Use Chat Commerce for a Better Mobile Shopping Experience

“Mobile buyers account for 60.9% of the US population. By 2024, around 187.5 million users in the US will have made at least one purchase via a browser or app on their mobile phones.” – Finances Online

The recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping frenzy have shown the power of online shopping – or eCommerce – in driving retail sales. But it’s interesting to note that there has been a dramatic shift from desktop-based shopping to mobile shopping – also known as mobile commerce or eCommerce. 

At the height of the pandemic, an impressive 79% of smartphone users had made an online purchase using their mobile device in the past six months. Conversational commerce – or conversational messaging - has been driving this spike in sales, but the arrival of chat commerce has provided consumers with a much more user-friendly experience. Because who doesn’t like chat?! Here’s why Chat Commerce is your best way to engage with customers today. 

What is mobile shopping?

Mobile commerce (eCommerce) falls under the eCommerce category but hones in specifically on sales through mobile devices, typically smartphones and tablets. With smartphones part of everyday lives, and used quite prolifically across the globe, mobile shopping is really the next logical phase of digital shopping. It provides your customers with a simple navigational tool and an easy payment option to buy whatever they need, wherever they are.

The rise of Chat Commerce

Mobile shopping is in no way new, but it has evolved rapidly over the past few years to provide consumers with a much better shopping experience. This started with conversational commerce, which allowed for chatbot-based services across a number of channels. To better serve the needs of consumers, however, Chat Commerce was developed as a mobile messaging-only shopping solution with everything facilitated in your customer’s existing chat apps like SMS or WhatsApp.

How is Chat Commerce improving online shopping?

Chat Commerce has taken the benefits of the existing eCommerce experience and condensed it onto one platform so that customers, no matter their level of technical skill, are able to do the shopping they require.

1. Chat Commerce streamlines shopping

Rather than having to navigate several websites and deal with being redirected all the time, Chat Commerce facilitates all commercial transactions in the world’s most popular mobile messaging apps. Unlike conversational commerce which is much more disparate and not as widely deployed, Chat Commerce runs on a ubiquitous and proven platform. This not only streamlines the shopping experience, it opens up your retail operation to billions across the globe.

2. Chat Commerce facilitates real-time connection

Customers know what they want, and they want it now. There is very little patience when it comes to online shopping because several other brands are selling similar products and offering a better shopping experience. Chat Commerce brings you closer to your customers by providing secure connectivity in real-time. This means that your brand is wherever your customer is, and they can get the information they require instantly. If a customer is inquiring about a product, they do so on their mobile messaging app of choice. Within that app, they’re directed to the various options, and any questions can be dealt with in real-time to better drive sales. 

3. Chat Commerce supports payments

One of the biggest failings of conversational commerce is redirecting customers elsewhere when it comes to making a product payment. Fortunately, this is not the case with Chat Commerce which supports in-messaging transactions that are safe and secure. You don’t want to give customers any reason to doubt the purchase, and this doubt is likely to creep in when it comes to payment time. Not so with Chat Commerce. There’s no redirect to another website for re-entering payment details. 

4. Chat Commerce provides necessary customer support

Often the initial engagement with customers via Chat Commerce won’t result in a transaction, but it sets the scene for positive customer engagement. How you interact with customers will determine customer loyalty and retention, which is why Chat Commerce is the ultimate solution. You can offer live chat assistance and support so your customers will return again and again.

5. Chat Commerce offers a comprehensive experience

When your customers shop via Chat Commerce, they’re able to complete the entire transaction, from start to finish, on one platform. Chat Commerce takes them on the full shopping experience from product discovery and placing an order, to making payments and tracking the delivery. If they need further support, they will be directed to a live agent who can resolve any issues for an effortless transaction. You can even get valuable customer feedback by sending a short survey to your customers after purchase. 

Chat Commerce benefits in a nutshell: 

• You can engage and transact with more customers.

• You’re engaging with customers on the mobile chat apps they already prefer and use.

• You can reach a global audience.

• You’re able to grow revenue while lowering business costs.

• You’re offering anytime, everywhere access to information, services, and goods.

• You can automate routine, customer-related tasks.

• You’re providing real-time customer support to increase sales.

• You’re facilitating account management, transaction and payment services to your customers.

What is best practice for Chat Commerce?

It’s clear that mobile shopping is the best way for modern retailers to engage with customers and increase reach, but how you use Chat Commerce is just as important as using it in the first place. Here are a few quick tips to get you started: 

• Provide your customers with a variety of payment methods. Just as customers are more comfortable interacting on chat – a platform they know and love – they will prefer to use a payment method they’re also comfortable with. This could be credit or debit cards, wallet payments, or EFT.

• Ensure you have two-factor authentication so that your customer data is secured. This way you can verify that the customers are in possession of their mobile phones when making the payment.

• Prepare automated responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and ensure your live agents are properly trained in customer engagement. This one interaction could be make or break for your brand.

As industry experts, Clickatell can provide you with the best mobile shopping tool that allows your business to build meaningful relationships through real-time communication. Get in touch with Clickatell today to get started on your Chat Commerce journey.