It seemed like science-fiction, but it is already a reality in many sectors. Artificial intelligence (AI) is an unstoppable market, and it will be difficult to conceive the future without its development. In fact, it is already impossible to understand today's world without intelligent technologies. It makes life easier without many realizing it, even when it comes to online sales. AI in eCommerce is here to stay and to satisfy the eagerness of many companies to stay ahead of their competitors. Aaron Rodriguez, a specialist in finding resources to optimize a business, discusses how eCommerce can improve its operations by bringing AI into the equation.

In the age of omnichannel, eCommerce is now one of the preferred sales channels. In addition, online shopping is a solid alternative that promises to leave traditional systems behind. As a result, online companies are looking for new ways to continue to beat their own brands and improve the reach and performance of their business.

New strategies, models and technologies are capable of optimizing online shopping and enriching the customer experience. This is where the big challenges lie: in fields as diverse as logistics and in eCommerce's ability to get to know users, relate to them and meet their demands.

“If there's one thing eCommerce generates, it's a lot of data,” Rodriguez points out. “The more we know about what consumers are saying and doing at any given moment, the more useful it is for our business. The better that information is managed and the better it is leveraged, the more value it will have.”

In this sense, big data is a great ally of online sellers, who now also have the complicity of AI to streamline the management of this immense amount of data and gain a new space within the eCommerce market. Machine learning, on the other hand, allows systems to be programmed to make automatic decisions based on the analysis of large amounts of data. They identify patterns, learn and convert data into predictions.

According to Rodriguez, there are three main areas that concentrate some of the fundamental challenges for eCommerce companies, which directly affect the needs of consumers, the purchasing process and the more or less efficient delivery model for online orders. One of these is the personalized user experience.

AI in eCommerce helps sellers to deliver personalized shopping experiences thanks to the analysis of customer consumption patterns. The key is the quality of the data available and the ability of each company to examine the data effectively.

It is a matter of knowing consumers better and better, of segmenting the target audience and of establishing profiles that make it possible to design exclusive campaigns and messages for each customer based on their habits and preferences. This includes search history, virtual interactions, purchases and similarities with other customers.

Deep learning is a subcategory of machine learning, a technology that seeks to mimic the human brain, process large-scale data sets and create patterns for decision-making. It recognizes behavioral norms, attitudes, tastes, intentions, preferences and allows personalized and more accurate recommendations.

“eCommerce relies on algorithms, which learn by doing and intuition from experience what the outcome of the buying process will be,” Rodriguez explains. “Companies react earlier and automatically. They optimize the customer's online journey, make it more attractive, more comfortable, and tailored to their real needs.”

Another function of AI applicable to eCommerce is customer service. Again, technologies that mimic the functioning of the human brain come into play, automated computer systems capable of solving problems without the need for human intervention. In this case, AI in eCommerce offers natural language processing systems that are already applied in areas of customer service and sales support, for example, through social networks.

Chatbots are increasingly able to simulate smooth, accurate and natural conversations over the Internet with flesh-and-blood users. They automatically learn from their interactions with customers and hone their skills. They represent an economical and efficient alternative, allowing the implementation of virtual assistants to manage orders, resolve doubts, provide guidance during the purchasing process, collect payment for products, and prepare market reports.

And finally, there is logistics. “Quality and speed in the delivery of an online order are key for eCommerce. AI in eCommerce provides increasingly powerful algorithms and applications to detect consumption patterns, perform a predictive analysis and design sales and merchandise replenishment strategies adapted not only to consumer demand but also to the interests of the company,” explains Rodriguez.

In this field, companies are investing in machine learning technology and robotic process automation. On the one hand, they acquire platforms with learning capabilities to classify data and anticipate customer decisions. On the other, they automate human tasks to make the most of employees' talent in more strategic and creative areas.

About Aaron Rodriguez

Aaron Rodriguez is an expert eCommerce consultant in Latin America. He helps businesses throughout the region optimize all of their eCommerce operations to increase sales and retain customers, and also has extensive experience in the development of strategic and external alliances to promote departmental and organizational objectives. He has traveled extensively throughout Latin America to assist a number of companies and, when he's not traveling, he dedicates all of his available time to his wife and children.

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