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The digital product advisor - For companies and online shops

Written by Neocom | Jan 10, 2023 10:01:40 AM

Receiving a proper consultation before making a purchase is a standard in stationary retail. A customer who knows roughly what he wants to buy, but cannot precisely classify which product meets his expectations, can approach an employee who advises in the selection of products and makes a recommendation. It becomes more difficult when consumers want to order online. If there is no time for extensive research, shopping can be a bust. This is why more and more sales platforms and companies are using Guided Selling. The software is intended to optimize the customer experience again and to facilitate the buying decision.

 

What are digital product advisors?

These are modern software applications, which are designed for online shops and company pages in order to advise and support potential buyers.

Especially in the online sector, the buying decision often depends on various factors. Although companies can advertise their products, consumers still decide for themselves where to buy from. They have always the opportunity to find out in detail about the selection options and prices on the Internet. To support the decision for your shop, it should be clearly designed. Therefore, guide the consumer through good call-to-action and implement an easy ordering process.

However, these requirements alone are not sufficient enough to reduce the bounce rate. Companies invest a lot in online marketing and would like to offer their website visitors excellent advice in addition to selected products. Although a customer service is available at many providers, it is not available at the moment of the buying decision.

Especially with a more extensive product range, professional advice is helpful. This also needs to be individual and always up-to-date. As software with an AI function, digital product advisors are tailored to respond to customers. This is done with the help of a questionnaire, over which all desired information is delivered. This results in a consultation that is similar to the experience consumers are used to in a retail store.

Digital product advisors, can respond to the customer's needs and make individual recommendations for the purchase. This leads to a simplified buying decision.

How does a digital product advisor work?

Digitization is trendy and goes hand in hand with e-commerce and online marketing. This brings particular advantages for online retailers and companies that want to expand their product range to the Internet. This results in optimal synergy, which shows a significantly higher reach for customers, with the general trend emerging that more and more people tend to make their purchases online.

Every potential customer has an interest in buying a product. This means, that visiting the online shop is already a good prerequisite for concluding a business. However, this depends on how well the consumer finds his way around the website and within the product range.

Many people simply just don't want to search for something for a long time, but rather attach importance to getting the suitable product proposed. A high number of products requires a flawless structure and this is exactly where Guided Selling with product advisors are used.

They respond efficiently to customer needs, help in decision-making and make independent research by the consumer unnecessary. Digital product advisors, serve as support in finding the desired product and responding to customer questions.

Problems in a customer journey usually arise during the purchase decision and after the sale. Either a customer cancels the buying process prematurely, because no suitable product is available, uncertainty arises, or a product is bought which is not satisfying. Then follows the return of the product. This is annoying for both customers and companies.

Such situations are avoided with a meaningful sales management. Digital product advisors are able to respond to necessary questions about the purchase decision and make product discovery entertaining. This results in a user profile that fulfils all purchase requests on the basis of the product recommendation. This requires algorithms with which digital product advisors calculate and create the recommendations based on the individual needs. The process is designed accordingly. Starting from the contact with the customer, the recording of purchase requests and questions, the evaluation of the answers and the search for plus recommendation of suitable products.

The software solution for online shops functions, as a personalised consulting process and is similar to the one in the retail store. The software asks questions in order to clarify needs and goals and to ensure coordinated and professional advice. Individual product suggestions can be made based on the questions in the personalized conversation. This creates an interactive and user-oriented dialogue that enables a product presentation after just a few answers. The goal of all digital product advisors is to provide the best possible guidance and assistance to consumers during the advisory process. This can be supported by product suggestions and videos.

What are the advantages of a digital product advisor?

Thanks to AI, digital product advisor offer many advantages and can be easily implemented in an online shop. The effort is low, the tool can be expanded at any time and at the same time is able to learn and guide and advise customers, which reduces the bounce rate and increases sales.

The advantages of a digital product advisor are:

✔️ Interactive and personalized advice at any time (regardless of opening and customer service times)

✔️ Creation of an exact ideal customer profile (ICP)

✔️ Product matching, which is invisible to customers, with the provision of product recommendations in real time

✔️ Meaningful and individual product recommendations 

✔️ Use of the software of demand-oriented evaluations

✔️ Higher customer satisfaction

✔️ Higher conversion rate

✔️ Reduction of the bounce rate

✔️ High customer loyalty

✔️ Collection of customer data and verification of success through analysis data (e.g. through a link with Google Analytics)