We’ve all heard about social commerce. Facebook and Twitter have become popular social media outlets for online shoppers. But did you know that 63% of online shoppers use Facebook to do their shopping? Don Brett, a global chief digital officer at NBG Home and a notable eCommerce influencer, shared a report from Kantar on the state of the eCommerce industry. This report highlights the importance of social commerce. Here are some trends to consider as you start incorporating social media into your online store.
Social Commerce
If you’re planning to use Facebook to sell products online, you need to partner with a trusted agency like Bing digital. And you’ve probably heard of social commerce. This type of online shopping relies on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to connect people in real-time. Facebook’s Ads Manager provides support for building campaigns and offers advice for finding new audiences and retargeting old ones. Ultimately, social commerce provides a variety of benefits for eCommerce companies and the brands they serve.
One popular social commerce platform is WeChat, a popular social media app in China. It allows merchants to host their virtual storefront on the platform and functions as a one-stop-shop for eCommerce. Social commerce can fill a void in the eCommerce process, where consumers often go online without a purchase intent. Social media platforms are a great way for consumers to discover products and make purchase decisions.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is gaining traction with consumers. Compared to conventional shopping methods, it can give shoppers an immersive experience by presenting an object in a realistic, 3D environment. Augmented reality can be used to help bridge this gap, thereby allowing consumers to understand a product better. As an added benefit, this technology can also help retailers boost conversion rates and boost organic rankings. Listed below are some of the benefits that augmented reality can bring to eCommerce.
Markerless AR: Using a smartphone camera, AR overlays a virtual image or effect over a real scene. This method is most prevalent in the home decor industry, where users can hold a phone up to a fixed point in the room and view furniture in 3D. Wayfair uses this technology to provide customers with a virtual representation of the items they’re looking at. The result is an increased sense of purchase confidence and a higher-order conversion rate.
Live Video Shopping
Ecommerce companies are embracing live video shopping as a powerful tool to grow their businesses. With 70 percent of the U.S. population using social media, Facebook dominates the list, with 2.9 billion active users. Live commerce streams help brands reach a wider audience with a smaller production budget. Instead of relying on celebrity influencers to promote their products, they’re turning to niche experts to increase the brand’s visibility.
Live video shopping allows consumers to ask questions and get help from store clerks. In addition to removing the hassle of long queues, it allows retailers to highlight specific product benefits, offer discount codes, and engage consumers in real-time. While live shopping may not be for everyone, it certainly shows promise for the eCommerce industry. Creating an enjoyable shopping experience is crucial to keeping up with the changing world. And the ability to reach consumers in real-time through live video has become even more important in today’s world of healthcare.
Conversational Commerce
The use of chatbots, AI, and RPA to enhance the customer experience is called conversational commerce. This method of shopping helps brands improve their average revenue per user by providing more personalized services. The process of conversational commerce includes personalization, decision support, and convenience. To understand how it works, let us look at an example. In a department store, a salesperson cannot answer every question about the headphones they’re about to purchase. But through conversational commerce, the customer is able to get answers to their questions and purchase gifts on time.
A new form of commerce has come into the spotlight with the rise of chatbots. These bots are designed to interact with customers through messaging apps. Chatbots have long been a part of customer service, but they are now branching out into selling. Leading brands are taking advantage of this new way of selling and consumers are responding positively. Messina, a co-founder of Uber, first coined the term “conversational commerce.” He explained that consumers are increasingly using messaging apps to engage with businesses, from making purchases to reading reviews.
