47 Top Trends in AI for eCommerce to Look out for in 2024

1. Increased adoption of chatbots

AI eCommerce chatbots have become an integral part of many online retailers, providing instant customer support and helping to streamline the shopping process. In 2024, we can expect to see even more sophisticated chatbots that are able to understand and respond to complex customer inquiries and requests. These chatbots will be powered by natural language processing (NLP) and other advanced AI technologies, making them more efficient and effective at helping customers. 

“In 2024 we will see a move away from simple rule-based bots that ask two questions and push the customer to live chat to more conversational chatbots with Natural Language Processing that will understand the intent of the customer and provide the best product options for the customer to purchase.” – Greg Ahern, Founder of Ochatbot.com

For instance, Ochatbot is an eCommerce chatbot capable of juggling common customer inquiries, handling product recommendations, reminding customers of their abandoned carts, and more. Customers may ask Ochatbot for help with something like tracking an order and the chatbot uses NLP to understand the request and provide natural, human-like responses. When businesses use Ochatbot, they see a:

• • • •  20%-40% growth in sales when customers engage Ochatbot, 
      • a 5% to 20% lift in AOV, 
      • and a 25%-45% reduction in support tickets. 

2. Personalized Product Recommendations

One of the most exciting developments in AI for eCommerce is the ability to offer personalized recommendations and experiences to customers. Using machine learning algorithms, AI can analyze a customer’s browsing and purchase history, as well as their demographics and interests, to make highly targeted product recommendations. This level of personalization can help increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as drive sales. For example, if a customer frequently purchases outdoor gear, a chatbot may recommend new hiking boots or camping equipment based on their past purchases and interests. 

3. Predictive Analytics 

Another trend to watch out for in 2024 is the use of predictive analytics to optimize eCommerce operations. By analyzing past data and using machine learning algorithms, businesses can make informed decisions about inventory management, pricing, and other key areas of their eCommerce operations. This can help reduce costs and improve efficiency, ultimately leading to increased profits. A business may use predictive analytics to determine the most popular products among certain demographics, allowing them to stock more of those items and potentially increase sales. Predictive analytics can also be used to forecast demand for certain products, helping businesses to better plan their inventory and avoid overstocking or running out of popular items.

4. Voice Search Optimization 

As the use of voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Siri, and Google Home continues to grow, it will become increasingly important for marketers to optimize their content for voice searches. These AI-powered systems can be used to make purchases, track orders, and provide product recommendations, all through simple voice commands. In 2023, we can expect to see even more integration between voice assistants and eCommerce sites, making it easier for customers to shop using these technologies. A customer may be able to use a voice assistant to add items to their shopping cart or track their order status by simply speaking aloud. Voice assistants can also be used to provide personalized recommendations and assistance to customers, helping to enhance the overall shopping experience. Voice interface to an eCommerce website is expected to improve the ease of use in mobile eCommerce purchases.

5. Shop at Home with AR 

Augmented reality (AR) is another technology that is set to revolutionize eCommerce in the coming years. While AR and AI are two separate technologies, they are often used together to enhance user experience; for instance, by utilizing AI image recognition so that AR can recognize real-world objects. With AR, customers can virtually try on clothing and accessories, visualize how furniture will look in their homes, and much more. This can help reduce returns and increase customer satisfaction, as it allows customers to make more informed purchase decisions. AR can also be used to enhance the overall shopping experience, such as by providing interactive product demonstrations or virtual store tours.

6. Image recognition

AI-powered image recognition is set to become a game-changer for eCommerce in 2024. This technology allows businesses to use images to search for and identify products, making the shopping experience faster and more convenient for customers. It can also be used to provide more accurate product descriptions and enhance the visual appeal of eCommerce sites. For example, a customer may take a picture of a piece of clothing they like and use it to search for similar items on an eCommerce site. Image recognition can also be used to automatically generate product tags and descriptions, saving time and resources for businesses.

7. Fraud detection

Fraud is a major concern for eCommerce businesses, and AI can be a powerful tool for detecting and preventing it.  Due to growing concern surrounding cyber crimes and data breaches, cloud-based AI fraud protection systems have arisen to help businesses combat potential losses. This includes but is not limited to fraudulent orders, customer phishing attacks, and stolen card information.

Brands will rely more and more on AI fraud protection as a result of the technology’s capacity to identify patterns that separate a genuine transaction from a fake one. This can help businesses protect themselves and their customers from financial loss.

Conclusion

In conclusion, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to continue making significant impacts on the e-commerce industry in 2024. The use of AI in marketing allows for the personalization of customer experiences, improved targeting and reach automation and streamlining of operations, and better understanding and prediction of customer behavior. As AI continues to advance, it will be exciting to see how it will shape the way we shop online. E-commerce businesses that are able to effectively incorporate AI into their operations will likely have a significant advantage over their competitors, as they will be able to provide a more personalized and convenient shopping experience for customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are Chat GPT and GPT-3, and how will they affect eCommerce?

ChatGPT and GPT-3 are both large language models developed by OpenAI with several key differences. ChatGPT is a variant of GPT-2 (GPT-3’s predecessor) that is more specifically tailored to conversational language and can be used to create chatbots that can respond to customer inquiries in a natural, human-like manner.

GPT-3, on the other hand, is a more general-purpose language model that has been trained on a massive dataset of internet text. GPT-3 is capable of performing a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) tasks, including language translation, summarization, and question answering, as well as text generation. For chatbot usage, GPT-3 can be used to generate more sophisticated responses, and perform a wider range of tasks, such as product recommendations, price comparisons, and inventory checks. 

ChatGPT and GPT-3 have the potential to revolutionize eCommerce by facilitating more seamless communication between businesses and customers through chatbots. However, though the technology is exciting, many experts believe that it’s not yet ready for a full eCommerce takeover. For one, these models need to be fine-tuned with specific data in order to perform well in a specific use case. For eCommerce, this process can be time-consuming, difficult, and may require a significant amount of data not readily available. This is an ongoing process.  And while these language models may imitate the flow of human conversation, their responses can often be incorrect or misguided. Constant human evaluation would be required to ensure the accuracy of the responses.

2. How can AI help to personalize customer experiences in e-commerce?

AI can use data and machine learning algorithms to understand each customer’s unique preferences, interests, and behaviors, and then deliver tailored marketing messages and content that resonates with them. This can help to build stronger customer relationships and increase customer loyalty, leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction and retention.

3. How can AI automate and streamline operations in e-commerce?

By using AI to handle routine tasks such as data analysis and campaign management, marketers can save time and resources and can focus on more strategic, high-value activities. This can help to improve the efficiency of marketing teams and enable them to be more productive and effective in their work.

4. How do AI eCommerce chatbots increase revenue?

AI eCommerce chatbots can help increase revenue in a variety of ways. AI chatbots increase engagement with shoppers through methods such as page targeting (or triggering the chatbot to appear on certain pages), as well as product recommendations, and answering simple FAQs. This increase in engagement eliminates sales obstacles and helps push the shopper to checkout. 

AI eCommerce chatbots can also be used for lead generation. Chatbots like Ochatbot make it easy for companies to gather leads through forms as well as assist with qualification and appointment setting. Easy integration with a CRM will make it easy for your business to reach out and gather leads, rather than spend time hunting.