Livestreaming shopping
Social commerce and live streaming are combined in livestream shopping. Influencers and brands livestream to highlight goods and services by using their social media followings. Customers can communicate with each other and the brand during the broadcast via a chatbox and buy the featured products. While you're still in the comfort of your home, the experience is comparable to shopping in a store with store employees answering your queries.
Trends in livestream shopping
In China, livestream e-commerce is hugely popular, and it's starting to catch on in the US. According to the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival report, livestream sales reached $6 billion in 2020, which is twice the amount of the previous year's event sales. According to research, livestreaming revenues in China will reach $446 billion in 2022, or 15% of all online sales.
Livestream shopping overcomes obstacles
Shopping through a live stream is engaging. A livestream shows the product to a customer when they are unable to make an in-person purchase or do not have access to a nearby retail location. They can ask questions of the influencers or companies through the chat feature, just like they would a retail employee.
Live broadcasting occasionally has a contrived feel to it. One that includes shopping requires interaction with customers, which makes for a more personal and genuine purchasing experience.
Dermalogica is an example of a livestreaming brand.
Dermalogica, a skincare company, uses Facebook Live shopping to show off its products. Customers enquired about the use of their products and the summer skin care necessities that were the theme of the discussion.
How to launch a livestream ecommerce business
Multiple platforms provide livestream shopping. As part of its ecommerce capabilities, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest all either already have livestream functionality or are actively testing them.
Commerce in conversation
Selling products and services to a customer using a chat or messaging network is known as conversational commerce. Imagine speaking with a company on Facebook Messenger. Without requiring you to leave the platform, they respond to your inquiries about a product and streamline the purchasing process. When done one-on-one, conversational commerce is much more interactive and individualised.
In addition to conversational commerce conducted via text, there is voice shopping. Another illustration of conversational commerce is having a natural discussion with your Amazon Echo or Google Home that ends in a purchase.
Trends in conversational commerce
A survey on live chat found that 52% of customers are more inclined to stick with a business that offers it and that 41% of customers prefer to utilise live chat as a support channel. The other end of the chat does not necessarily need to be a live person. 40% of customers don't mind if the chat is conducted by a human or a bot as long as their question is answered. This is significant because live chats do need a significant time and financial commitment.
Conversational commerce overcomes difficulties
The "always on" nature of conversational commerce benefits your brand. A more frictionless purchasing experience is provided to customers when they receive a tailored shopping experience. You may direct questions to the appropriate individuals and remain accessible to your customers at all times with the aid of a chatbot.
Example of a conversational commerce brand: Gymshark
Gymshark, a retailer of athletic wear, utilises a Messenger bot to make it simple for consumers to track the status of their orders, raise problems, and make refunds. By automating these typical situations, the support crew has more time to focus on more complex client difficulties.
How to start a conversation about business
First, rally your social teams. Because conversational commerce is consistent with your social strategy, your social media managers are probably leading the way in terms of client engagements. They can quickly customise next encounters because they have probably already amassed knowledge about their contacts with clients.
On your website, you can employ a variety of live chat services. Use a solution like Sprout to construct a customer care chatbot within Facebook Messenger or Twitter DMs if you'd like to do so.
Conclusion
In the upcoming year, there are a number of ecommerce trends to watch out for. To offer better brand experiences and more seamless consumer journeys, new technology is being developed. Ecommerce developments that are advantageous to both the user and the business include social commerce, augmented reality, livestream shopping, and conversational commerce. The future of buying is personalised. By conducting interviews to create your social commerce strategy, go ahead of the curve.
Source: online selling platform
