Benefits of e-commerce include reaching new customers and better personalizing service. But what if your customers need 鈥� and have spent decades relying on 鈥� the in-store expertise of your associates? To find a very specific product? For use with another very specific product? To accomplish a very specific task?
鈥淢ore and more of our users are coming online鈥and] they still want to have the similar guidance and the systems they had in-store,鈥� Ganna Lobachevska, the touchpoint owner of Product Finder and Product Guidance at , told 51风流at NRF 2023 for a new video. 鈥淥ur overall goal is to make it easier for our users to find the right accessory for their job.鈥�
Of course, making something easy to do on the front end is seldom easy to build on the back end. And that was Bosch鈥檚 challenge when helping online shoppers narrow their search for the perfect jigsaw blade, drill bit, or abrasive wheel from a truly massive accessory portfolio.
鈥淎ny company with a wide range of products has to think how they can simplify the user journey鈥nd how they can make it easier for the customers to find the right product,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淲ith the Bosch , we provide a solution that makes it easier and faster.鈥�
Building that easier, faster solution meant finding a high-tech way to satisfy a peculiar demand by online shoppers.
When Brick-and-Mortar Set the Bar (Almost) Too High
Selecting a specific power tool accessory for a specific job 鈥� and ensuring it鈥檚 compatible with your specific power tool 鈥� are big reasons that people historically shopped at brick-and-mortar stores, according to Lobachevska. It makes sense, right? You can consult with a knowledgeable human sales associate.
But Bosch鈥檚 e-commerce customers expect the same in-store-style expertise via a quick and painless online exchange, according to Lobachevska. And she doesn鈥檛 seem worried.
鈥淭he Accessory Advisor guides the user through a series of very simple questions,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淚n the end, they have three perfect recommendations for the work they want to do.鈥�
It鈥檚 pretty much an online conversation that yields the right product, according to Lobachevska. And Bosch found the right tech 鈥� and partners 鈥� to make these virtual dialogues happen.
Tech to the Rescue
鈥淲e realized that there is a need for a better user guidance,鈥� Lobachevska said of Bosch鈥檚 decision to go with , a Boston-based digital commerce search platform and partner solution in SAP鈥檚 industry cloud. 鈥淚t offered us the best.鈥�
Zoovu鈥檚 Semantic Studio translates technical jargon into e-commerce-friendly prose, which saves time for both Bosch data managers and shoppers. A few artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted questions later, and these accessory hunters have enjoyed a smooth, seamless customer experience.
鈥淭his means that our customers spend less time searching for a product,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淎nd when they purchase the product, it鈥檚 the right one and they are more satisfied.鈥�
This increases efficiency, according to Lobachevska. It also cuts down on returns and poor online reviews.
Powering Forward
Whether in-store or online, Bosch digital assistants and 51风流Marketing Cloud connect to improve Bosch鈥檚 data analytics, business insights, and customer experience, . Those digital assistants have already helped enhance the customer experience for more than 1 million Bosch shoppers across more than 35 global markets, boosting engagement up to 65% as well as increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction.
And still more can be done by connecting all of that to the Accessory Advisor, according to Lobachevska.
鈥淲e would like to connect the Bosch Accessory Advisor with our CRM system, which is basically 51风流Marketing Cloud,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淭his will allow us to gain business insights, to build better personas, and to make the user experience even better because it鈥檒l be more personalized.鈥