In 2015, Uber CEO Chris Messina conceived the term conversational commerce to explain the intersectionality of messaging apps and shopping. In the years since, conversational commerce has increasingly been utilized by businesses as part of their constantly evolving marketing strategies. However, the phrase “conversational commerce” itself encompasses a broad idea that can be executed in a variety of ways. Here are five ways that your business can improve its customer outreach with conversational commerce.

Chatbots on social media platforms and websites

While browsing through your company’s website or social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram, customers may have further questions regarding a product or service. Having a chatbot on your most utilized sites can help answer questions, navigate customers through your site and give your consumers easy 24/7 customer service access. According to Finances Online, 53% of customers prefer to shop with companies that they can message. Not only do chatbots make the consumer experience easier than ever, but they’ll save time and effort for your customer service and sales representatives. Chatbots can answer easy questions for them and organize their queries by specific type, such as products or navigation.

Messaging apps

Messaging apps can be used in the same vein as chatbots; however, they add a human element of customer service that chatbots otherwise lack. They especially differ when consumers have more specific, detailed questions that chatbots aren’t programmed to answer. In cases like these, chatting with an online representative through your company’s messaging apps will ensure your consumers receive more faster-paced answers than contacting through email or phone.

Voice technology

As technology advances, so do alternative means to assist your customers. Companies like Amazon and Google have released products such as Amazon Echo and Google Home to make shopping even easier. They allow their consumers to interact with their brand in a more casual, everyday fashion. For example, if a potential customer wanted to buy a product from Amazon, all they would need to do is converse with Amazon Echo’s voice feature, Alexa, which allows purchases to be made with voice commands.

As technology expands, so do the different ways to buy a product. The one constant in a buyer’s journey is the consumer’s need for easy access to making a purchase. Conversational commerce is one of the biggest marketing trends of 2022 because it provides multiple shortcuts on the road to making a purchase.