AI has changed the way eCommerce stores work. From inventory forecasting to product recommendations to sending order confirmation emails, AI has taken over all the tasks.
AI continues to transform the eCommerce industry. And those brands that ignore it face the risk of being left behind. That is why eCommerce brands need to hire AI consultants for eCommerce.
In this blog, we look at why eCommerce businesses need AI consultants, how to find the best AI consultants, and how to set up your store for success.
Let’s get started!
What is an AI consultant for eCommerce?
AI has become a critical part of eCommerce. The AI in the eCommerce market is projected to reach $16.8 billion by 2030. It was just $3.71 billion in 2021. To stay relevant in the market, brands need to implement AI capabilities. And for that, eCommerce brands need AI consultants.
An AI consultant possesses deep knowledge in artificial intelligence systems and related technology, and has the expertise to apply it in eCommerce platforms. General IT consultants may have broad knowledge of technology, but AI consultants have expert-level practical application knowledge.
AI consultants for eCommerce focus on these key areas:
- Strategy: identifying AI opportunities for your business
- Implementation: Planning and implementing AI adoption
- System integration: Integrating AI tools with existing platforms
- Optimization: Continuous improvement of AI performance
So, how are AI consultants different from general IT consultants?
AI consultants have deeper knowledge and understanding. For instance, while IT consultants might be able to recommend a chatbot, AI consultants know how to integrate chatbots within your systems. They also know how to configure it for specific needs, and optimize it to drive conversions.
Ecommerce companies use AI specialists for various purposes. For example, to set up product recommendation algorithms, implement dynamic pricing, and manage inventory.
Why are AI consultants essential for eCommerce businesses today?
With increasing AI-based process requirements in eCommerce, businesses require the services of expert AI consultants. Here’s why:
1. Complex eCommerce requirements
Unlike earlier, the requirements of eCommerce stores have changed. Brands now have to ensure personalized experiences for customers. There is increased competition between brands. To beat competition, brands have to engage customers at every touchpoint.
AI consultants help address all these needs. Moreover, consultants keep abreast with advancements in AI technologies, ensuring your brand is always ready for competition.
2. Correct adoption of AI
Without proper knowhow, brands often end up investing in tools that do not integrate well with their existing systems. AI tools require special knowledge for implementing them in the correct way. Moreover, there are many different AI solutions available in the market.
It is critical to know which one is best suited to your store. Each tool has different integrations requirements and optimization needs. AI consultants for eCommerce have the required knowledge to assess which tools go well for which requirements.
3. Avoid wasted spends
By hiring AI consultants for eCommerce, brands can avoid wastage of spends. AI consultants possess deep knowledge, expertise, and experience to understand which tools are required for what needs. By recommending the correct tools and implementing them properly into your existing systems, you can avoid any kind of wastage of funds and resources.
7 reasons your eCommerce business needs and AI consultant
Here's why we recommend eCommerce businesses hire AI consultants:
1. Personalization that scales
Today’s customers expect personalization throughout their buying journey. 71% of customers expect personalized experiences. And businesses that grow faster drive 40% of revenue through personalization.
But to offer personalization for multiple customer segments, you need the help of AI-powered tools. That’s where AI consultants come in. Here’s how AI consultants can help create personalized experiences.
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Implement complex recommendation systems for each customer segment
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Collect and analyze data from purchase history, browsing behavior, seasonal trends, etc.
