Artificial intelligence brought innovations to many spheres. But for eCommerce, it turned out to be a real well of various solutions, from customer service to inventory management.
Since AI technology has been there for not so long, and the integration is still complicated and may require the help from Magento 2 agency, it’s pretty obvious that it changes the sphere radically.
In the article, we’ll look at all the elements and branches of eCommerce that are being affected.
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Some Statistics to Know
Here’s some statistics that’ll help you understand the state of AI in eCommerce today:
According to InsightAce Analytics, the AI-enabled eCommerce market size will be $16.8 billion by the year 2030.
Oracle suggests that 78% of eCommerce businesses already use AI in their stores.
More than half of eCommerce brands do SEO tasks like keyword research with the help of AI, according to Ecom Business.
AI delivers more than a 25% improvement in customer satisfaction, revenue, or cost reduction, according to Gartner.
According to Statista, 70% of eCommerce decision-makers in Europe and North America believe AI enhances personalization.
HBS claims that Alibaba reduced logistics errors by 40% with AI.
Servion predicts that AI will power up to 95% of all customer interactions by 2025.
According to Drift, 41.3% of consumers used chatbots for purchases in 2020.
AI Transforming Ecommerce
Now that you see the main tendencies, it’s time to dive deeper into each aspect of the eCommerce transformation happening with AI.
Targeted Advertising
AI enhances targeted advertising by utilizing customer data to predict buying habits and preferences. Businesses may evaluate enormous volumes of data to comprehend customer behavior and interests by implementing sophisticated algorithms.
By speaking directly to their audience, advertisers are able to design tailored campaigns that increase engagement and conversion rates.
Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), advertisements are now personalized to each person’s unique requirements and preferences rather than being irrelevant. The end result is a more satisfying and customized experience, which helps the advertiser.
Personalized Suggestions
Personalized suggestions are one of AI’s most visible impacts on eCommerce. AI systems track user activity and purchase history to recommend products that a shopper is more likely to buy.
Rather than depending just on browsing history and previous purchases, a powerful AI-based recommendation engine may offer highly relevant options of related or complementary goods based on the user’s current session behavior.
AI solutions may assist brands and merchants in enhancing their eCommerce marketing. They personalize the placement of promotions and the order of search results for each unique visitor, in addition to making suggestions.
Virtual Assistants
AI-powered virtual assistants, like chatbots, provide real-time assistance to shoppers, helping them find products, answering inquiries, and even handling customer service issues. These assistants are available 24/7, improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Voice Management
With the integration of AI, voice search and voice command have become more prevalent in eCommerce. Consumers can now use voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to shop online, search for products, track orders, and control smart devices, making the shopping experience more convenient.
The technology enabling voice-enabled shopping is anticipated to advance as customers grow more accustomed to using AI voice assistants. This is especially true with regard to the application of natural language processing (NLP) technology, which enables more accurate responses to intricate voice queries.
Big Data Analytics
AI leverages big data analytics to understand consumer behavior, forecast trends, and optimize the supply chain. It processes high volumes of transactions to uncover insights that help retailers make data-driven decisions, personalize marketing campaigns, and improve the shopping experience.
Internet-of-Things
The IoT, powered by AI, offers a more connected and streamlined shopping experience. “Internet of Things” (IoT) describes the expanding collection of tangible items that are linked to the Internet and capable of exchanging data with one another.
Smart shelves, for example, can track inventory in real time, while AI-enabled appliances can automatically reorder products when they run low, simplifying the replenishment process for both consumers and retailers.
Smart textiles, clothing embedded with sensors, and other technology to enable interaction with the user and their surroundings are other important things to mention in the Internet of Things.
More Engaging Experience
AI is used to create a more engaging shopping experience through augmented and virtual reality. Customers can virtually try on clothes or look at how some items would look in their home before buying, which not only entertains but also helps in making more informed purchase decisions.
In the upcoming years, we should anticipate seeing an increase in the number of eCommerce businesses using sophisticated product suggestions that employ visual AI to create recommendations based on individual preferences, advanced AR/VR capabilities, and visual search options.
More Direct-to-Consumer Sales
Customizing every step of the customer experience is made simpler and faster using AI, especially for businesses that have a devoted client base and specialized products.
AI tools assist brands in understanding their customers better, enabling them to sell directly to consumers without intermediaries. By analyzing customer data, companies can tailor their marketing strategies and products to meet the precise needs and preferences of their customer base.
Dynamic Pricing
AI systems analyze market demand, competitor pricing, and other external factors to adjust prices in real time. Businesses may use dynamic pricing to instantly modify the price of their products in response to variables like supply, demand, and competitor pricing. Companies may also maximize income creation, and customers can get better discounts.
Inventory Management
AI dramatically improves inventory management by predicting optimal stock levels, identifying patterns in product demand, and automating restocking processes. This minimizes the risk of overstocking or stockouts, ensuring that capital isn’t tied up in excess inventory and that products are available when customers want them.
Enhanced Security
AI enhances eCommerce security by detecting and preventing fraudulent transactions using pattern recognition and anomaly detection.
The solutions identify and assess the risk level of orders, spoof addresses, and other questionable information that may be utilized to complete a transaction.
Artificial Intelligence has the capability to recognize patterns that differentiate authentic transactions from fraudulent ones, even those that people might miss.
Improved Mobile Commerce
Today’s errand runners and merchants stand to gain a great deal by refining their AI-powered mobile shopping capabilities, with special attention to visual search.
Brands and merchants may help consumers find the most relevant products in their inventory by letting them submit photographs and search for visually comparable things.
This can be particularly helpful when customers are inspired by products they see on social media or other online platforms.
Final Word
Although artificial intelligence (AI) has many advantages, there are also big risks and obstacles associated with using it.
AI systems in eCommerce often require access to vast amounts of personal data to provide personalized experiences. This raises concerns about consumer data protection and increases the risk of data breaches, which increases risks of identity theft and other cybercrimes.
If the data used to train AI systems contains biases, the AI’s decision-making will likely perpetuate these biases, leading to discriminatory practices. For example, an AI might show certain products to only specific demographic groups, excluding others without justification.
Also, keep in mind that eCommerce businesses must adhere to a growing body of regulations governing data protection (like GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California). AI systems must be designed to comply with these regulations, or businesses may face hefty fines and legal issues.
There are various ethical considerations, such as the extent to which AI should be used to influence consumer behavior. The use of persuasive AI to manipulate purchasing decisions may raise ethical concerns.
About the Author:
Alex Husar
Alex Husar is a chief technology officer at Onilab. Working at the company for almost a decade, Alex has gained proficiency in web development, creating progressive web apps (PWAs), and team management. Alex constantly deepens his knowledge in various technological areas and shares it in his articles. He helps programmers overcome common challenges and stay updated with the latest web development trends.