What comes into your mind when you think about Artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the technology that is driving companies to perform smart activities that were never even imagined before. Firstly, AI is making a game-changer adaptation in the technology sector of IT. AI has already begun its journey of enhancing customer experience through various touchpoints. Artificial intelligence has proved to be groundbreaking for all of its innovational enhancements to technology. The major change that AI is bringing is to the E-commerce sector. What has been a major change is that it helps companies drive their e-commerce operations.

Particularly, E-commerce is the industry that has taken shopping to the next level. AI is constantly driving e-commerce to its edges through the changes that it has made to online shopping. Furthermore, with the help of AI-driven platforms like Microsoft Azure AI, businesses in the E-commerce sector are able to transform their customer support experience. And not only that, but E-commerce businesses can use the tools offered by the above-mentioned platform to create a customer-centric search, identify potential customers, build a new level of personalization, and establish a more efficient sales process. However, for that, they might need to hire employees who have the required knowledge and has a certification in Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (to learn more about the certification process, consider checking out this code- ai-900). Moreover, by hiring employees who have expertise in this field, entrepreneurs can further improve their E-commerce businesses.

In this article, we will discuss the various benefits and changes that Artificial Intelligence has bought to the e-commerce industry (Artificial Intelligence in E-commerce). Moreover, AI is driving major enhancements to the e-commerce industry and some of these changes will be discussed in this blog article.

Artificial Intelligence in E-commerce

Sell better products

Artificial intelligence is helping companies to sell better products to online consumers. Through the use of enhanced technology companies like Amazon and Flipkart are projecting better products to their customers. Whenever a customer wants to shop online and get a product, he or she will search for it on the internet. Then whenever he browses social media or some online shopping website, he or she will see advertisements of products that he had initially searched on the internet. So these activities provide a more personalized and customized experience to the clients and customers. This helps in providing a better user experience and caters to overall better services by E-commerce companies.

When you use AI techniques you get the opportunity to sell better.

Customers prefer buying through chatbots

One of the major changes that customers are experiencing is that they prefer buying through chatbots. There are many examples and instances where general people and customers prefer buying online goods and services through the help of chatbots. This is because most of the customer engagement through chatbots are focused on solving customer queries and problems efficiently. It is going to happen that pesonalised online touch can be experienced by various customers through the use of chatbots. There are many companies that employ chatbots to deal with clients and customers as well as solve customer problems and pain points.

Statistics and research has shown that people prefer buying guidance using chatbots.

Warehouse management is made easy

When AI is used to manage different operations, there is also a major objective that is achieved. Warehouse management is made easy through the use of AI based technology. Order management and inventory management is simplified when e-commerce companies employ AI based technology to better help them to manage their stock. Personalised order fulfillment is done through the use of AI technology. This helps to locate and process order stock better and fulfill and complete orders efficiently and in less time.

Warehouse management becomes an easier task that helps organizations and their produce

Provides better targeting of ads for customers

When has it happened to you or occurred to you that you search for a product on the internet and the same ad follows and is seen by you on various shopping websites and platforms? This is because of personalised targeting of adverts through the use of AI based technology. AI technology is better helping e-commerce companies to upsell as well as cross sell their products to their customers through the efficient use of AI. These implementations help e-commerce companies to customise their add content and serve it better to their target customers. This provides a better scope for the customers to buy their products and service offerings. As this helps to increase the e-commerce companies revenue.

AI helps you to get and use better products in your day to day lives.

Provides device wide targeting for customers

AI based technology is present on not only e-commerce platforms but also on major other hand held devices such as smartphones and tablets to desktop computers and laptops as well. AI makes it possible to track the customer and project personalised experience to them across all devices as well. This helps the customer to make better buying decisions and helps them to solve their real-life problems better. AI is also able to provide personalised experience to customers from the other side of the globe. This helps to expand the e-commerce company’s reach to a global target audience.

The ads and offers that is projected to you will be seen on all devices that you use.

Also Read: Application Of Artificial Intelligence in Business

Enables personalisation of shopping experience

As we have already discussed, AI helps to tailor make the shopping experience of customers through interactive ads, better targeting of products to potential customers, as well as enhance the shopping experience of customers. This provides e-commerce companies to tailor make and create a personalised strategy for attracting customers to their products and services offered by them. For example, when the festive season is on, e-commerce companies can create attractive offers and discounts based on the browsing history of the customers. When customers get personalised experiences they are able to make buying decisions better.

Customers prefer better and personalised shopping experience through AI in ecommerce.

