April 12, 2022
There are a lot of advantages to running a business online. The overheads are lower, and you don't have to worry about finding the best possible site. However, not having face-to-face interactions with customers has its downside. It's harder to build trust, which means that there's no room for error.
Therefore, it makes sense to take every step possible to boost your company's efficiency. And now, thanks to artificial intelligence, you could do that cost-effectively.
In this post, we look for ways to improve your ecommerce business's efficiency using AI. We'll also take a brief look at how you can pass these solutions over to outsourcing professionals you work with.
Your first step is to see whether AI can suggest improvements to your processes. Simply feed the information into the program, and it can make recommendations for improvement. You can use this in just about every section of your business, from billing to sales.
The advantage here is that you get an unbiased opinion. AI has no stake in the outcome, nor does it have preconceived ideas. You might look at the process thinking it's as efficient as possible, not realising you have inherent biases.
Algorithms also don't factor in things like feelings. Therefore, you'll get a clinical assessment of the situation. You need to consider the recommendations and see which ones are worth implementing.
At the very least, it'll get you thinking differently about your workflows.
Customer service is the one area where you can still differentiate yourself. It's becoming so critical that standard service isn't enough anymore. You can't afford for one of your consultants to have a headache or off day. You also can't afford your consultants to make mistakes or give the wrong advice.
Unfortunately, when dealing with humans, that's something that's always going to be an issue. However, you need AI to mitigate the risk.
You can use chatbots to provide 24/7 support. The main advantage of these bots is that they work within their programming. Therefore, they provide consistent answers. They also maintain the same tone all the time.
The downside of using bots is that they can't handle complex queries. If you need help in this area, you’ll need to partner with a team like, https://supportyourapp.com/ecommerce-customer-service-outsourcing. Outsourcing’s a convenient way for you to get access to the expertise you need.
AI can handle tedious tasks that tend to bore human employees. These tasks can range from simple data capturing to answering customer queries online. They can also automate many tasks to make your employees' lives easier.
For example, they can acknowledge the receipt of a query from your client. They can give the customer an idea of when they'll get an answer. They automatically escalate the query to the right department. Finally, they can send reminders as necessary.
The upside of automating these tasks is that it frees your human consultants up for more interesting work. They don't feel as rushed during the day or as bored and should be more satisfied. This should increase productivity.
The modern consumer expects more from companies. They're blase about generic email blasts, and so are likely to form a negative impression if you send these.
Consumers are more sophisticated and realise that there's enough information out there for companies to personalise their efforts. This goes beyond simply greeting a customer by name. You need to also provide them with relevant marketing and discounts where applicable.
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool from seven angles here. For starters, it can draw information from several systems to create a highly accurate profile of each customer. It can then make recommendations as to what marketing, resources, and deals might appeal to the client.
Your chatbot can deliver personalised recommendations to your client online or suggest resources. It can also categorise customers together so you can create a marketing campaign. It can also adjust existing campaigns to appeal to a different audience.
AI uses its awesome data-processing power to deliver actionable insights. It can forecast peak periods, identify the best time to advertise, and even suggest the optimal advertising spend for each platform.
AI can help you find candidates by running online searches of professional job boards and other internet sites. It can also sort through resumes based on the criteria you need, saving you time here.
When you have your shortlist, AI can schedule the interviews. When you hire a candidate, your virtual assistant can handle the onboarding process.
With an online business, your employees don't deal much with customers. However, there are still many things you may need to teach them. An AI-based system can develop the relevant materials, assess how your employees are progressing, and make adjustments.
It can create a dynamic course that allows them more practice in areas they're battling with.
These are just some of the ways that AI can help you improve your ecommerce business. Some of these are simple automation or communication tools, while others are more complex training tools. We've barely scratched the surface of what AI can do.
Now, it's time for you to take a deep dive into the world of artificial intelligence and choose the tools that make the most sense for your company.
