Understanding Conversational Commerce: Benefits and best practices

Imagine this: You’re scrolling Instagram and see a jacket that’s so your style. You click “Message” ask if it comes in your size, and within seconds, someone (or something) replies, helps you check out, and tells you when it’ll arrive.

That’s conversational commerce - the intersection of messaging apps and online shopping, where customer service meets instant gratification.

In a world where consumers expect fast, seamless, and personalized experiences, conversational commerce isn’t just a trend - it’s the new standard.

Let’s see what it really means, how it works, why it matters for e-commerce brands of all sizes, and what great examples can teach us.

What is conversational commerce?

Conversational commerce refers to the use of messaging platforms, chatbots, voice assistants, and live chat to interact with customers throughout their shopping journey. By augmenting the traditional online shopping experience, conversational commerce uses real-time interactions to provide personalised recommendations and seamless purchasing processes.

This can happen on:

• WhatsApp

• Facebook Messenger

• Instagram DMs

• Website chat widgets

• SMS

• Voice platforms like Alexa or Google Assistant

At its core, conversational commerce brings back the idea of the friendly shopkeeper - but now they live in your pocket and are online 24/7.

Why conversational commerce is winning hearts

Let’s face it - most e-commerce experiences are functional but cold. You search, you click, you pay, and maybe you never hear from the brand again.

Consumers today want more. They want human interaction, instant answers, and shopping experiences that feel personal.

Here’s why conversational commerce is taking off:

• Customers get answers instantly, even outside of working hours.

• There’s no need to download apps or browse endless product pages.

• Based on past purchases, preferences or even real-time conversations, recommendations are tailored. Direct interaction builds trust, especially for high-consideration purchases.

Tracking customer satisfaction scores can give you insights into the effectiveness of conversational commerce.

And the numbers back it up:

70% of people feel more confident to make a purchase when they can message a business directly.

Implementing conversational commerce strategies can increase sales by a lot by creating seamless shopping experiences.

Conversational commerce in real life

Let’s see how big and small brands are making messaging magic happen:

1. WhatsApp Commerce in India – Abof

Fashion retailer Abof launched a full-fledged WhatsApp storefront, using the power of social messaging apps for conversational commerce. Customers could browse products, get styling suggestions and even track deliveries - all within the app. This simplified the buying process and increased customer engagement and loyalty by a lot.

2. Starbucks Barista Bot

Through the Starbucks app and voice-enabled devices, customers can order by simply saying or typing things like, “I’ll have a grande caramel macchiato, light on the syrup.” It’s fast, intuitive and removes friction from daily routines. The Starbucks Barista Bot uses AI to enhance customer interactions by facilitating natural conversations and automating responses. This is conversational commerce through voice - and it’s getting better.

3. Sephora’s Messenger Assistant

Sephora’s chatbot on Facebook Messenger provides makeup tips, product matches, tutorials and even books in-store appointments. It’s like having a beauty consultant in your pocket - an excellent use of AI-powered personalised shopping via chat. By mimicking the natural flow of a human conversation, the chatbot offers personalised interactions that make users feel like they’re talking to a real human agent, improving the overall customer experience.

Local stores and small businesses

Whether it’s a bakery confirming your order via Instagram DM or a clothing boutique helping you pick the right size on WhatsApp, small businesses are using conversational tools to build relationships at scale. Relying on one channel is not enough for modern consumer behaviour; businesses use multiple channels for customer interactions to ensure a seamless experience.

With Shopify, it’s easier than ever to integrate Messenger, WhatsApp or chat widgets into online stores - making real-time customer interaction accessible to everyone.

Conversational Commerce examples

Here are some ways businesses are using conversational commerce: Chatbots ask “What are you looking for today?” and suggest products. Chat & AI handle FAQs, shipping and returns.

• Nudges: “You still looking at those shoes?” Order confirmations, delivery updates, satisfaction check-ins. Personalised interactions through conversational commerce can increase customer loyalty and repeat purchases.

