Gone are the days when simply switching from a brick-and-mortar store to an E-commerce store was considered a significant change in the business model. Thanks to the power of AI in E-commerce - the flavor of the year - the influx of new technology has entirely changed the traditional purchasing experience.
According to eMarketer, worldwide retail E-commerce sales have exceeded $5 trillion for the first time in 2022, accounting for over one-fifth of total retail sales. Even with slow growth, E-commerce spending is expected to exceed $7 trillion by 2025. And believe it or not, AI will be a big part of it!
When it comes to the E-commerce industry, Artificial intelligence in the E-commerce business relies on the concept of algorithms along with learning technologies, which constitute the framework for automation and so much more.
AI provides an exceptional E-commerce customer & user experience for online retailers while making sensible business solutions based on consumer data. According to Statista, E-commerce enterprises use AI for everything from personalization to forecasting to marketing to fraud detection.
As Guita Blake said, “Today’s smart retailer is engaging in a new era of shopping model, combining the human touch and technology to deliver a more tailored consumer experience.”
The marriage of AI and E-commerce opens up a world of possibilities. But is it worth venturing into?
MarsDevs presents this guide to help you discover the untapped potential of AI in E-commerce.
Let’s take a look!
AI is infiltrating every part of our existence. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from self-checkout cash registers to airport security checks. According to a Gartner survey, the number of firms developing AI has surged by 270% in the last four years. Even so, there are numerous misconceptions concerning all aspects of artificial intelligence.
So, let’s first define AI. A machine's ability to replicate human intelligence is called artificial intelligence (AI). It is a branch of computer science that tries to construct algorithms and systems capable of performing tasks previously solely performed by humans.
It includes implementing deep and machine learning to replicate human movements and picture recognition software. As a result, these machines can learn to transmit personalized content and carry out routine duties.
Artificial intelligence isn't only a fresh technology used for its "cool factor." AI and machine learning provide new chances for E-commerce organizations to provide an optimized consumer experience for online stores.
Machine learning assists the E-commerce business in better meeting clients' needs, from the public-facing site to the logistics of fulfillment. But it goes beyond. Machine learning has the potential to greatly improve the customer's and the company's online buying experience.
It improves the shopping experience for everyone, from product selection to inventory management to security. And this E-commerce evolution through AI is supported by compelling statistics as well! The market for AI-enabled E-commerce is expected to reach $16.8 billion by 2030, rising at a 15.7% CAGR over the next eight years.
Additionally, customer analytics is the most used feature of AI in sales & marketing, with 57% of respondents in the upcoming economies reporting to have implemented AI.
As Azadeh Yazdan said, “AI is an engine poised to drive the future of retail to all-new destinations. The key to success is the ability to extract meaning from big data to solve problems & increase productivity.” That’s 100% true.
AI is becoming an integral part of the retail sector, with many brick-and-mortar enterprises eager to enter the E-commerce market. It additionally fosters interaction and engagement with digital touchpoints.
Today, we've seen firsthand how adopting AI for E-commerce websites can increase sales while also improving operational efficiency and productivity, like:
Crafting unique shopping journeys with AI is at the heart of artificial intelligence in E-commerce content marketing. AI and machine learning develop key user insights from generated customer data based on individual data obtained from each internet user.
For example, Boomtrain analyzes client data from many touchpoints, such as mobile apps, email marketing, and websites, to determine how customers interact online.
AI enables an E-commerce website to recommend products specifically tailored to customers and allows users to search for products using conversational language or visuals as if interacting with someone. This personalization illustrates a limitation of physical stores and demonstrates how AI plays a critical role in increasing online revenue share in the retail business.
Efficient inventory management is about keeping the right number of products on hand to meet market demand while avoiding idle stock. In addition to inventory management, AI enables warehouse management with the assistance of automated robots.
Unlike human personnel, AI robots can store or collect supplies around the clock and immediately transport items for online purchases.
Many E-commerce merchants are already becoming more sophisticated with their AI capabilities in catching attention, and one way widely developing is known as 'conversational commerce.' It is the convergence of the E-commerce sector's visual, audible, textual, and predictive expertise.
Enters AI Chatbots: Your 24/7 Shopping Companions!
Chatbots have taken the E-commerce world by storm and show no signs of slowing down. Experts expect merchants to spend $142 billion on virtual assistants by 2024.
Chatbots can play a variety of functions during the purchasing experience, regardless of whether firms target B2B, D2C, or B2C customers. A recent survey found that 62% of consumers would prefer an online chatbot than wait for a human to answer the phone!
Then there is Predicting Trends: AI's Crystal Ball “ predictive analytics”!
“Predictive personalization has been on the rise with the advent of more sophisticated AI and the ability to harvest and analyze the resulting data quickly,” says Sharad Varshney.
With the ability to anticipate customer behavior and preferences, this revolutionary technology provides businesses with tools to re-engineer customer interactions. Predictive analytics is fueling a fundamental shift in global E-commerce landscapes by creating a more engaging, personalized buying experience.
You may also like MarsDevs’ tips on how to increase E-commerce sales.
E-commerce requires retargeting methods to re-engage customers and enhance conversions. Most e-commerce enterprises are already swamped with unmanageable client data. However, this is a goldmine for improving remarketing and shortening the sales cycle.
That’s where AI enters. AI can analyze data and provide important user insights that can be used to create personalized communications and offers that can be used to retarget potential clients down your sales funnel.
For example, Retargeted.ai uses artificial intelligence to target people who leave your website without completing a purchase. They analyze people's behavior and make clever predictions to determine who is likely to buy. Then, they nail ads every time with AI precision to capture their attention and maximize conversions.
The E-commerce pricing strategy encompasses several elements and inputs, including human competitive analysis and calculations. Pricing choices are based on enormous data sets, making them an ideal application for AI.