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Maintain consistency in personalized experiences
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Help scale personalization as businesses grow
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Set up AI-driven product recommendation systems
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Set up automated systems for dynamic content
2. Smarter inventory and demand forecasting
Inventory management is one of the most common challenges of eCommerce brands. Stockouts and overstock are two aspects that affect businesses. But AI has provided smart solutions for inventory management, too. AI consultants for eCommerce help with inventory management. Here’s how:
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Set up proper inventory forecast systems by syncing multiple data streams
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Implement predictive analytics
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Enable proactive inventory decisions
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Customize AI tools to meet your specific inventory needs
3. Improved customer support
According to a study by Gartner, by 2025, 80% of customer support organizations will be applying AI in some form to improve agent productivity. AI tools enable 24/7 customer support, ensuring your customers receive prompt response. But to successfully set up AI-powered customer support systems, you require the help of AI consultants for eCommerce. Here’s how they can help:
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Integrate automated systems and human agents
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Design support systems with chatbots
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Implement natural language processing systems
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Enable sophisticated and complex problem-solving systems
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Integrate voice assistants to meet the growing customer support needs
4. Improved marketing ROI
The world of eCommerce marketing has evolved beyond just emails and SMS. Today’s AI-powered marketing systems have many benefits, such as providing real-time data, segment audience, run A/B tests, SEO marketing, etc. To set up and utilize these features effectively, you require AI consultants for eCommerce to do the following:
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Implement attribution models to track customer journeys across multiple touchpoints
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Enable precise ROI measurement and budget allocation
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Create feedback loops to improve performance continuously
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Improve algorithm targeting for better marketing performance
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Optimize marketing campaigns using AItools
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Another benefit of AI systems is to set up fraud detection
5. Conversion rate optimization
AI-powered CRO systems use tools to analyze customer data and convert it into insightful information to drive conversions. Traditional systems are limited and require a lot of time. With AI-powered CRO tools, you can analyze large amounts of data continuously to identify opportunities to push conversions. Here’s how AI consultants help:
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Set up heatmap analysis
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Collect data from user sessions and behavioral patterns
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Implement dynamic optimization systems to adjust page elements
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Optimize checkout flows based on individual behavior patterns
6. AI for workflow automation
Ecommerce websites have many tasks that are repetitive. For example, billing for each order, sending confirmation emails, displaying product recommendations, etc. These repetitive tasks can be time consuming. But AI-powered tools automate these processes. And here’s how your AI consultant for eCommerce can help:
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Identify the right automation processes and implementing systems for them
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Map existing workflows and identify opportunities
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Integrate new AI automation systems with existing structures
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Automate processes, including returns, product tagging, inventory updates, email sequences, etc.
7. Future-proofing your business
The world of AI tools for eCommerce keeps evolving with new features, tools, and applications. And businesses have to keep up with new tools and upgrades. Without expert knowledge, it is hard to ensure the correct application of AI tools. That’s why eCommerce businesses need AI consultants. AI consultants do this:
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Provide ongoing strategic guidance to evaluate new AI tools
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Implement new tools, upgrade old versions
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Ensure existing AI systems remain upgraded and current
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Create technology roadmaps that help businesses leverage AI
How to choose the best AI consultant for your eCommerce business?
Follow these best practices for choosing an AI consultant for your business:
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The consultant must have proven expertise and experience in operations and AI implementation for eCommerce
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Ensure the consultant has sound technical knowledge of specific AI tools that are useful for eCommerce
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The consultant should understand recommendation engines, large language models for customer support applications, AI workflow automation platforms, etc.
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They should have case studies from their past experience to demonstrate their capabilities
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The AI consultant should have knowledge and experience in your industry
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Assess their integration capabilities with existing systems
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Be able to connect AI tools with your current ERP systems, CRM platforms, email marketing tools, and analytics systems, etc.
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Understand their knowledge regarding roadmap implementation, ROI tracking, strategy development, etc.
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They should provide clear timelines, success metrics, and provide regular updates
Key questions to ask potential AI consultants for eCommerce
Here are some questions you must definitely ask potential AI consultants for your Shopify store:
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Ask questions that throw light on their depth of expertise and approach to addressing challenges
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Ask them how they measure AI ROI to understand what metrics they follow, the methods used, and how they share reports
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Ask them to share examples of past projects, specifically from the similar industry
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Give them a hypothetical case scenario and ask them how they’d implement AI in that case
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When choosing an AI consultant, ask them to share success stories as well as examples of failures and how they changed their approach
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Ask them specific questions about compliance, data privacy, and security and how they use AI tools for the same
Wrapping up: Choosing an AI consultant for your eCommerce store
AI is here to stay. And there’s no escaping AI if you want to stay relevant, competitive, and profitable. It is not just a trend. It is a necessity.
But to ensure your AI investment brings maximum ROI, you must do it intelligently and strategically. Now, your business might not have in-house AI expertise. That’s what you need to hire an AI consultant for eCommerce.
If you’re looking for an AI consultant for your eCommerce business, book an AI consultation with XgenTech. Our experts will guide you with AI implementation, automation, and AI-driven growth strategies for your eCommerce store.
