In the coming years, AI will revolutionize how people discover and purchase products, significantly raising expectations and the ability to find desired items. Businesses must listen closely to these evolving demands. However, as consumer knowledge decreases, behavioral AI will become crucial for creating real-time experiences based on actions rather than identities. Our latest webinar dove into these topics and more.
What we learned:
- How AI is transforming ecommerce
- Unlocking the potential of anonymous visitors with behavioral AI
- How industry leaders are embracing the future with AI
Speakers:
- Julie Evans, VP & CMO, Omaha Steaks
- Jane-E Yamamoto Johnson, Senior Director, E-Commerce, Forever 21
- Michael Challinger, CEO, Houzer
- Jason Seeba, CMO, Session AI
- Moderated By: Scott Silverman, Co-Founder, CommerceNext
Watch the replay recap below.
How AI is Transforming Ecommerce
AI is expected to bring significant changes to the ecommerce industry. Instead of consumers searching for products on retailer websites, AI agents like ChatGPT will soon take over these tasks for them. This shift will require ecommerce businesses to adjust their strategies to effectively engage both human customers and AI assistants, ensuring that they remain competitive as these technologies progress. These innovations not only optimize operations but also drive sales and improve customer satisfaction. Adapting to this new paradigm will be essential for companies aiming to stay competitive in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Unlocking the Potential of Anonymous Visitors with Behavioral AI
New behavioral AI technologies are stepping up to create value from anonymous visitors. As major tech companies like Google, Apple and Meta limit the availability of customer data and privacy regulations become more stringent, traditional methods of personalization and customer engagement face significant challenges. This new behavioral AI leverages real-time clickstream data to understand and predict the actions of anonymous visitors, enabling businesses to take proactive measures before potential customers leave their sites. By analyzing behavior rather than relying on identifiable data, this approach allows companies to enhance the customer experience, drive conversions and optimize marketing efforts without compromising user privacy.
How Industry Leaders Are Embracing The Future With AI
AI journey has been successful for companies like Omaha Steaks, Forever 21 and Houzer which are embracing this technology to drive future growth and innovation.
Omaha Steaks is part of the 97% of businesses integrating AI into their strategies to solve major business challenges. AI is a key part of their strategy to improve customer experience, boost revenue and reduce costs. They are integrating AI into their phone order process to provide agents with advanced tools for personalized service and to automate parts of the order process.
“We are re-evaluating existing AI applications to improve efficiency and cut expenses. This approach demonstrates our commitment to using AI as a critical tool for our business transformation,” — Julie Evans, Omaha Steaks
Houzer is embarking on a strategic AI journey to build an impressive tech framework and prepare for future innovations. With a background in digital technology, the company is leveraging a unique opportunity to update its tech stack from scratch. Their approach centers on two main goals: first, accumulating relevant datasets from D2C interactions to train future AI applications and second, exploring immediate AI opportunities like customer contact optimization and long-tail SEO for efficient customer acquisition. Looking ahead, they are excited about the potential for a future “killer app” that will dynamically generate and optimize Google Shopping feeds and other marketing assets.
Finally, Forever 21 is focusing on targeted use cases and testing phases to optimize crucial business areas and improve customer acquisition. To manage the complexity of AI, the leadership team has identified specific opportunities where AI can enhance efficiency and productivity. By combining AI with personalization and first-party data strategies, they are working towards their business goals.
“Establishing clear KPIs ensures accountability and measurable success for AI initiatives, aligning them with marketing goals, data management and merchandising objectives.” —Jane-E Yamamoto Johnson, Forever 21
To delve deeper into AI use cases in ecommerce and marketing, follow our YouTube channel to watch the sessions from the 2024 CommerceNext Growth Show.
