5 Digital Communication Channels for Ecommerce Businesses Should Embrace in 2023

Digital communications have already overtaken print and display media for any-sized businesses. Most of the brands, especially the emerging ones heavily rely on digital media to spread their marketing and advertising messages. Consumers too anticipate electronic correspondence from various businesses.

It's important to keep in mind that digital communication encompasses a range of media. Email, radio, streaming videos online, websites, and other things are included. Additionally covered are text message campaigns, sponsored blog posts, video ads, and numerous other technological platforms.

Utilizing digital communication tools & integrated digital marketing services is still a new concept for some businesses. Prior to experimenting with digital communications, businesses must ensure they fully understand how they differ from traditional media. Also, avail business consulting services to move ahead in the right direction. 

Let’s look into the top 5 digital communication channels you should embrace in 2023.

SMS Automation

SMS is still a sought-after marketing channel because of the high response rates it receives. Most of the companies in the technology, logistics, and finance sectors use SMS to send order confirmation alerts and two-factor authentication OTPs. Furthermore, you can also host SMS services on a virtual number. The benefits of SMS as a channel for customer engagement and support are still not fully appreciated by the majority of businesses.Let us deep dive into a few of the major benefits SMS automation offers

• Improves Customer Retention Rate: Send timely notifications to your customers' mobile phones for services that are about to expire, subscription renewal alerts, payment and service reminders, and notifications for yearly health checks.

• Feedback Collection: After a customer has made a purchase or used a service, you should contact them with an SMS survey to get their feedback. 

• Lower Operational Costs: Operations costs can be reduced by sending pre-delivery confirmation messages to logistics and e-commerce businesses. Your customers will be delighted because you can provide them with immediate, on-demand information by accepting incoming SMS inquiries and setting up automated SMS responses.

• Increase sales and conversions - Take advantage of SMS's high open rates by sending missed cart offers, personalized birthday and anniversary promotions, and annual event reminders which help you increase sales and conversions.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp, the most widely used messaging mobile application, broadens your market. Over two billion people already use WhatsApp, making it the most widely used instant messaging service. WhatsApp for Business gives you a flexible and efficient way to communicate directly with your contacts that help you in boosting your sales engagement. 

WhatsApp's popularity is largely due to the fact that it is completely free for users and can take the place of both expensive SMS and phone calls. As a result, it is fantastic for staying in touch with distant family members and friends. They only need a phone number to get started, and it's easy to use the app.

In other words, there are no barriers for end users, and your target market is already on WhatsApp Business if you choose to use it.Below are a few of the major benefits of WhatsApp for Business

• Reach out to your customers anytime, anywhere

WhatsApp for business makes it possible to communicate in real time. Even when they are on the go, people frequently put off reading emails, but they usually check incoming messages right away.

• Get Private and Personalized

For customized offers and individualized customer service, direct messaging is fantastic. You can send personal account credentials, update orders, and provide support in a one-on-one, private chat.

• Know Your Customers Better

Asking questions allows you to provide precise product recommendations, unlike on-site upsell widgets. By integrating WhatsApp Business API with your CRM, you can use customer insights to customize your communication.

• Reliable and Secure

Users appreciate that all WhatsApp conversations are encrypted and secure. From a business standpoint, it is safe enough to exchange confidential information as password resets. All WhatsApp business accounts undergo mandatory authentication to let users stay peaceful.

• Supports Two-Way Communication

Another advantage of using WhatsApp for business is getting messages from clients. Before going to your website, they can contact you if they need customer service. This accessibility increases your chances of obtaining and keeping your business.

Speech Analytics

Speech analytics uses technology to record and analyze conversations. AI can more easily analyze large amounts of unstructured data than humans can. Speech analytics uses audio pattern analysis and word recognition to determine call quality, monitor agent performance, and pinpoint emotions. 

Similar technology can be used for text analysis, and when combined, speech and text analytics allow businesses to gain insightful data that can be used to either enhance current interactions or have a positive impact on one on one customer interactions in real time.

