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12 Ways E-Commerce Companies Can Boost D2C Sales With AI

In the past, e-commerce companies enabled direct-to-consumer sales by creating online storefronts where customers could browse, purchase and receive products directly from the seller, cutting out intermediaries such as retail stores. Today, artificial intelligence is transforming the e-commerce landscape by helping businesses personalize recommendations, handle customer service, optimize pricing strategies and much more.As the members of Forbes Agency Council know, the effect that these AI-driven enhancements have on the overall shopping experience can lead to more conversions and higher sales. Below, 12 members share creative ways for e-commerce companies to blend AI with digital marketing to boost D2C sales.

1. Generate Hyper-Dynamic Landing Pages

For most brands with a high performing e-commerce business, the basics that drive conversion and cart size haven’t changed in over a decade. A creative way to use AI is to generate hyper-dynamic landing pages for consumers. For instance, if someone comes from a product ad on Instagram, bring them to a page with product details, a related-product carousel and an embedded cart to shorten the path to purchase. - Holden Bale, Merkle

2. Monitor Brand And Product Sentiment

Leveraging AI tools that can monitor brand sentiment, as well as specific product sentiment, can help brands know which products are ready for heavier performance advertising to drive sales. It’s really hard for a lot of DTC e-commerce brands to link awareness and performance campaigns, but AI can certainly help. - Rich Cannava, Overskies

3. Analyze Customer Data

E-commerce companies can use AI algorithms to analyze customer behavior, preferences and purchase history. This, combined with an existing media and marketing strategy, can boost direct-to-consumer sales. - Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising

4. Personalize Product Recommendations

An e-commerce company can use personalized recommendation engines to suggest products based on customer data, past purchases, website usage and other shopping behaviors, enhancing the shopping experience and boosting DTC sales. Amazon and Netflix have done stuff like this for a while, but AI brings these strategies into focus for smaller brands in a way we haven’t seen before. - Christine Wetzler, Pietryla PR & Marketing

5. Automate Marketing Campaigns

One creative way an e-commerce company could blend artificial intelligence with digital marketing to boost direct-to-consumer sales is by creating automated marketing campaigns. Companies can use AI to analyze customer data and automatically set up targeted campaigns. - Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

6. Create GenAI Tools To Conduct Complex Data Analysis

Generative AI can conduct complex data analysis in record time. Instead of blanket promotional campaigns, DTC companies can create their own generative AI tools that rely on consumer interactions and first-party data. These tools could identify the most enticing product deals that consumers will care about most and even pull in location and weather data to create hyper-personalized experiences. - Josh Campo, Razorfish

7. Create Virtual Shopping Assistants

Creating AI-driven virtual shopping assistants is a highly effective way for e-commerce businesses to boost their direct-to-consumer sales. These AI bots are able to interact with customers and offer tailored shopping recommendations based on their browsing and purchase history. This can significantly improve a user’s shopping experience and ultimately boost ROI by streamlining the sales funnel. - Adam Binder, Creative Click Media

8. Create Bespoke Marketing Campaigns

An e-commerce company can leverage AI to personalize shopping experiences. By analyzing customer data, AI can predict preferences and suggest products, creating bespoke marketing campaigns that resonate with individual consumers, thereby boosting direct sales. - Blake George, BMG Media Co.

9. Generate Content Specific To Individual Visitors

Use AI to generate content specific to an individual visitor. As a visitor’s behavior is tracked, patterns emerge that AI can identify. Do you have a visitor from a Los Angeles IP address going back and forth between dog collars in three different colors after reading a blog post on Labradors? Have AI generate images of Labradors on Malibu Beach wearing the collars in each color. Doing this can lead to skyrocketing sales! - Michael Chagala, Rank Harvest SEO

10. Personalize Websites Via User Cookies

An innovative method of utilizing AI is for website personalization via user cookies. Tools such as Clearbit Reveal identify a visitor’s company, allowing for customization of the site with their logo. This bespoke experience, tailored to the user’s professional identity, significantly enhances engagement and can subtly influence purchasing decisions, making a notable impact on direct-to-consumer sales. - Mikas Agarwal, Akran Marketing

11. Leverage AI Within A Company’s Mobile App

The best way to blend AI with digital marketing is through an e-commerce company’s mobile app. Adding an AI layer into the digital marketing within the app itself creates a uniquely personalized direct-to-consumer sales opportunity. The AI can examine a customer’s implicit and explicit behaviors and then determine what the next offer should be. - Roger Hurni, Off Madison Ave

12. Identify Good Candidates For Direct Mail Campaigns

An e-commerce company can boost sales through AI-driven programmatic and retargeting direct mail. Analyze customer behavior online to send personalized, timely physical mail, thereby reengaging customers and boosting direct-to-consumer sales. - Mike Gunderson, Gunderson Direct Inc.