When Amazon introduced the “1-clickIn 1997, retailers were shaking.
The innovation enabled customers to buy anything from an e-commerce store with just one click. And this feature soon set the standard for buying anything online.
Fast forward to today and expectations have changed again. Consumers now expect retailers to know what they want, often before they do. Sometimes this comes in the form of “people also bought” recommendations.
But even those require the consumer to click Add to Cart. The next real innovation is what’s called zero-click shopping. Which is closer to becoming the new e-commerce standard thanks to artificial intelligence. What is it.
Let’s answer it now.
What is Zero Click Shopping?
Imagine you bought an iPad from Amazon.
When the package arrives at your door, you don’t just find the tablet inside. There is a case, a protective screen.
And, somewhat unexpectedly, a dock to hang the iPad on the back of the car seat, giving your kids a screen to watch while you drive. Inside the items is also a note that reads: “Keep what you want and we’ll add the items to your invoice.”
“…or send some items back and we won’t charge you a dime for them.”
This is the concept of zero-click shopping — where the retailer uses everything it knows about the customer (say you have kids).
It then sends you the products it thinks you want without you clicking Add to Cart. Back By 2040, 95% of shopping is expected to be onlineevery retailer must adapt to the new standard of online shopping.
And thanks to artificial intelligence, this kind of e-commerce experience is becoming more economical by the day.
Here’s how.
AI and zero-click shopping. 5 steps to the perfect strategy
If shipping preventive products to the consumer seems expensive, know that artificial intelligence can moderate the costs.
Here are five ways you can use AI to create the perfect zero-click purchase strategy.
1. Curb big data
Big Data is essential for zero-click purchasing. After all, the more you know about your customers, the easier it is to know what to send them.
You can use predictive analytics to see what customers want next based on recent purchases, or know when to send sprays, polishes, and replacement parts because you anticipate an older item may need fixing.
Amazon’s recommendation engine already uses Big Data to personalize its storefront for each customer. At the same time, Netflix provides users with 75% of its content through recommended shows (as well as using AI systems to save over $1 billion a year).
Now you can use big data to power your zero-click purchase strategy.
2. Localize the buyer experience
The needs and wants of a teenager in Texas, USA will be very different from the needs of a family man in Edinburgh, Scotland.
That’s why you should use AI in e-commerce to personalize product recommendations based on location as much as purchase history. AI solutions in retail can gather information from multiple sources to understand the preferences of people in all corners of the world.
Retailers can even figure out, say, if someone is going on vacation (and where they’re going) and send ski gloves or sunscreen based on insights.
3. Find the perfect price point
There are two important aspects to a successful zero click purchase strategy. First, you need to select the product the consumer wants.
Second (but just as important), you need to find the perfect price point. just missing a bit can lead the consumer to shop elsewhere. Machine learning algorithms can analyze thousands of data points to find the best pricing strategy.
And if a customer returns an item, you can ask them if price was a factor, then use the answer to refine your algorithm.
Read also: Price forecast. How machine learning can help you grow your sales.
4. Integrate AI into your CRM
Some customers will like zero-click shopping, others won’t. And the second part will become more expensive, very quickly.
But if you integrate AI into your CRM system, you can use an algorithm to spot who is sending products regularly and then suggest that they unsubscribe from the service. Another way to use artificial intelligence in retail is to enable AI-enabled voice assistants and chatbots.
That way, if customers have questions about the products they received, they can find an answer online and avoid overwhelming your customer service.
Read also: Conversational chatbots can revolutionize your sales process, here’s how.
5. Use continuous insights to refine your strategy
The beauty of retail AI solutions is that they only get better with age. That is, the longer they exist, the more accurate their predictions become.
If you use AI to analyze customer behavior, you’ll quickly find ways to improve your zero-click shopping experience. Whether it’s the products you ship or the customer support you provide, algorithms are great at spotting areas for optimization.
Read also: 11 Ways AI Can Improve the Retail Industry.
Zero-click purchases vs. zero-click searches
While zero-click shopping will profoundly impact retail, zero-click searches will impact e-commerce in particular.
So let’s look at it briefly.
In 2019, Google introduced a concept that marketers are now calling “zero position” because the top search result automatically includes a text snippet.
A snippet can be as simple as an address, or it can be a paragraph drawn from a top-notch website, but the goal is the same. to deliver relevant content without the user clicking.
And that’s where the term “zero-click search” comes in. As you can imagine, zero-click search presents website owners with a dilemma. They want to rank high and provide valuable information to users.
But they also want these same users to click through to their website.
Zero click shopping. a vision of the future
For anyone with Amazon Alexa in their home, the zero-click shopping experience is easy to imagine.
say, “Alexa, buy some laundry detergent.”
And within a few hours it will arrive at your door.
Now think of all the products integrated into Alexa—toasters, refrigerators, even cars—and you’ll quickly see how Amazon can understand both what you need. And when?
If Alexa knows your oil level is getting low, she can fill you up before you run out. Also, when the vegetable compartment in your smart fridge is feeling light, Whole Foods can send you a box of whatever’s in season.
And as this technology becomes a part of our daily lives, it becomes easier than ever to set a new standard in e-commerce for zero-click shopping.