Let us understand the benefits that Speech Analytics has got to offer businesses

• Reduce Customer Effort

Using post-call speech analytics, brands can pinpoint areas where customers are exerting a lot of effort and pinpoint specific actions that can be taken to raise customer engagement and satisfaction.

• Quality Assurance

Speech analytics allows for 100% of agent conversations to be monitored in real-time and prompts employees to use predetermined scripts or phrases, such as those required to ensure legal compliance. As more agents than ever work from home, many brands are focusing on maintaining data security.

• Provides Better Training

Even though many call centers record agent calls, very few of those recordings are ever played back. Speech analytics makes it possible for managers to pay attention to every call by emphasizing instances of successful calls and coaching opportunities. Speech analytics enables agents to receive feedback in real time, encouraging ongoing call improvement.

• Improve Customer Service Agent Experience

In addition to taking down call details, accessing and sharing pertinent data, and paying close attention to the customer's conversation, customer service representatives must perform several tasks at once.

• Bolster Customer Satisfaction

Speech analytics can be used to detect customer sentiment, notify staff of the customer's emotional state, such as whether they are happy or frustrated, and use this knowledge to guide the right course of action. By instructing agents to deliver the most pertinent information or promotional offer in response to the conversation being had, brands can boost sales and improve customer engagement and deliver top-notch customer service. 

Social Media

Social Media ought to be considered as one of the most powerful digital channels for business growth. To succeed in a competitive market, you need to be aware of new trends in your industry. In fact, 72% of companies use data from social media to make informed decisions about their operations. 

Benefits of social media marketing

• Improves Brand Recognition

Because more than half of the world's population uses social media, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter are natural places to reach new and highly targeted potential customers.

• Establish your brand 

Social media is the best platform for sharing the knowledge and insights that consumers look to brands for. Regardless of the industry your business serves, social media gives you the chance to position your business as a thought leader and the go-to resource for problems relating to your area of expertise.

• Stay Connected

You have the opportunity to communicate with your customers and followers every time they log into social media. If you continue to post engaging and informative content on social media, your customers will be excited to see it in their feeds. This will keep you at the forefront of their minds and make you the first place they turn to when they are prepared to buy.

• Boosts web traffic

It's crucial to advertise and post on social media to promote your website. Sharing outstanding blog or website content on social media is a great way to get readers as soon as you publish a new post.

• Boosts Lead Generation 

Through social media, prospective customers can quickly and easily express interest in your business and your products. Many social networks offer ad formats designed specifically for generating leads because it is such an important benefit of social media for businesses.

Voice Assistants 

Voice assistant technology has quickly assimilated into our daily lives. Voice assistance is useful not only for individual users, but also for businesses, who can make excellent use of it to increase worker productivity. Voice technology can be incredibly beneficial to the operations of your business.

Let us understand the various benefits offered by Voice Assistants to businesses.

• Streamline Business Operations

Because voice assistants can schedule appointments, remember important dates or deadlines, and generally keep relevant information up to date, using voice technology in your company can increase employee productivity and also streamline your business operations. 

• Reduce Operational Costs

Because AI and Deep Learning are integrated, voice assistants never stop operating! They check data, access reports, and keep critical systems updated, all of which help your business run smoothly every day. Such task effectiveness reduces operational costs by giving your staff more time to work effectively and creatively on other tasks.

• Enhances eCommerce Marketing

eCommerce companies can help customers by using voice assistant chatbots. They are efficient, especially for people with vision or mobility problems, and they provide wonderful service to all clients.

Voice assistants like IVR enable system customization and improve marketing by providing better consumer insights. Voice assistants have the advantage of promoting brands and products to consumers. Brands can connect with consumers in more compelling and organic ways as consumer interactions are much more conversational.

• Eliminates Language Barrier

The integration of voice assistant technology with translation services helps your business get past any potential language barriers. A good example is Google Assistant, which can speak multiple languages. By speaking to customers in their own language, voice assistant technology enables eCommerce businesses to increase customer satisfaction and revenue.