E-commerce worldwide has been growing exponentially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global e-commerce market is expected to reach $6.3 trillion by the end of 2023 and grow to over $8.1 trillion by 2026.
The biggest advantage of e-commerce is that anyone with internet access can buy from an online business anywhere in the world. However, this global reach can make things complicated for business owners, who have to figure out e-commerce tax compliance and scale their business. Luckily, new technological advancements and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to streamline e-commerce operations. AI is predicted to have a colossal impact on e-commerce as it can make online shopping safer, more convenient, and hassle-free for customers.
Let's explore how the synergy of e-commerce and AI can enhance the customer shopping experience.
Applications of AI in E-Commerce
Enabled by machine learning algorithms, AI can make your e-commerce operations more efficient in many ways.
1. Chatbots for enhancing customer service
Most popular online businesses utilize AI chatbots to interact with potential customers, enhancing their shopping experience and helping build a brand that helps your e-commerce thrive by providing top-notch customer service.. When a customer visits a site, a pop-up question greets them with, "How can I help you?" Thanks to AI, the bot is equipped to answer all relevant questions to guide the customer on their buyer's journey.
This feature ensures that the visitors to the business website are attended to immediately all day long, even when there are no live human agents to answer queries. With over 56% of customers preferring to ask chatbots rather than calling customer service, it is especially beneficial to have chatbots in place when a potential buyer’s decision to purchase a product might be affected by the waiting time for the response.
2. Personalized recommendations
AI enables business owners to show personalized product recommendations to customers. The AI algorithm predicts the needs and behavior of repeat customers based on the items they buy frequently and their search history.
If a visitor searches for a particular item on an online business website, they will be provided personalized recommendations on other similar or complementary items, enabling businesses to upsell and cross-sell products. This makes it easier for buyers to order and purchase the necessary items.
3. Generate product descriptions
Generative AI tools like Chat GPT can be used to create engaging product descriptions and content for your e-commerce platform. A well-composed product description can inform and influence customers in their buyer's journey.
AI writing tools for generating unique descriptions within seconds can enhance the e-commerce experience and minimize the costs of hiring external copywriting and marketing teams. Using these tools over conventional methods is a quicker, more efficient way of generating content without breaking the bank.
TwoOrbits.com is a website with an SEO Content Writer that assists users in creating SEO-friendly content. It includes an editor with a built-in keyword research tool and real-time collaboration. The writer aims to streamline content development, enabling users to create more content efficiently, attract organic traffic, and boost leads and readership. The editor boasts a distraction-free interface for improved focus and writing.
4. Fraud detection
One risk involved in conducting business online is the threat of fraud, scams, and other malicious attacks. E-commerce businesses are at risk of online fraud due to the ever-rising volume of orders and deliveries. In 2022, e-commerce losses due to online payment fraud were estimated at US$41 billion globally. The figure is expected to reach a staggering US$48 billion by 2023.
AI-powered fraud detection tools can be of much help to online businesses. These tools can sift through massive amounts of data and analyze customer buying patterns, making detecting and blocking suspicious activities possible.
Cutting-edge fraud-detection technology can also analyze fake credit card parameters and immediately alert business owners. These tools can also prevent abuse of promo codes by catching users with multiple accounts or proxy servers.
5. Demand forecasting
Accurately predicting future demand is challenging because sifting through old sales data is insufficient. E-commerce companies often use demand and sales forecasting tools to manage and maintain inventories, plan logistics, availability of warehouse space, etc.
Many formal and informal organizations use AI to get more accurate sales predictions and demand forecasts. AI tools use real-time data, demographics, the performance of similar items, and online reviews to develop sales and demand forecasts.
6. Customer segmentation
Customers like to do business with organizations that personalize their user experience. Segmenting the audience is imperative to delivering customized marketing communication to customers. Segmentation can greatly improve your marketing campaigns’ effectiveness and productivity, leading to better ROI.
Tailor-made products designed to meet the specific needs of certain segments are likely to register higher sales figures. AI can analyze customer data quickly and create different customer segments without yielding to prior assumptions or biases that human marketers might have. With its unbiased analysis, AI can provide a more accurate image of your target audience.
7. Filter our fake reviews
While genuine reviews on a business website can be very helpful to potential customers, fake and forged reviews on a business page can do the opposite. Too many forged reviews can create a biased view in the audience's minds and make a business lose its customer base, lower its sales volume, and lead to financial losses.
Spam comments are bad for your website ranking as Google will not trust such sites. AI tools can disable comments on old posts, restrict suspicious content from getting indexed, and disable trackbacks on your site, boosting SEO.
Anti-spam tools can create a list of blacklisted words and prevent spam. AI can also detect fake identities and fake profiles and remove these from websites. Eventually, only comments by genuine customers remain on the e-commerce site.
8. Pricing optimization
Many factors determine the right price for a product. These include manufacturing costs, demand, competitors’ prices, etc. It is a colossal task for humans to do all the research and determine the most optimum price.
AI can do this work very quickly and more effectively than humans. AI-based pricing systems determine the optimal pricing for your products based on your manufacturing costs and the competitors’ prices. These systems can also select the best time to raise the price of a product so that you can maximize your profits. AI-based systems can also automatically change the prices for multiple products simultaneously.
In Closing Thoughts
The e-commerce landscape is ever-changing, and in the near future, AI is set to play a huge role in how online business will be conducted. From providing customer service and writing product descriptions to forecasting sales and weeding out fake reviews, AI will undoubtedly be a major part of e-commerce.
Choose an open-source e-commerce platform like OpenCart to build, operate, and grow your business and maximize profits online. Opening an OpenCart e-Commerce store is simple. It is not only open-source and free but also equipped with powerful SEO tools that make managing your business hassle-free.
You also get to access free community support as and when required. Contact the experts at OpenCart to start setting up your e-commerce business!
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