Product Recommendations & Engagement That Convert 10x More Online Shoppers

In the ever-changing landscape of online commerce, staying ahead with innovative solutions is essential for meeting consumer demands. This article will provide an update on our latest developments in artificial intelligence for e-commerce. We’re excited to introduce two new features, Product Discovery and AI Conversation Starters, that are designed to deliver more personalized product recommendations and engage consumers right from the homepage. We’ll explore how this innovation enables businesses to provide tailored advice and suggestions to shoppers that foster more engaging interactions, setting the stage for a new era in e-commerce.

Why Your Conversational Commerce Strategy Needs Smart Product Recommendations 

The Importance of Going Beyond Basic Information Finding

Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans (73%) shop online several times each month, particularly because of the  convenience, competitive pricing, and broad selection offered by e-commerce. Despite this large volume, 97% of shopping journeys still fail (Adobe). Evidently, the online shopping experience is far from perfect, lacking the level of personalization and seamlessness necessary to drive conversion.

From first search to post-purchase, there are many barriers in the digital buying journey that deter potential customers. Nearly 80% of users leave an e-commerce site because they can’t find what they’re looking for using the search bar.

Your Customers Want Generative AI-Backed Shopping Experiences 

To improve conversion rates, retailers must adopt innovative strategies to sustain consumer interest and steer them towards completing their purchases.

Often, purchasing hesitation arises from difficulty locating desired products, causing site visitors to abandon their carts. Implementing a conversational approach—where a messaging window pops up offering assistance—provides a direct and engaging way to support customers, reassure them about their selections, and encourage them to follow through on their purchases. This straightforward tactic proves to be highly effective in reducing cart abandonment.

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence technology, online businesses now have powerful virtual assistants to scale their delivery of personalized ecommerce customer experiences. According to a consumer perception study we conducted with Ipsos, 74% of American shoppers want this technology to help them find accurate product information, and 68% want it to give them a product recommendation based on their criteria. Features like these are what differentiates generative AI and makes it such a valuable asset in enhancing the digital buying journey.

A virtual assistant, or copilot, that accompanies every website visitor is already a reality with Trusted Generative AI—a secure, reliable, and compliant solution designed for e-commerce businesses. The Trusted Generative AI-powered iAdvize Copilot™ provides consumers with personalized assistance and product suggestions.

Product Discovery: Recommendations & Advice Augmented by Generative AI

Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, and its ecommerce applications, it’s now possible to automate high-quality conversational experiences. This technology is capable of managing conversations with customers around the clock, addressing inquiries about things like product details, FAQs, and delivery conditions, and automating up to 75% of customer interactions.

Our latest innovation, Product Discovery, plays a crucial role in this advancement. The new feature enables our iAdvize Copilot™ chatbot to recommend products to site visitors. Now, retailers’ Copilots act as experts on their products, providing suggestions tailored to the unique preferences of all shoppers based on context clues.

Before, the online product search experience could feel like navigating a maze. E-commerce sites often relied on traditional communication modes like phone or email, or legacy chatbots with many hoops to jump through before getting a response, processes that are tiresome and discouraging to consumers.

The introduction of generative artificial intelligence has altered this scenario where personalized product suggestions that align with customer needs are now automated, streamlining the shopping experience on your site and reducing the often overwhelming impact to your frontline customer service teams. 

Online Product Search Made Easy 

With the Product Discovery feature, your website’s Copilot will interact with customers through three key phases:

• Discovery Phase: The bot will ask visitors initial questions related to budget, size, usage, and preferences to better understand their specific needs.
• Recommendation Phase: Once it has gathered enough context, the Copilot will suggest products that meet the criteria outlined by the customer, and provide additional information on the options offered.
• Confirmation Phase: To avoid disappointment or confusion, the bot will only recommend products that are currently in stock.

Product Recommendation Enhancements

• Personalized Product Ranking 

This feature allows you to shape the algorithm to favor your brand's products, ensuring they are highlighted among other options in your marketplace. You can prioritize in-stock items and push new releases or best-sellers to the top of the list, enhancing visibility and accessibility for customers.

• Need Analysis Optimization 

AI chatbots will soon be capable of greeting website visitors with multiple questions at once, and pick and choose when to ask certain questions based on product availability. 

• Improved Product Suggestions 

Product suggestions are continuously refined to ensure that they are the best match to meet each consumers’ expectations.

Implementing Effective Customer Engagement Strategies

A Reinvented Customer Journey 

Unlike the traditional approach where cross-selling recommendations appear at the end of the buying process, this feature introduces personalized recommendations at the very beginning of the search phase. This marks a significant shift in the customer journey, transforming e-commerce sites into dynamic conversational platforms. 

With the introduction of Product Discovery, conversation becomes the cornerstone of e-commerce interactions.

Next-Gen Engagement: New Ways to Reach Online Consumers 

The interaction a shopper has with a generative AI chatbot has a real influence on their decision to purchase. When bots on e-commerce platforms are able to provide accurate and helpful responses, 65% of shoppers say they complete their online purchase. 

Until now, invitations to talk with bots like these are typically found in a corner of a site page, through a pop-up chat button. We’ve reimagined this format to better showcase the level of quality users will receive from interacting with an AI chatbot, by redesigning notifications to be more dynamic and impactful.

This helps boost engagement and conversion in a couple different ways: 

• It gives shoppers a glimpse of the value they can access on a product page, even before interacting with a Copilot.
• It incorporates an AI Copilot widget that becomes an extension of the e-commerce user interface. As products are discussed in a chat conversation, the site adapts to direct customers to them. 

A New Format for Your Website’s Live Chat Placement

The new ‘AI Conversation Starters’ feature offers shoppers personalized engagement opportunities from the moment they begin their buying journey. This innovative approach informs consumers that useful assistance is readily available by providing question prompts to initiate conversations and demonstrates the practical benefits of generative AI in meeting their needs.

It works by showcasing information tailored to consumers’ interests and criteria on the page, to highlight the value of using our AI Copilot for help in learning about different products in an easy, streamlined way, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

By including the option of adding items to your cart and making payments through this conversational engagement feature, we can start to envision a future in which rich conversation is the new standard for online commerce.

Future Customer Journeys Have Conversation at the Core

E-commerce is entering a new era where conversational search becomes the focal point of the customer journey. By investing in these emerging technologies and adopting a conversational approach, brands can position themselves at the forefront of innovation and offer seamless online shopping experiences that meet the demanding expectations of consumers.

Join over 100 e-commerce brands who’ve successfully deployed generative AI in the past year: