The main goal of modern technology is to always push the boundaries when it comes to making our lives easier. Just think about all the activities we can do every day that requires a lot of our time. By using modern technology, we can save a lot of time and commit it to something that matters to us.
The same can be said about businesses. They are using a wide array of different software to make some processes simple. Since time is money in this day and age, the benefit of this approach is rather obvious. A significant part of our everyday activities that has suffered a massive change recently is the way we shop.
Sure, we all know that a significant percentage of everyday shopping is done online. However, many are not aware of the technologies that make this possible. That’s why we want to provide you with a list of technologies that are changing the way we buy these days. Let’s check them out.
1. Smart Mirrors
When we purchase clothes, going to the fitting rooms is something we cannot do without. For many this is, let’s say, a normal part of the process. However, there are certain studies on this topic that have shown that almost half of the consumers do not like to enter fitting rooms when they are shopping.
To prevent these customers from experiencing something they do not enjoy, new technology has emerged. We are talking about smart mirrors. Basically, we are talking about a rotating camera, which allows them to see how certain pieces of clothes fit them and whether they want to buy them or not.
2. Advertising is Old News
The advertisement was one of a few ways to promote your products or services for quite a long time. While creating campaigns and investing a lot of hours in them is still beneficial to some degree, it needs to be said that they are simply not as effective as they used to be. There are numerous reasons for that.
But probably the most significant reason is that potential customers can find all relevant information in a couple of seconds. Therefore, it is not needed to invest so much effort into campaigns. These days, customers conduct serious research before they buy anything, intending to save as much money as possible.
Therefore, the key element is to present your company as credible and trustworthy. It is not always easy to achieve this and you would need to do a lot of things to achieve that level. But we can all agree on the fact that everything revolves around the internet. So, this is where you should put your focus.
3. Chatbots
Chatbots and virtual assistants have become irreplaceable tools for almost every customer out there. They provide us with numerous quality information on the merchandise. Whenever we have some questions regarding these, they provide an exact and clear answer in no time.
Also, they are integrated with all the major communication platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook messenger. So, you can get direct access to the website of your interest and discuss the products or services you are interested in.
4. Big Data
Everyone who has been a part of the world of retail knows that collecting data was practically never a problem. In fact, the main problem was conducting the right analysis to make this sort of data useful. Thankfully, it has all been made possible through the use of predictive analysis.
Owners can use the data to predict the behavior and needs of their customers. Sometimes, it can serve as a great way to predict numerous other things like when to release a new product, or when to launch a promo code. If you want to check some promo codes, be sure to visit GreenPromoCode.com.
5. Self-Service
Numerous companies out there have decided to utilize a completely new concept, self-service. You can find it practically anywhere, from big supermarkets to small neighborhood shops. It means that the customers are not required to interact with anyone. They just fill their baskets and go to the cash register.
Recently, it became clear that businesses have found the opportunity to make this procedure even faster. They want to achieve it by adding interactive screens and kiosks. At the same time, others have already done it through the development of their applications, which also work under that principle.
6. AR and VR
Probably the most interesting changes in the way we purchase things in this day and age are the use of augmented and virtual reality. Sure, this may sound strange to some, but these two are already present, just not in the capacity we believe they would be. For instance, IKEA has been using both of them for some years now.
For example, you can have some sort of preview of what a certain piece of furniture would look like inside your house. If this is not a serious advantage, we don’t know what is. Naturally, it needs to be said that both of these technologies are yet to reach their potential and we cannot see what their other possibilities are.
7. The Internet of Things
Last but not least, we want to point out the importance of the internet of things in shopping. For instance, companies can use them to tailor the need for advertising campaigns to the preferences of their customer. Instead of annoying ads, customers can see something that sparks their interest.
How is IoT used? Well, it is used to store all the data from various devices. Even the most insignificant piece of data might prove to be essential for some part of the marketing campaign. Still, business owners need to optimize this data frequently and invest a lot of time in doing exactly that.
8. Closing Thoughts
Since the way we buy is changing constantly, it can be quite hard to keep track. In this article of ours, we’ve provided you with some technologies that are present but are yet to make a significant impact on this process.