Empower store owners

Artificial intelligence is also able to empower small scale store owners and retailers. AI brings them and makes these small scale store owners to sell their products on a global online platform where they can target the global audience. This enables them to increase their sales and ultimately increase their profits. Not being physically present to shop for a product is the most interesting factor that can attract customers towards online shopping. Many retailers are able to get advantage of using a better platform and market their products all across the globe as well as provide a better experience to online shoppers through a wide range of products that they can offer.

There are a lot of benefits for store owners as to using AI to drive products towards customers.

Provide a global audience reach

AI presents a global platform to reach e-commerce companies. This is done through the use of efficient targeting, personalised experience as well as better managing stock and orders for these companies. Online shopping or e-commerce companies are able to better market their products to consumers and customers. Thus expanding their presence to a global audience through their platform. AI is constantly helping companies to increase their revenue and achieve better sales targets. Thus we can say that AI is helping companies to better grow. They serve their customers better as well as efficiently.

Using AI you can enable yourself to sell globally.

Read More: Importance of E-Commerce Business

Conclusion:

We have seen the various facts and benefits of Artificial Intelligence in E-commerce. If you have any requirements to develop AI based apps then contact us at enquiry@nimapinfotech.com with your requirements. We have the most talented and experienced professionals ready to onboard your project and help you out.

If you are starting to bring your business online, then you are taking the right path. But don’t forget though, there is plenty that you need to be thinking about. Things like how to bring more traffic to your e-commerce store via SEO, or what you should put online, and what platform you should use – there’s a lot you need to think about.

Businesses with online shops have more sales and more potential customers. They have the opportunity to market their brand even on the other side of the world.

However, moving your shop online doesn’t just happen in a second. There are questions to ask before you make the final decision. There are a lot of things that you will need to ask yourself, things like sorting out accounting for ecommerce companies would be a good place to start. Once you’ve done this, you can then think about whether going online is feasible or not. Regardless of whether you do choose to go online or not, you should have the appropriate general liability insurance to cover you against any lawsuit against your product or service.

Looking for the best platform that can serve your e-commerce shop building needs should not be a daunting one. It depends on what services you are looking for and what amount of price you are willing to pay for the features that you get. Often it happens that we may settle for multiple platforms and get overwhelmed by the features that is provided by these platforms. We should carefully select and analyse the features that are relevant to our needs. This can take some time as we should check if the features that we get support out shop building needs satisfactorily.

Luckily, we are here to help you decide on a particular aspect of building your online store.

Where Should I Set Up my Shop?

Many places on the internet offer space for business owners to build their shops. You could either choose from selling through a marketplace, an e-commerce platform, or both. But, there are factors you have to consider based on your business’s needs.

It’s not only about where to start, but other questions you need to ask are the following:

• What’s your budget?
• What features do you need to manage your shop?
• Will your chosen space be able to handle the growth of your business?
• Will your chosen platform allow you to think about payment methods and shipping services?

One particular place you can start building your shop is through an e-commerce platform. Not only are e-commerce platforms a great place to start for beginners, but some platforms give you access to payment and shipping tools, which allows you to get your product to your customers without worry. These platforms are software applications where most business owners start their online shop. There are hundreds of these platforms available. Each of these platforms has excellent features such as alternative payment methods and shipping tools with access to services similar to Plexus Freight, but you have to know what you need before deciding to choose from the endless list of options.

For you not to feel completely overwhelmed, we have put together different e-commerce platforms that you can choose from. Take a look at the list below and see which one you like the most.

SHOPIFY

Shopify is the most popular platform used by businesses online. The company has established its name since 2004 and has built its way up.

Now they are about to hit a million users. Shopify is often sought out by businesses because of its easy to navigate interface. This platform is best for beginners because there are no required coding skills, and it offers technical support when needed.

Price starts at $13 per month.

WOO COMMERCE

If you are a content creator or you have an existing blog on WordPress, and you want to monetize it, WooCommerce can be the platform for you.

It’s a free plugin for WordPress users who want to include a shop on their website.

WooCommerce is best for small businesses that don’t require a lot of traffic. It has basic features that are easy to use, and it includes a secure payment processor.

An additional fee is required if you want to integrate the shopping cart into your website.

BIGCOMMERCE

This platform is best for startup businesses and enterprises. It’s packed with features such as advanced security, integration with email marketing services, unlimited staff accounts, and more.

Despite being expensive, many merchants prefer to use BigCommerce to run their online stores.

Price starts at $29.95 per month.

MAGENTO

One of the leading and popular names in e-commerce is Magento. It’s a platform that best suits larger businesses.

