B2B E-commerce sales

[Shopclicks]

if I'm searching for something, it is generally in front of a PC...

If you use Google on your PC you can use voice search. Try it, you might like it

 

[johndon68]

If you use Google on your PC you can use voice search. Try it, you might like it

Only if I had a microphone of some sort...

 

[Jess_shopmate]

After the excitement of ChatGPT launch and everyone having a play usage is already dropping as many have discovered is not as good as expected. Use of the AI technology that drives ChatGPT is increasing but that’s not what you are offering.

As an aside, do you recall everyone saying how voice search was going to transform everything. It never happened.

Send me a link to your site in a PM and I will have a play.

Hi @fisicx,

Appreciated! I just dropped you a PM with the links and look forward to your feedback!

With ChatGPT, I believe we are still in the early stages, which means many use cases, like the one I'm working on, are yet to be validated. Meanwhile, the technology is advancing at an incredible pace and is continually improving. I personally use ChatGPT every single day now to support my work, much like a personal assistant. ?

 

[Jess_shopmate]

Unlike the above, and as a non-techy, I think that this will become reality, and that some e-retailers will embed ChatGPT in their platforms.

Time will tell whether it rolls out or is just a flash in the pan.

Critically, most of the platforms who do it will buy it from savvy sales organisations who present direct benefits in plain (if not necessarily honest) English.

It's all about the outcome, not the tech.

Hi Mark, I appreciate your comment. I agree. We are still in the process of figuring out the most "plain" English that resonates with people. Are you referring to terms such as "increase order completion x%, sales conversion, reduce drop-off rate?

 

[Jess_shopmate]

@Jess_shopmate You should also look at selling this from an Accessibility angle. The council sites I've built use the ReciteMe plugin. It's extremely good at what it does.
If you were to add voice control and audio response, could you add a prompt like 'read description' for the visually impaired?

Thanks @Shopclicks, that's definitely an interesting angle!

 

[japancool]

Hi Mark, I appreciate your comment. I agree. We are still in the process of figuring out the most "plain" English that resonates with people. Are you referring to terms such as "increase order completion x%, sales conversion, reduce drop-off rate?

This:

Regarding your previous question about 'Why B2B?' - I'm still in the process of validation. However, one advantage of B2B is that the value proposition for e-commerce store owners is a one-click integration of a tool that is already integrated with ChatGPT, its product catalogue, and store-specific information (such as FAQs and on-site reviews). This means the 'assistant' is more tailored to the specific shop. B2C could be interesting too, like an aggregator, and smarter search - however, Microsoft's New Bing is already doing that.

Isn't a value point. Business owners don't particularly care about this, as long as you're not talking about integration running into the thousands.

What they want to know is - is it going to make me more revenue?

 

[Jess_shopmate]

This:


Isn't a value point. Business owners don't particularly care about this, as long as you're not talking about integration running into the thousands.

What they want to know is - is it going to make me more revenue?

Makes sense! Would offering a free trial help businesses to test the product effortlessly?

 

[japancool]

Makes sense! Would offering a free trial help businesses to test the product effortlessly?

Possibly, but the free trial would have to be for a sensible period of time, and provide analytics that the owner could use to check performance.

 

[Jess_shopmate]

Possibly, but the free trial would have to be for a sensible period of time, and provide analytics that the owner could use to check performance.

Good point! What about a month of trial?

 

[japancool]

Good point! What about a month of trial?

Sounds about right. Make it 30 days so someone who signs up in Feb doesn't get gypped.

 

[Jess_shopmate]

Sounds about right. Make it 30 days so someone who signs up in Feb doesn't get gypped.

Great idea!

 

[Fagin2021]

I can see how this could work if done properly…

Your examples were poor because, as people have said, you’re trying to replace a website search box, filter or extended menu. The examples dealt with a transaction search – “I want to buy a pair of black brogues, size 9” – easily handled by a search box or filter.

However, for a lot of purchases – especially high-value, complex ones – the shopper will use information searches to narrow the options before a transaction search. You can see this in action on Review Sites – “The Ten Best Widgets in 2023” – with an affiliate link attached to each one.

One of the pleasures of shopping (not for @fisicx, obviously) is discussing your potential purchase and getting advice from an expert. That’s the job of a personal shopper or canny sales assistant.

