These 5 AI applications will unleash your e-commerce marketing strategy

May 23, 2023

Now I hear you thinking: yet another article about the power of AI in marketing. One look at my LinkedIn timeline and I see a legion of self-proclaimed prompt engineers sharing their knowledge. This is also immediately the picture of the future: as a digital marketing specialist, you need to understand and speak the language of AI. Then you can make your life a lot easier. In addition, in recent months, I have seen a significant shift in the way e-commerce marketing is approached. In the past, I have already written an article on the 7 essential SEA tactics to take your webshop to the next level. Definitely relevant to your business if you want to rake in more sales. But what if I give you the handles and tools to make e-commerce marketing even easier? Think for example of automatic writing of product descriptions. In this article, we will explore these possibilities and explain how AI works in the context of e-commerce marketing. Read on!

What is AI and how does it work in e-commerce marketing?

AI is an umbrella term for technologies that enable machines to learn, reason, solve problems and make decisions in ways previously reserved for humans. This definition was generated by ChatGPT-4 and is pretty spot-on as far as I’m concerned. The key question, then, is how AI and e-commerce marketing can be two butts in one pair of pants. A tip of the hat: By integrating AI into e-commerce marketing, Web shop owners can, among other things, improve their customer service, optimize their advertising and marketing campaigns and personalize the overall customer experience.

Benefits of using AI in e-commerce marketing

So why should you apply AI in e-commerce marketing? Here is a brief list of the benefits if you are not yet convinced:

One of the biggest benefits of AI in e-commerce marketing is the ability to create personalized customer experiences, leading to higher conversion rates and increased customer loyalty.
Moreover, AI allows for more efficient and effective ad campaigns by using algorithms to reach the most relevant audiences and optimize budgets. This results in a higher ROI.
In addition, AI improves customer service by deploying chatbots, leading to higher customer satisfaction and retention.

5 practical applications of AI in e-commerce marketing

Nice, all those benefits, but do you use AI in practice. After all, AI tools are popping up like mushrooms. It is slowly becoming clear that AI skills need to be added to your repertoire. I completely understand if you can’t see the forest for the trees. In this blog, I’ve made a list, so you can get started right away.

Super fast search function

Have you ever been unable to find a product due to a poor search function? If your shop has a bad search function, you will undoubtedly lose customers. A real conversion killer. Fortunately, with the help of Algolia or Zevi, for example, you can quickly display relevant search results. These tools use AI to provide a more personalized user experience. For example, Algolia will create models such as “frequently bought together,” which can then be implemented in search results.

Slick product videos and product images

As a marketer, I often hear that there is no budget to produce fat product videos. Producing and deploying video content doesn’t always have to be pricey. Oxolo allows you to generate your own product videos. Just provide a product URL and Oxolo does the rest.

In addition, you can give your product images a big boost. To do this, use Flair. Upload your product image and get right to work with the prompts. For example, you can specify that your product is on a “circular platform in a flower bed” and that there are “polar bears” in the background. Through this tool you can create perfect images yourself.

Design converting ads

With Adcreative you can create ads with powerful visuals, catchy texts and compelling CTAs in no time. Think about the standard formats for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and the Google Display Network. It works very simply: you upload your logo, enter a short description of your product or service and choose the colors (or have AI generate them). Then you can then create your own ad materials. The beauty of this tool is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Content in no time at all

Content is king and every website owner should know that. With ChatGTP, Writesonic or Jasper.ai you can format product descriptions, meta descriptions and ad texts in no time. You can even have the text for an abandoned shopping cart email automatically generated based on Cialdini principles (e.g., social proof). When using AI for e-commerce marketing, it is important to always fine-tune generated content yourself so that it always meets brand guidelines and quality standards. Below is an example from Writesonic. As you can see, AI associates fresh coffee beans with the morning dew. What do you guys think about this?

Virtual assistant

An AI chat tool can be a powerful tool to boost your e-commerce marketing. By integrating a chat tool, such as Tidio, into your online store, customers can easily ask questions and receive support, ultimately increasing conversion rates (and visitors are helped immediately, of course). Moreover, the chat tool can collect data about customer behavior and certain preferences. For example, a chatbot will be able to offer alternative products based on a customer’s preferences. A virtual assistant can even note an e-mail address and send a notification when a particular product is back in stock. All in all, the workload of customer service agents will be reduced significantly as repetitive tasks are automated.

The importance of AI in the future of e-commerce marketing

So is AI really going to take over humanity and make decisions? If Elon Musk and fellow competitors are to be believed, the development of AI should be brought to a halt for now. After all, there is a chance that AI itself could spread fake news or even make it impossible for humanity to eliminate AI. Back to the point: AI can make the life of a seasoned Web shop owner or marketer a lot easier regarding e-commerce marketing. More customer loyalty, higher ROI and more customer satisfaction. Who wouldn’t want that? Just remember: garbage in, garbage out. In other words, the output is just as good as the input.