Even though it caters to businesses with a large number of stocks, it still has features that make it easy to set up and control. Shop owners can manage their store without trouble.

If assistance is needed, Magento has excellent customer service. They have developers on the side, ready to assists any merchant who requires customization.

Other features you can enjoy with Magento:

• SEO tools
• Integration of Google Analytics
• Landing page creation tool
• Checkout, payment, and shipping tools
• Web management features

Magento has a free basic plan. If you want to experience its full features, try their paid plans.

SQUARESPACE

Another place to build a shop for beginners is through Squarespace. This platform allows users to build a website and an e-commerce store in one place.

It’s user-friendly features and navigation makes it an excellent platform for beginners, and businesses with a few product listing.

The disadvantage of using Squarespace is the restrictions when it comes to customizing the shop. Despite seeking help from professional developers, they won’t be able to change some features of your shop because of Squarespace’s constraints.

The basic plan for the online shop is $26 per month.

OPENCART

One of the best open-source platforms that work like Magento is OpenCart. It allows users to add plugins or add-ons to extend its basic features. However, the plugin selection is not as large as Magento.

OpenCart requires skills or patience when setting up the shop. Therefore, if you are only starting up, OpenCart is not best for you.

ZEPO

This platform is one of the leading e-commerce platforms in India. It’s a Mumbai-based company that has begun since 2011. It has simple features that beginners can use to navigate or set up their shop.

Other features of Zepo:

• Courier services
• Payment gateway
• Best for newbies with its easy interface
• Faster speed

Zepo, aside from being one of the best e-commerce India has, it powered multiple small businesses. If you are planning to open an online shop, Zepo can help you with that.

Also Read: 5 Ways to Optimize eCommerce

WIX

Wix is similar to Squarespace. It has hundreds of themes and an easy way to handle its editor. This platform is often suitable for beginners or small businesses with no skills in setting up an online shop.

However, if you are looking to grow your store into a bigger one, Wix doesn’t have the ability to expand. Therefore, it’s best to use a platform that allows scalability.

Wix’s e-commerce plan starts at $17 per month.

SHOPIFY PLUS

If you have outgrown your Shopify account, it’s time to take one step further. Shopify Plus is a platform that can manage huge volumes of orders, large traffic, and advanced customization for online shops.

Despite its complex set up, Shopify Plus works best for larger businesses.

Other features of this platform:

• Boost customer engagement
• Improve sales
• Increase brand awareness
• Excellent customer support
• Increase online shop speed

VOLUSION

Last in this 2021 list of Best E-commerce Platform is Volusion.

Volusion is a scalable platform that is best for startup businesses that are looking to expand or grow in the future. It offers tiers/plans for a small price for startups and higher costs for bigger businesses.

Other features of Volusion includes:

• Easy setup
• Inventory management
• Unlimited product listing
• Can connect or integrate with other tools or apps
• SEO management tool
• Built-in CRM
• Social media selling tools

Volusion has a 14-day free trial. If you have decided to give this platform a try, their paid plan starts at $29 per month.

Conclusion

When choosing the right e-commerce platform, it ultimately boils down to what you need for your business. You may choose the most common platform to run your shop, but popularity is one thing. Sometimes a platform may be popular but will disappoint the user because it is not what they often need.

Some platforms mentioned are open-source, and this becomes vulnerable to attacks. If you want to have a secure online shop, choose a platform that offers a security feature.

Now, if you have decided what you need, it’s time to choose which platform from the list will work for your online shop.

AUTHOR BIO

JOHN OCAMPOS

John Ocampos is an Opera Singer by profession and a member of the Philippine Tenors. Ever since, Digital Marketing has always been his forte. He is the Founder of SEO-Guru, and the Managing Director of Tech Hacker. John is also the Strategic SEO and Influencer Marketing Manager of Softvire Australia – the leading software eCommerce company in Australia and Softvire New Zealand.

In an age where brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to compete with online retail, eCommerce has become a major player in the market. Optimizing eCommerce sales should be at the forefront of any business’s to-do list, seeing as online sales are outpacing physical stores.

The online eCommerce environment has become incredibly crowded, with big digital retailers like Amazon taking up large shares of the market. To many people, this won’t come as much of a surprise as Amazon is only growing with popularity over the years. So much so, that people are now deciding to read something like this share tips uk article to find out how they can get their hands on some of their shares too. It could do wonders for your investment portfolio, and it may help the eCommerce business too. You just need to make sure that you’re investing your money in the best place. However, by focusing on certain key aspects of your online store, you can build a more competitive business. Implementing five key concepts can help you in e-commerce optimization and boost your success in the online marketplace.