And it’s not just retail. Hospitality, finance, healthcare, real estate are all using messaging to improve the customer experience.

Conversational AI

Conversational AI is the engine behind conversational commerce, allowing businesses to interact with their customers in a human way. At its core it’s natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning that understands and responds to customer queries in a natural and intuitive way.

Imagine asking a chatbot for product recommendations based on your previous purchases or getting instant answers to your questions about a product. That’s conversational AI at work. It can provide personalised product recommendations, decision support and answer customer questions.

Examples of conversational AI are chatbots, voice assistants like Google Home and Alexa, personal shopping assistants that guide you through the buying process. These are part of conversational commerce platforms for a seamless and efficient customer experience.

But conversational AI doesn’t just stop at answering questions. It can analyse customer feedback and give businesses valuable insights to improve their services. With generative AI and large language models (LLMs) these conversations are getting more human-like and increasing customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Businesses can integrate conversational AI with various messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Apple Business Chat and social media platforms so customers can interact with them in a more natural way. This two way conversation not only increases sales but builds a deeper connection between the brand and customer.

The customer journey in conversational commerce

The customer journey in conversational commerce is an interactive process of multiple conversations between a customer and a business through conversational channels. It starts at the awareness stage where a customer first learns about a business or product and goes to the post purchase stage where they get support and provide feedback.Conversational commerce platforms help map this journey, identify the touchpoints and opportunities to engage. From the moment a customer asks a question on a messaging app to the moment they get personalised recommendations and decision support every interaction is designed to improve their experience.

Throughout this journey businesses can use conversational AI to provide recommendations and support so each customer feels seen and heard. The customer journey in conversational commerce is not limited to one channel, it spans multiple channels - messaging apps, social media, voice assistants - to create a cohesive and consistent experience.

Data and analytics are key to understanding the customer journey. By analysing customer interactions businesses can identify areas to improve and refine their strategy to better serve the customer. This feedback loop helps businesses stay responsive and adaptive and deliver a good customer experience at every stage.

In essence the customer journey in conversational commerce is about creating a seamless and efficient experience across all channels so customers feel supported and engaged from start to finish. By using conversational AI and data driven insights businesses can deliver a satisfying shopping experience.

Getting started with conversational commerce

Whether you’re a D2C brand or a Shopify powered niche store here’s how to get started:

1. Where do your customers hang out? WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram or on your website?1. Be conversational not corporate. Friendly, helpful, human.

2. Automate common flows (like FAQs or order status) but make it easy to switch to a real person when needed.

3. Use data like past orders, location and preferences to tailor the interaction.

4. Define the scope of your conversational efforts, what inquiries the chatbot will manage and how it will fit into your overall marketing strategy. A good strategy can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

5. Monitor metrics like customer satisfaction, average order value and customer support ticket handling. Tracking these metrics is key to measuring success and identifying areas for improvement in customer service.

6. Track open rates, click-throughs and conversions to refine your messaging.

Conversational Commerce and SEO

While conversational commerce happens mostly in messaging apps or voice assistants it complements SEO strategies too. Here’s how:

• FAQ rich conversations mirror long-tail search queries (e.g. “What’s the best jacket for cold rain?”). Businesses can use various marketing channels to engage with customers and drive sales by tailoring their approach across these channels.

• Content from chatbots can feed future blog posts or product page copy.

• Voice searches are getting more conversational (“Where can I buy eco-friendly sneakers near me?”) - your content must match that tone.

So while chat doesn’t directly improve rankings the insights gained from these conversations help you create better, more human centered content which does improve SEO.

Final thoughts: Commerce is a conversation again

We went from brick-and-mortar to digital storefronts. From browsing aisles to scrolling feeds. Now we’re in the era of shopping through conversation. If your brand isn’t saying “Hey, how can I help you?” - now’s the time. Because in today’s digital economy the brands that talk to their customers - not just sell to them - are the ones that win.