A Nutshell:

Though there is no fervent need to transform your entire customer support system to chatbots, chatbot based Ecommerce is more than required. Along with saving time and efforts, it will give you a distinguishing competitive edge through superlative customer experience. But chatbots are evolving with each passing day. Every day, they are finding themselves on the threshold of novelty. That’s what demands constant vigilance from online sellers.