Loyalty Programs

• Loyalty programs are a simple and straightforward way to build brand engagement and boost online sales. By having site visitors sign up for a points or tier program, you can not only have a contact list of names and emails to reach out to with promotions and content but also derive other benefits.
• A set of purchases tied to user identity can be incredibly useful, giving you data to determine to buy patterns. A user logged in through a loyalty program can also provide data on which products they view and what they look at but decide not to buy. This sort of “ghost data” can help you see what products could be redesigned or repriced to increase the rate of closure.
• But the primary reason for starting a loyalty program is to drive more sales. By offering incentives like free shipping, percentages off, and even small bonus gifts, you can convince consumers to spend more and buy more frequently than they otherwise would. These loyalty program incentives more than pay for themselves in the increased revenue they lead to and are a must for any company looking to optimize eCommerce.

User Experience

This one may seem obvious: make it as painless as possible to buy, and people are more likely to. As obvious as aiming for a good user experience should be, many businesses don’t consider all the factors in play and the magnitude of effects they can have. Not only does a good experience lead to more sales, but it can also be a way to set yourself apart from other eCommerce sites with similar products but a worse interface.

• Speed is a major issue, especially for mobile optimization and the modern attention span. Two extra seconds of loading time can lead to a 17% increase in people abandoning their online shopping carts. Many companies look to the technological trends powering online stores to help with the optimization of their user experience.
• Make sure to test your website’s speed on both desktop and mobile browsers, and determine whether it’s worth it to pay for higher hosting speeds or a different platform. Ensuring a good user experience also comes down to offering options like quick guest checkout (with an option to create an account later), retaining a cart when the page is refreshed or accessed later, and simple and clean navigation around the site. Weigh the cost of improvements in all of these areas against the potential gains in sales, and you’ll see that it’s worth it to invest in user experience. Make sure your website is attractive and eye-catching, this will help with sales. It might be useful for you to check out the benefits of Wix compared to Shopify if you want to use a different website platform.

Basket Abandonment

• To get a little more specific, basket abandonment is actually a key problem that, if solved, can boost your sales greatly.
• You’re much more likely to sell to a customer who’s already added to their cart but left, than to someone who’s just visiting your site. By using cookies and tracking, you can send targeted emails to people who have left an empty cart reminding them to check out. Another cart-related strategy to optimize your eCommerce returns is to have a constant push notification or reminder that the cart has items in it. This will leave the customer more invested and more likely to take the actual step of completing a purchase, which is the main goal.

The Human Touch

You’re selling to real people; try using real people in your advertising. Good photos are crucial to selling your products online. Instead of simply including a picture of a shirt, accessory, etc, try hiring a real person to model the article for you.

• Promo models are not hard to find and will give your online marketplace a more personable experience.
• In 2019, the focus is on the consumer, not the product or the company. By including people in your messaging, consumers can see themselves in your product better and feel a closer connection to what you’re selling.
• Another option is using brand ambassadors to lead traffic to your eCommerce site. By partnering with people who have a large social media following, you can direct people straight to your platform with integrated social media purchasing links, bypassing the potential competition.

Flash Sales

Lastly, a tried and true way to e-commerce optimization productivity is to utilize flash sales. Sending emails about sales that are limited time or only open to a certain number of people builds pressure to buy. You can also integrate sales into banners on your website itself. When people don’t have a timeline to buy something, they may keep putting it off and never get around to it.

• A flash sale can change that, offering a better deal that needs to be acted on immediately.
• Flash sales can take the form of dated sales, timers and countdowns, or even single-day sales.
• Use them to lead to a higher closure rate and to offload products that aren’t being purchased at their regular price.

FIND: REASON TO OUTSOURCE DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES

Conclusion

• With eCommerce marketplaces surpassing physical stores at every turn, every business has to get good at digital.
• Online stores are no longer a bonus experience, they’re a mainstay.
• By utilizing loyalty programs effectively, you can both analyze more customer data and boost sales at the same time.
• Faster and more enjoyable user experience can help you beat out the competition, and a focus on fixing basket abandonment has been shown to be an incredibly effective way to increase revenue.
• Lastly, giving your site a human touch by using promo models and social media influencers, as well as putting pressure on consumers to buy using flash sales can contribute to eCommerce success.
• Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider when trying to e-commerce optimization for the platform, but these five big ideas are the place to start.
• For more tips on eCommerce and other digital marketing topics, check out Nimap Infotech’s website and facebook page!