Insights from our Head of Consultancy
Tanya Peasgood
Head of Consultancy at Williams Commerce
We’re so immersed in all things ecommerce we sometimes think everyone else is too, but there is a lot happening. Thinking about some of our recent conversations with clients and partners, here are some themes you may find interesting.
Analytics without cookies
Google is moving away from third party cookies, but will this mean losing track of people’s online interests and intentions?
All of us have become more aware and concerned about privacy. We’ve stopped accepting cookies and started ignoring banners. This has means tracking data may now only cover half your site’s activity and so, you will see trends but not exact numbers. As a result, many businesses are looking for alternatives.
There are options out there that are not reliant on third-party data like Adobe Analytics. However, we will see more reliance on first- party data. This move means that we must give customers a reason to share their information. Better and more personalised digital experiences are likely to be an important incentive.
Earlier this year, our CEO Rob shared his outlook for 2024. Rob highlighted personalisation as a significant theme and the importance of balancing this with privacy.
Companies like Klevu and Nosto can also drive personalisation based on a large pool of data. You can use both with Klaviyo for email and SMS marketing as well as push notifications to your app users.
Taking a more holistic view of customer journeys, interests and needs can significantly improve results. Understanding the small steps customers take towards buying will add deeper understanding of their experiences. Tracking won’t become a lost art, but it will change.
"Understanding the small steps customers take towards buying will add deeper understanding of their experiences. Tracking won’t become a lost art, but it will change."
How do you feel about AI and ML?
We’ve discussed the ‘hype cycle’ before. Generally, there’s excitement about new technology, then concerns about its use before we find effective and practical real-world applications.
It’s still difficult to say where we are in our relationship with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). For ecommerce practitioners like us, ML has been a useful tool for a long time. We rely on ML’s capacity to interrogate large data sets for familiar analytics and personalisation tools.
With that said, large learning models (LLMs) and generative AI currently present some major challenges. After all the interest in ChatGPT in 2023, we’re now taking some time to reflect.
Not least, Air Canada, which was challenged after its chatbot advised a customer that they could claim a refund. This was, in fact, against company policy but the airline had no choice but to compensate the customer. This raises some interesting questions about the legal position around the information chatbots provide.
Using content without permission is a major concern too. Original creative content helped train GenAI tools but the creators quickly recognised the threat to their roles. There are questions around whether AI created content is genuinely new and whether we should trust it. For instance, companies like Clearview.ai have collected over 30 billion online images to create a facial recognition database. Despite receiving multiple fines for breaching data privacy, it continues to operate.
A changing ecommerce agency landscape
Another trend we’ve noticed is small agencies joining forces with larger ones. During the pandemic, we saw a rapid growth of ecommerce providers and so, it’s not surprising that many are now retrenching. Collaborating with other agencies adds depth and breadth to available expertise. Last year we became part of the Brandwidth Group, allowing us to extend our network of specialist teams. As expectations and technology quickly evolve, this move will help us meet our clients’ needs.
We’ve also seen business system providers and ecommerce platforms merge. For example, Adobe acquired Magento, NetSuite acquired Vanda and SAP acquired Hybris. On the positive side you, as a customer, can opt for a single solution for your business needs. The downside is that you can quickly become locked into a single provider. Their roadmap for the future may not match yours. Depending on your requirements, you could find yourself at the margins of solution development and support. The challenge is always to find the best approach to grow with your business.
"Depending on your requirements, you could find yourself at the margins of solution development and support. The challenge is always to find the best approach to grow with your business."
Conclusion
Overall, we’re looking at new and innovative ways to deliver useful and meaningful personalised experiences. There are exciting tools available that will improve customer journeys without overstepping the line to becoming intrusive. It’s all about understanding your customers’ intentions.
Looking ahead, measures to manage GenAI tools may have an impact on other online activities. We’ll watch with interest as best practices and regulations develop.
We work as strategic development and delivery partners with a number of growing companies. We’re seeing increasing demand for this type of collaboration and flexibility to take full advantage of ecommerce opportunities.
To find out how our Consultancy Service can help build, optimise and grow your ecommerce business this 2024, get in touch today.
