The winners in retail are continually changing the game and delighting consumers with surprising innovations in self-service to make their experiences better, all while gaining an edge on the competition. Over the past several years, chatbots have gained popularity on retail e-commerce websites and for good reason as many traditional online experiences are simply not enough to meet customer demands. B2B e-commerce can learn from their example as B2B buyers tend to expect the same experiences. In fact, Gartner expects that within the next year, 85% of our engagement with businesses will be done without interacting with another human. Instead, we’ll be using self-service options and chatbots.
How Can Chatbots Help Achieve E-Commerce Goals?
Chatbots help to mitigate frustrations the customer has over being able to get information when they want it online and also helps back-end business process by automating simple tasks so your employees can focus more on new opportunities and innovation.
Top ways you may utilize chatbot technology on your e-commerce site includes:
- Getting a quick answer to an emergency question
- Resolving a customer service issue (complaint or otherwise)
- Getting detailed answers on FAQ
- Paying a bill, making a reservation
- Navigating to a human customer service assistant
Convenience and highly personalized customer service are two of the major ways brands can gain a competitive edge when it comes to their e-commerce experiences for customers. Chatbots help you shine in these two areas, allowing you to offering expedited service and make the customer feel their personal concerns are understood. Chatbots are able to learn from previous instances, collect data and continually improve responses, making them a solid investment for the future of your e-commerce strategy.
Before deciding if a chatbot is right for your e-commerce site, you will want to understand your customer and their journey. Knowing what your customers will want to converse with chatbots about is important in your strategy. Also, deciding what type of user interface your chatbot will have can vary greatly from business, industry, or target market. What is your strategy around offering a convenient and personalized experience on your e-commerce site? We think adding chatbots is a smart play for e-commerce sites to gain a competitive edge. Contact our team at Echidna to start a meaningful conversation about your chatbot strategy.
