Source: reddit.com So, if you are like me, you were initially inspired by and his vision about . Then you read the and the article by and start using the term conversational commerce. When about how messaging apps are bigger than social networks was published, you knew that something big was coming. Conversational commerce is here. Golden Krishna no interfaces first second Chris Messina Business Insider’s report Source: Endless Origami Obviously, you and i weren’t the only ones to see this coming. 2 years ago Facebook paid and bought a text messaging service that transmits SMS volume combined. Since then, almost all of the top tech giants have invested in the space either by acquiring companies ( for example) or by introducing their own services ( again, , ). Conversational commerce is everywhere. $22 billion for WhatsApp 50% more text messages than the global Google Facebook Microsoft IBM Source: activate.com … And for those that are still skeptical assuming this is a fad, limited in the U.S. market, the case of WeChat in China is the proof for the opposite. With more than and an astonishing average revenue per user of USD 7 per year (ARPU) WeChat is the beacon for those interested to build the consumer experience of the future . Literally everywhere 800 million monthly active users Source : activate.com Of course, the first implementations are not as good as we would all like them to be (it has been really hard to find a single chatbot that is a good product, to be precise) but this is rather not the point. We all remember how awful the first websites were to look at or how awkward our first interactions with mobile apps were. With custom design work( wrote an insightful ) and clear value propositions, we will see rapid changes. Sorry, I don't understand what you are saying. Daniel Eckler article . I have been building viable retail businesses both offline and online ( ) for the last 17 years, I am the co-founder of a cool startup that helps offline retailers to increase foot traffic ( ) and, as you can guess, I cannot stop thinking how valuable these tools can be for retailers. This is gold mine for retailers Sportmania liateR I believe that for retailers to stay relevant they need to create new shopping experiences. Now we have a huge opportunity to create an engaging shopping experience that fits perfectly to the lifestyle of the new generation of consumers. The millennials , who expect to buy anything at anypoint at time and in the most convenient way, should be our target audience. Retailers and fashion brands like , , , , , along with startups like , , , , have already start working towards this vision. Spring Sephora eBay H&M Tommy Hilfiger Burbery Maia Operator Mezi Fify ChatShopper Source: Maia, your own personal shoe adviser. My point is that we should not stop just at making chatbots and limit the experience to the online world. In order to maximize the benefits, we should introduce engaging conversations inside physical locations and connect them with our entire omni-channel strategy. This should only be the first step. . The merits of implementing an omni-channel strategy are now clear to every retailer out there. Consumers have a than those who shop using only one channel, they than traditional shoppers and they are more . Omni-channel should be the path to follow 30% higher life time value spend 15%-30% more loyal Essentially, I believe that . The goal should be to build conversations that can start in your living room, continue while you are going to work, and flourish inside your favorite store. we should be creating conversational engines for omni-channel retail , “your own personal shoe adviser” is the only solution that I know of, currently working towards this approach. If you know or working on anything similar or you just want to discuss this concept further, please contact me. Maia