Example:

Shopper Query: “Callaway Golf Drivers”

Bot: “Let me take you to our selection of Callaway Drivers. When we get there I will, if you wish, give you some useful advice about selecting the right driver for you.”

Shopper: Ok

Bot: Here we are. What driver are you thinking about ?

Shopper: The Callaway Pro

Bot: May I ask what your handicap is ?

Shopper: 14

Bot: Many golfers with handicaps in the teens find the Pro driver a little difficult to control. May I suggest you look at the Callaway Intermediate. It’s higher loft face takes a little off the distance but you’ve a better chance of keeping the ball on the fairway.

And so on – the sort of conversation you might have with the Club Professional.

Add on Sales…

Rather than the usual ‘people who bought this masonry drill also bought a can of spam and a cake whisk’…

Bot: Before you check out you might like to know we have a special offer this month on Titleist golf balls.

Now, I don’t know if this sort of thing is practical with AI but it doesn’t seem that hard.

The trick will be to keep the conversation relevant, friendly and non-salesy.

 

[japancool]

Bot: Many golfers with handicaps in the teens find the Pro driver a little difficult to control. May I suggest you look at the Callaway Intermediate. It’s higher loft face takes a little off the distance but you’ve a better chance of keeping the ball on the fairway.

It ain't for the likes of you, kiddo!

 

[Fagin2021]

It ain't for the likes of you, kiddo!

I can see what your problem is. You're standing too close to the ball. After you've hit it.

 

[Jess_shopmate]

I can see how this could work if done properly…

Your examples were poor because, as people have said, you’re trying to replace a website search box, filter or extended menu. The examples dealt with a transaction search – “I want to buy a pair of black brogues, size 9” – easily handled by a search box or filter.

However, for a lot of purchases – especially high-value, complex ones – the shopper will use information searches to narrow the options before a transaction search. You can see this in action on Review Sites – “The Ten Best Widgets in 2023” – with an affiliate link attached to each one.

One of the pleasures of shopping (not for @fisicx, obviously) is discussing your potential purchase and getting advice from an expert. That’s the job of a personal shopper or canny sales assistant.

Example:

Shopper Query: “Callaway Golf Drivers”

Bot: “Let me take you to our selection of Callaway Drivers. When we get there I will, if you wish, give you some useful advice about selecting the right driver for you.”

Shopper: Ok

Bot: Here we are. What driver are you thinking about ?

Shopper: The Callaway Pro

Bot: May I ask what your handicap is ?

Shopper: 14

Bot: Many golfers with handicaps in the teens find the Pro driver a little difficult to control. May I suggest you look at the Callaway Intermediate. It’s higher loft face takes a little off the distance but you’ve a better chance of keeping the ball on the fairway.

And so on – the sort of conversation you might have with the Club Professional.

Add on Sales…

Rather than the usual ‘people who bought this masonry drill also bought a can of spam and a cake whisk’…

Bot: Before you check out you might like to know we have a special offer this month on Titleist golf balls.

Now, I don’t know if this sort of thing is practical with AI but it doesn’t seem that hard.

The trick will be to keep the conversation relevant, friendly and non-salesy.

Hi @Fagin2021 ,

Thank you so much for your comments and really like your example!

What's cool about AI shopping assistants is that they can know a whole bunch about many different areas, and they can scale it up quickly. Plus, we can train them even more using specific private data, like store-specific info.

Now, the challenge, as you and others pointed out, is getting people to think "chat to search/discover". That's a whole new behavior to learn. But, just like how I didn't use to use any bot to help me with my work, and now I lean on ChatGPT/AI for my daily tasks in just a few months, I think people can adapt to a shopping assistant too.

I'm totally with you on your last point - if we can nail this, a friendly, smart, knowledgeable, non-salesy, always-there shopping assistant could be the way we all shop in the future!

 

[Paul Carmen]

I'd be happy to have a look at in action, we work with customers in the ecommerce world, plus B2C and B2B leads where some sort of assistant would be useful, rather than relying on FAQs or live chat.

 

[Jess_shopmate]

I'd be happy to have a look at in action, we work with customers in the ecommerce world, plus B2C and B2B leads where some sort of assistant would be useful, rather than relying on FAQs or live chat.

Thank you @Paul Carmen, I'll PM you for the details.