Conversational Commerce: How AI is Rewriting the Rules of Online Shopping
ChatGPT is still far less popular than Google Search, but it’s already changing the rules of the game, including in e-commerce. A growing share of shoppers goes straight to AI chat and asks: «What are the best white T-shirts under 1,000 UAH?» This search style, known as conversational commerce, is transforming how we shop online. Anton Polishchuk, COO at Promodo, a full-service marketing agency, explains how it’s reshaping the market.
Conversational commerce, or prompt commerce, is gaining traction for one simple reason: it delivers all the information you need in one place, with context and reasoning. No more hopping between sites to find what you’re looking for. Studies show that users make purchases 47% faster when guided by AI.
When we talk about AI in shopping, we can divide it into two main types:
1. Chatbots, like ChatGPT.
The user types a request for the aforementioned white T-shirts, and the AI responds with multiple options in the same window. ChatGPT can remember context, analyse preferences, and even anticipate needs. Imagine this scenario: your calendar shows a conference in Lviv next week. ChatGPT could suggest a ticket from Kyiv, a hotel, and other essentials. All that’s left is to pick up your smartphone and pay.
2. AI agents.
These are tools developed by companies to streamline customer interactions. They can check stock, confirm order details, make reservations, or complete purchases. The principle is the same: AI mediates the human-shopping experience.
How should businesses prepare?
Change is coming. If your business isn’t ready, it risks becoming invisible to chatbots and the end consumer. As users increasingly rely on a single AI answer instead of dozens of Google links, brands will have to compete for visibility in AI-generated results. Beyond traditional SEO, we may see the rise of AI-SEO, along with new promotion formats like sponsored answers or AI tips.
Here’s how to get started:
1. Optimise product data for AI. Product pages should be structured as direct answers to common questions. Instead of «Buy iPhone Kyiv,» your page could answer, «Which smartphones under $1,000 have a high-quality camera and long battery life?»
2. Create content that «teaches» AI. AI generates answers based on the available information. Provide as much context as possible about your products and brand. Alongside product listings, include FAQs, comparative reviews, selection guides, and articles with tips or use cases.
3. Engage with new AI platforms. Ensure your site is accessible to AI scanners. For example, don’t block bots like OAI-SearchBot, which indexes content for ChatGPT.
4. Launch pilot projects. Start small: implement an AI chatbot for consultations on your website or app. Allow users to interact with your brand via messengers like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram using an AI bot.
5. Invest in data and your team. AI tools are only as good as the people who use them. Marketers need to master prompt engineering — knowing how to ask the right questions and brief the model. Analysts should be able to read and act on the insights AI provides. And IT specialists must make sure new tools fit seamlessly into existing systems.Conversational commerce is already the new shopping interface. For Ukrainian e-commerce players, it’s a chance to leap into the future alongside global leaders.
Conversational Commerce: How AI is Rewriting the Rules of Online Shopping
ChatGPT is still far less popular than Google Search, but it’s already changing the rules of the game, including in e-commerce. A growing share of shoppers goes straight to AI chat and asks: «What are the best white T-shirts under 1,000 UAH?» This search style, known as conversational commerce, is transforming how we shop online. Anton Polishchuk, COO at Promodo, a full-service marketing agency, explains how it’s reshaping the market.
Conversational commerce, or prompt commerce, is gaining traction for one simple reason: it delivers all the information you need in one place, with context and reasoning. No more hopping between sites to find what you’re looking for. Studies show that users make purchases 47% faster when guided by AI.
When we talk about AI in shopping, we can divide it into two main types:
1. Chatbots, like ChatGPT.
The user types a request for the aforementioned white T-shirts, and the AI responds with multiple options in the same window. ChatGPT can remember context, analyse preferences, and even anticipate needs. Imagine this scenario: your calendar shows a conference in Lviv next week. ChatGPT could suggest a ticket from Kyiv, a hotel, and other essentials. All that’s left is to pick up your smartphone and pay.
2. AI agents.
These are tools developed by companies to streamline customer interactions. They can check stock, confirm order details, make reservations, or complete purchases. The principle is the same: AI mediates the human-shopping experience.
How should businesses prepare?
Change is coming. If your business isn’t ready, it risks becoming invisible to chatbots and the end consumer. As users increasingly rely on a single AI answer instead of dozens of Google links, brands will have to compete for visibility in AI-generated results. Beyond traditional SEO, we may see the rise of AI-SEO, along with new promotion formats like sponsored answers or AI tips.
Here’s how to get started:
1. Optimise product data for AI. Product pages should be structured as direct answers to common questions. Instead of «Buy iPhone Kyiv,» your page could answer, «Which smartphones under $1,000 have a high-quality camera and long battery life?»
2. Create content that «teaches» AI. AI generates answers based on the available information. Provide as much context as possible about your products and brand. Alongside product listings, include FAQs, comparative reviews, selection guides, and articles with tips or use cases.
3. Engage with new AI platforms. Ensure your site is accessible to AI scanners. For example, don’t block bots like OAI-SearchBot, which indexes content for ChatGPT.
4. Launch pilot projects. Start small: implement an AI chatbot for consultations on your website or app. Allow users to interact with your brand via messengers like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram using an AI bot.
5. Invest in data and your team. AI tools are only as good as the people who use them. Marketers need to master prompt engineering — knowing how to ask the right questions and brief the model. Analysts should be able to read and act on the insights AI provides. And IT specialists must make sure new tools fit seamlessly into existing systems.Conversational commerce is already the new shopping interface. For Ukrainian e-commerce players, it’s a chance to leap into the future alongside global leaders.