PriceShape, for example, offers automated processes that connect internal and competitive prices with inventory data, all in reality. These ongoing updates enable businesses to implement a dynamic pricing plan that is scalable, developing, and tied to specific profit targets.
Then there is AI's Artistry in Customer Profiles. Access to more company and customer data and computing capability enables E-commerce operators to understand their customers better and uncover new patterns than ever before.
"AI systems can explore highly complex and varied options for customer engagement very quickly and continuously optimize their performance as more data becomes available," writes Accenture in an insight. It means marketers can define criteria and then let AI optimize and learn to attain precision.
Take a look at how BMW leverages AI in its marketing plan.
Digital fraud costs E-commerce companies a whopping $20 billion by 2021. Finding effective fraud prevention techniques can substantially impact your company's bottom line.
Fortunately, AI's Shield provides solutions defending against E-commerce frauds! AI models can rapidly generate complicated rules that prevent the potentially disastrous consequences of fraudulent transactions. AI protects businesses from attempted fraud, reducing revenue loss and increasing credit acceptance rates.
AI also has tremendous potential in fostering payment security. AI can improve payment chain procedures by detecting fraud and speeding up risk assessment. Businesses can offer a safe payment experience to their customers by employing AI developments such as facial recognition and two-factor authentication.
So, how does securing payments with AI sentry sound? Quite valuable!
Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize retail and e-commerce by personalizing the customer journey, creating immersive experiences, and streamlining basic tasks such as inventory management. However, adopting AI in E-commerce effectively presents several obstacles for brands.
To offer personalized experiences & suggestions to users, AI in e-commerce significantly relies on data collection and analysis. However, this leads to privacy & security issues.
Businesses must be responsible for customer data, ensuring transparency, consent & secure storage. Adequate safeguards must be in place to protect sensitive client information from data breaches & illegal access.
Inadvertent bias and discrimination may be introduced by AI algorithms employed in e-commerce. These prejudices can present themselves in various ways, including unequal access to products or services based on race, gender, or financial position. Businesses must regularly audit and monitor their AI systems to uncover and eliminate bias.
Retailers can be keen to employ artificial intelligence, but only some clients are. Some people are suspicious and with reason. Others may be put off by the notion of constantly dealing with robots. Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service, exemplifies getting AI right while gaining client trust. The company is open about using AI and client data to power tailored services.
Transparency in AI algorithms and decision-making processes is one of the most important ethical considerations in AI adoption for e-commerce. Transparent AI algorithms improve accountability by allowing organizations to identify and correct potential biases or errors.
Businesses should also be transparent about how their customers' data is used and allow users to control their data and privacy settings. Adhering to ethical data handling standards can increase client trust while mitigating privacy and data security concerns.
AI is emerging as a game-changer in the ever-changing e-commerce environment, transforming firms' operations. Let's examine how e-commerce behemoths like Amazon and Alibaba leverage AI to boost their competitive edge and drive success.
Amazon, recognized for its creativity, uses artificial intelligence-powered Alexa to gauge customer demand and give personalized product recommendations. According to research, Amazon's recommendation engine yields 35% of overall purchases.
Take a look at Cracking the Code: Amazon's AI Recommendations.
Similarly, Alibaba's customer delight secret in the e-commerce business is AI Chatbots. The business has embraced AI helpers such as Tmall Genie and Ali Assistant to acquire a competitive advantage.
Their AI-powered customer support chatbot answers 95% of written and spoken client inquiries.
Furthermore, Alibaba uses AI for smart product recommendations, search optimizations, and efficient delivery route mapping. Following such wild applications, Tractica forecasts that the profit created by AI software's direct and indirect deployment will reach $59.8 billion by 2025!
Now is the time for the already-digitized E-commerce industry to get wiser and foresee trends. And the technologies underlying AI may be the way forward. Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are well-known intelligent voice assistants.
Nearly 32% of consumers in the United States own a smart speaker. This statistic will only rise in the coming years. That means these voice assistants will become more integrated with E-commerce platforms! Then there's AR Magic, elevating e-commerce with AI.
Users no longer need to go shopping in person to see how a piece of furniture, clothing, or jewelry would look. Brands and retailers can now utilize visual AI, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) to allow customers to explore things virtually.
Also, by incorporating AI into their CRM, retailers can develop a more effective sales process. These automatic problem-solving systems will shorten the sales cycle.
Forward-thinking brands and merchants will begin to use advanced AI's real-time data analytics. And, as AI advances, brands will benefit from more effective E-commerce fraud detection and prevention!
Develop your E-commerce platform with MarsDevs!
If you have made it this far, it's time to consider how you intend to integrate artificial intelligence into your E-commerce business. It's not a simple fix, but fret not, and help is coming. In 2023 and beyond, artificial intelligence will play a key role in E-commerce, potentially revolutionizing how sellers conduct their businesses.
AI-powered technologies are emerging to assist E-commerce retailers in managing and expanding their businesses, from chatbots and customer support to product image production and fraud detection. And best of all, businesses of all sizes can leverage this technology to achieve a competitive advantage in the E-commerce industry.
So, are you ready to embark on the journey of seizing tomorrow's E-commerce with AI today? React out to MarsDevs right away!
Artificial intelligence is the engineering and science of creating smart devices and computer programs that understand human intellect and accomplish tasks utilizing that data.
Based on data points such as purchase history, searched items, and browsing behaviors, AI assists E-commerce websites in making relevant and valuable recommendations to their audience. Aside from product recommendations, AI can also be used to develop customized content for various audience categories.
Businesses may now provide individualized experiences to their customers thanks to AI. AI systems uncover patterns and trends in behavior by analyzing customer data, allowing CSMs to personalize their approach to specific clients.
