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Not very long ago, artificial intelligence was nothing more than a component of science fiction. It was an entertaining notion that struck either fear or wonder in the minds of the public. From there, scientists began to explore the potential real-life applications of such technology. Before long, it became a widely accepted reality.

Today, artificial intelligence offers a long list of possibilities. It’s being used in a range of situations from smart homes and businesses to automated vehicles and beyond. One of the most widespread uses of AI, though, is in the field of e-commerce. It’s an incredibly powerful and diverse business intelligence tool that can bolster online sales in several ways.

Discovering the Ways AI Is Transforming E-Commerce

Recent reports indicate the majority of businesses are currently implementing artificial intelligence in at least a limited capacity. Many say they’re using it to automate some of their operations. In hindsight, numerous retailers are taking matters even further to propel their e-commerce efforts to new heights.

Customer Support

Customer support is one of the key areas in which AI is making a significant difference for today’s businesses. Most consumers now expect a response to their issues and inquiries within four hours. Some aren’t willing to wait more than 15 minutes. For most companies, there’s virtually no way a fully human customer support team could live up to those expectations.

Chatbots, on the other hand, can meet the current demands. They provide immediate responses to customers, and they never need to sleep. That means a customer support system driven by AI can offer round-the-clock services and the instant gratification consumers have come to expect. Additionally, machine learning and natural language processing allow AI to provide an ever-increasing level of human-like interaction with customers.

Analytics

Artificial intelligence is also crucial when it comes to gathering, organizing, and analyzing data. It’s far more efficient than a human analytics team could be, and it’s capable of performing much more thorough analyses. This is beneficial for businesses in a variety of ways.

For one, accurate, in-depth data gathering and analysis gives businesses unprecedented insight into their customers and prospects. In turn, they can develop more targeted marketing and advertising strategies. Secondly, AI can aid in making more accurate sales predictions for the future by analyzing previous trends and other relevant factors.

Those are only a couple of the ways in which AI is useful for analytics. It’s capable of branching out beyond the standard data-gathering parameters to unearth details a human analytics team might overlook. At the same time, it provides a much smaller margin of error.

Inventory Control

Another advantage of artificial intelligence is more accurate and efficient inventory control. As part of its analytical powers, AI can study past purchasing trends and cross-reference them with the products a company offers. It can also factor in other elements, such as warehouse operations.

By combining all this data and assessing it, artificial intelligence can offer a range of intel. It helps with keeping the right amounts of certain products in stock for predicted sales upticks and eliminates the issue of wasted storage space. It can maximize order fulfillment efficiency, reduce losses, and combat lost sales from inadequate inventory levels, among other benefits.

Boosting Sales

Yet another way in which AI is revolutionizing e-commerce is through increased sales. This aspect comes from several angles. First off, AI can assess the products customers are looking at and purchasing and make recommendations for additional products. It’s basically upselling and cross-selling on steroids.

Artificial intelligence can also help in developing targeted email marketing and other advertising tactics to encourage customer retention and future sales. By taking into account the products customers are already interested in and introducing them to other relevant options, AI creates a more personalized experience for them as well.

In turn, it can improve conversion rates by a considerable margin. Consumers who receive product recommendations from AI have been found to spend at least 25 percent more per order. They’re more likely to come back for future purchases, too.

Real Advancements through Artificial Intelligence

All this barely scratches the surface of the ways artificial intelligence is changing the business and e-commerce worlds for the better. It offers everything from improved asset tracking and inventory management to more personalized shopping experiences and more efficient logistics strategies.

Most businesses have already incorporated some form of AI into their daily operations. Those who don’t get in on this advanced technology could find themselves falling behind during the years to come. 

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