Conversational Commerce: Trend or Revolution?
Last update: 29 January 2025 at 09:24 am
5.00/5The days when we had to drive to the store ourselves to get a desired product are long gone.
E-commerce has long since become a companion to our everyday lives, and it is by no means standing still. Websites impress with exciting features such as parallax scrolling, there are special shopping apps for uncomplicated shopping via smartphone and, as a more recent innovation, conversational commerce is now joining the ranks.
This new type of marketing focuses on the interaction between user and seller. It involves messaging apps as well as social platforms that potential customers already use anyway. In this way, the shopping experience is made as convenient as possible. Reason enough why conversational commerce is in all likelihood not just a passing trend, but a constant further development of e-commerce.
What is Conversational Commerce?
At the beginning of e-commerce, there were only the websites of online companies through which one could purchase products or services. Subsequently, technical progress brought with it the apps, which made handling on mobile devices much more user-friendly.
Conversational commerce now represents the next stage of evolution. An era is beginning in which we can no longer store only via the website or the app, but also via messenger services such as WhatsApp, social media platforms, or voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa.
This new form of marketing is all about dialog, the conversation between potential customers and sellers. This development is only natural; after all, these are Internet services that are already used by a large part of the population. So why not profitably combine this with e-commerce?
With conversational commerce, however, it is not primarily a matter of being able to conclude a purchase via the tool; the special feature starts much earlier: customers should be able to get in touch with the online store via WhatsApp and the like, establish a connection, get advice, ask questions, and then only in the final step also make the purchase decision.
The concept of conversational commerce was introduced by Chris Messina. The then Uber driver published an article on this topic in 2015.
C-Commerce as a Special Form of E-Commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) represents the generic term for digital buying or selling. C-commerce, or conversational commerce, is a special sub-form of this. C-commerce is therefore a part of e-commerce, and reviewing platforms like fsd global e commerce reviews can provide insights into various e-commerce strategies.
How Do I Operate Conversational Commerce?
Conversational commerce is about optimizing the entire customer journey by providing users with quick information about products or services at any time. There are a few different options you can base this on. One effective strategy is to work with a branding agency in Dubai to enhance your brand’s presence.
Example of Conversational Commerce
Let’s use a simple example to illustrate the function of conversational commerce: Let’s assume a user is browsing in an online bookstore and finds the desired copy. However, he would prefer to have the product in hardcover instead of paperback format. Since he cannot find this option directly on the website, he clicks on the chat icon, which starts WhatsApp.
There, the user describes his request and receives positive feedback that the product is available with a hardcover. The link to the product is sent and the user is asked whether he wants to purchase it. Upon confirmation, the customer is sent another link in Messenger with the payment request. The entire purchase process can therefore be handled via the communication tool.
Conclusion on Conversational Commerce
As the example illustrates very well, conversational commerce is the ideal complement to Iherm’s already existing online store. Through artificial intelligence, you can not only take your company’s communication to the next level, but also be present in the popular messaging services.
