With more people shopping online, it’s no surprise many brands are rethinking the online shopping experience to make the journey to purchase as seamless as possible.
Over the past few months, my team has noticed that businesses are embracing solutions that allow for quick and effortless conversational commerce, where people and businesses connect through chat or voice assistance to purchase goods or services.
Conversational commerce is viral across Southeast Asia, where 70 million more people have become digital consumers since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began.
Recent META consumer research also shows that nearly 50 per cent of holiday shoppers are more likely to buy if they can message with a business.
I believe the time is now for brands that have yet to introduce messaging options into their communications strategy. But for those who are just getting started, it may feel daunting. To help, I’m sharing stories of businesses that have used the chat to help streamline customer communications, simplify the customer journey and help drive sales.
Conversational commerce helps businesses communicate at scale
Take the story of Snigdha Dalal, who launched her business Bihu Collection in 2017. She sells traditional textiles and weaves with the intent of closing prominent gender gaps she witnessed over the years. Recently, Snigdha had to close her physical store due to the pandemic
. Undeterred, she overcame this setback by pivoting to an online business model, depending on e-traffic for sales. During this period, WhatsApp played a crucial role, allowing Dalal to reach customers beyond her geographical limitations, with timely responses provided through the “auto-replies” feature.
Hence, not only has WhatsApp allowed her business to stay in contact with loyal customers, but it has also opened up doors for an international audience.
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99 per cent of her customers reached and interacted with the brand through WhatsApp, and she also witnessed an 80 per cent increase in sales conversion rate on inquiries through the platform.
Because of the convenience and efficiency of conversational commerce, we’ve seen various businesses adopt messaging solutions such as Messenger, Instagram direct, and Whatsapp business to chat with customers on platforms they already use and are familiar with.
This has been especially useful for small businesses to help them build connections with customers at scale.
Conversational commerce helps businesses simplify the purchase journey
As brands gear up for the busy and competitive year-end shopping season, they’re likely hard at work discussing how best to reach their customers and provide them with an excellent online ordering experience.
Recently, we’ve observed how businesses are using conversational commerce channels to bring them closer to customers, eliminating friction along the customer journey.
A great example of this comes from Alyn Tapis, an Indonesian business founded by Novita Ria and sells beautiful handmade souvenirs and modern fashion products made out of Tapis — a traditional Indonesian fabric.
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To adapt to the global pandemic, Novita has modernised the company’s approach to customer care. She quickly realised that online platforms are a convenient and effective way for customers to access their catalogues and purchase their products.
With the simple inclusion of a WhatsApp button on her website, Novita directly directed her customers straight to WhatsApp, providing them with a seamless shopping experience.
As a result, 85 per cent of customers reached and interacted with the brand through Whatsapp, with a 55 per cent sales conversion rate on enquiries and a 55 per cent repeat order rate.
Conversational commerce helps businesses drive sales
Much like how in-store visitors interact with staff members, conversational commerce provides opportunities for instant interaction online that can help a shopper make a purchase decision in real-time.
In the Philippines, Niño owns Cool Breeze Transient – Baguio City, which offers accommodation to tourists. During the lockdowns throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Niño shifted from a transient house model with daily rates to a short-term rental model to sustain the business.
He began posting updates to Facebook and found he could grow brand awareness and connect with future guests.
Today, 80 per cent of his bookings come from Facebook, and he’s earned a 50 per cent conversion rate from inquiries he receives via Messenger.
Another great example is Flow Athletic in Australia, which Benjamin and Kate founded in 2013. It is a fitness centre that offers classes to help people achieve their fitness goals or be healthy.
During the pandemic, they used Messenger to conduct personal training with the members since they couldn’t meet them face to face.
This also helped Flow Athletic grow from a local brand to an international one. As a result, 40 per cent of their sales are now generated through Messenger and other Meta products.
In my experience, shopping– especially year-end holiday shopping– whether online or in-store, can be a hectic and frustrating experience. But when shoppers can ask questions about the products they’re interested in, receive advice about choosing the correct item, and gain assurance that their online purchase will arrive in time for the festive period, they leave the conversation with confidence and peace of mind.
These interactions deepen the customer connection with a brand, build consumer trust, simplify the customer journey, and help drive sales.
Conversational commerce provides a win-win situation for both shoppers and businesses – and especially for SMBs. By embracing messaging platforms, even small businesses can improve customer satisfaction, scale their services and achieve growth.
This is precisely the kind of holiday magic I hope all brands can conjure this year.
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