Long before tech, brick-and-mortar stores were the go-to centers for commerce. However, the internet explosion in the late 20th century made many businesses consider digitizing. But we have not seen the end of it. With great strides in tech, online shopping is taking a new shape. Catch up on the trends and reviews of tech on Luminablog.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) lead the pack as the world continues its journey into the virtual. Review sites like Luminablog collect user experiences of some of the best online shops. How has tech changed online shopping? We will find out in this article:
1. Chatbots
“Hi, how may we help you?”
Bots once seemed eternally confined in science fiction. Even when some of the first robots were invented by scientists, their functions were primarily mechanical. Improvements from Machine Learning to Artificial Intelligence have led to intelligent bots.
If you are a regular on the web, you would have encountered these bots. These bots have played a big role in changes in shopping behavior as they serve as sales attendants. They are equipped to answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and they may also be able to answer personalized questions on well-developed sites. They work 24/7 and ensure a non-stop flow of communication, which may ultimately drive sales.
2. E-commerce SEO
Search engines are more intelligent than ever. Inputting the right keywords into Google will get you to appropriate eCommerce sites for your purchase.
You would have had to go from shop to shop, consult tens of attendants, and look up specifications to get what you wanted in the past. It’s not only beneficial to customers. Businesses can also leverage SEO to place themselves top of the search list.
3. Mobile App
Most big businesses have mobile app versions. The average customer owns a smartphone, which means he has the market at his fingertips. Mobile apps offer users a personalized shopping experience. It is a trendy choice in this era where smartphones are like the 208th bone of the body.
Analysts have noted that massive sales are converted via mobile apps. And it is not hard to see why. Apps are more accessible to navigate than the web; they are intuitive and make payments more manageable.
4. Augmented Reality
With Augmented Reality, you can render enhanced versions of reality. Many businesses use this technology to make shopping a more immersive experience for their customers. Say, for instance, you wish to purchase a fancy flower pot and are not sure how it would look in the corner of your room, you could point your camera at the room, and Augmented Reality will fix the pot into the phone screen.
It would look as though you had already purchased the pot. Augmented Reality enhances customer experience and allows them to try out products in the comfort of their couch.
5. Contactless Payment
Tech has reduced the need for cash transactions. There are a plethora of tech-driven solutions to making payments. You could pay using a fingerprint or by scanning a QR code. This seamlessness makes it easy for customers to make purchases.
Tech has taken more incredible leaps in the last decades than it ever had in the previous century. The projections indicate that it’s going to dominate the business space. Tech is, of course, a more efficient solution. The problem with tech was that it lacked a personal touch, but that’s now in the past.