Messaging is part of everyday life for most people. WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram are used daily to exchange messages among friends and with family members. Life and the way people communicate with each other is becoming more digital - a trend that was accelerated by the Corona pandemic.
This revolution in communication is fuelling a new trend in online commerce: Conversational Commerce. But what is Conversational Commerce? How can your company benefit from it?
Here you will find the most important information and interesting facts about Conversational Commerce.
What is Conversational Commerce?
The term Conversational Commerce refers to the overlap between digital communication and shopping. Specifically, it relates to consumer and business interactions via messaging apps, chats or voice technologies.
Online shopping and customer support are no longer limited to a company's website. Customers can chat with companies, ask questions, receive personalized recommendations, read reviews and buy products - all within messaging apps. Consumers interact with employees, a chatbot or a mixture of both.
Conversational Commerce Interesting facts
Messenger are one of the most popular communication channels for people. Several billion messages are sent every day via various messenger services, privately and for business.
According to a Statista survey, WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app worldwide with more than 2 billion users. It is followed by Facebook Messenger with 1.3 billion users. Telegram and Snapchat each have over 500 million active users worldwide. These figures alone show that there is great potential for companies in the area of conversational commerce.
Even if the use of WhatsApp is primarily based on private motives, consumers are increasingly using the messenger to get in touch with companies. In the most frequent cases, it is about questions about the product, the order or possible complaints. This means that conversational commerce is not just about sales, but about the entire customer journey.
Most customers are not only concerned about the product, the service or the company. This is confirmed by a survey by Salesforce: 84 % of consumers feel that the customer experience is just as important as the product itself.
How does Conversational Commerce work?
Conversational Commerce Channels
Conversational Commerce changes the way customers engage with companies. The following communication channels are among the most important:
- Messaging apps
- Website chat
- Chatbots
- Voice assistants
In dialogue with the target group right from the start
Conversational Commerce offers uncomplicated touchpoints and simplifies communication between private individuals and companies. But how exactly does conversational commerce actually work?
From the first contact, to the conclusion of the purchase, to after-sales management - conversational commerce influences and improves the entire customer journey. Conversational Commerce can be used at all stages of the customer journey:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Purchase
- Retention
- Advocacy
Already at the beginning, when prospective customers realize that a certain problem or need exists, companies can offer different channels for easy contact. Instead of letting customers search for the right information for a long time themselves, you as a company offer support already in this phase.
When the customer is ready to make a purchase decision, further information on the process is exchanged or the ordering process is handled directly via Messenger. Consultation-intensive products or services, B2B companies and small businesses benefit from conversational commerce at this point in the customer journey.
Processing payments via Conversational Commerce
Conversational commerce is currently experiencing an enormous upswing. A digital, uncomplicated shopping experience does not stop with the customer's order process. Payment is the point that usually causes the most purchase abandonment and therefore poses the greatest risk of losing customers.
Seamlessly integrating the payment process makes the purchase even easier, reducing the likelihood of losing customers due to a cumbersome payment process. This can be done by sending a payment link, for example. The entire process is geared towards the target group to make purchases faster and with as little effort as possible.
Is Conversational Commerce the future of e-commerce?
New technologies and platforms are influencing not only how people communicate privately, but also how consumers engage with brands. The boundaries between private use of messaging apps and communication with brands are increasingly disappearing. Millennials and Generation Z in particular are increasingly willing to drop the boundaries between personal, business and private communication.
From searching for products, to payment, to tracking delivery, the entire process can be done through platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. This takes digital commerce to a new level of convenience and encourages a customer-centric way of doing business.
Advantages of Conversational Commerce
With Conversational Commerce you offer your target group a convenient, uncomplicated and personal shopping experience. But it's not just consumers who benefit from this new way of online commerce; it can also improve business goals:
Lower order abandonment rates
Customers are often deterred by the need to create an account, high shipping costs or a confusing ordering process. In this case, conversational commerce via a web chat improves the customer experience, supports prospective customers in the ordering process and thus leads to lower abandonment rates.
Collect customer feedback
Collecting feedback during conversations with customers is easier than using traditional surveys. In direct dialogue with your target group, via WhatsApp or other messengers, you can easily collect feedback. Evaluation reminders are sent to customers via text message without much effort.
Up-selling and cross-selling
Up-selling and cross-selling strategies can give you the chance to improve your bottom line by selling more to existing customers. Through webchat, WhatsApp or other channels, customers are informed about other relevant or complementary products.
Improve customer loyalty
By offering your customers exactly the communication channels they use privately, you create trust. With conversational commerce, you accompany your target group through all the steps of the customer journey and thus improve the relationship with your clientele in the long term.
Conversational Commerce with Superchat
Take your online presence to the next level. Superchat's messaging platform offers the most important conversational commerce channels for your business: WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Webchat, Email and SMS.
With Superchat, you can use WhatsApp 100% DSGVO-compliant, with multiple users and end devices for communication with your customers. In this way, you offer your target group a modern and uncomplicated customer journey.
All functions of Superchat at a glance
- All communication channels in one inbox
- WhatsApp Business 100% DSGVO-compliant and with multiple users
- Webchat widget for your website
- Create message templates and out of office notes
- Assign incoming messages
- Add internal notes to conversations
- Manage and track online reviews
Would you like to use Superchat? Do you have questions about our product? Contact us easily and without obligation here via WhatsApp, or send us an email at hello@superchat.uk.