Businesses no longer rely solely on passive methods such as online stores and advertising to expand their operations in this environment. The proactive approach of Conversation Commerce has become a hot topic. There are also many options available in the market that provide such services. The goal of Conversation Commerce is not just post-sales service but to expand business beyond physical stores and e-shops.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, there are three key factors to consider when deploying Conversation Commerce.

Effective customer segmentation allows for meaningful promotional activities and avoids spamming the target customers. Clear customer profiles, including anonymous browsing data, purchase records, and conversation query logs, are crucial for identifying target customer groups and formulating promotional content. In this regard, a comprehensive and user-friendly Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system becomes essential.

Secondly, choosing the right communication channels is crucial. Popular communication apps used by Hong Kong customers, such as WhatsApp, Instagram Messenger, and Facebook Messenger, provide API integration with usage-based fees. There are also newer communication apps that offer free APIs, such as Telegram (TG). Choosing between free, paid, and effective options is also a factor for businesses to consider.

Lastly, the ability of the backend system to efficiently complete the entire Order-to-Cash process is essential. How quickly orders are collected, goods are dispatched, and deliveries are made is another factor that affects a company's profitability. Receiving orders through conversations is beneficial, but collecting and confirming payments through instant messaging presents a challenge. Whether businesses choose eForms (such as Google Forms or Microsoft Forms) or manually send quotations, it often gives buyers a "cooling-off period," during which they may reconsider the necessity and quantity of their purchases. Businesses should choose the most suitable method to ensure that the Order-to-Cash process, from receiving orders to arranging deliveries, is smooth, improving customer satisfaction and encouraging repeat purchases.

As for the suitable backend systems to complement these considerations, we will explore them in the next article.

Unleashing the Power of Backend Systems in Harmony with Conversation Commerce.