Etsy is in the process of developing chat bots to assist shoppers in narrowing down their search for the perfect gift. The CEO of Etsy, Josh Silverman, discussed this initiative at a recent Canaccord Genuity Virtual Ecommerce forum.
Silverman highlighted the importance of providing shoppers with guidance similar to that of sales associates in physical stores. He noted that shoppers often require assistance in filtering through a large number of options, especially when looking for gifts for others. By incorporating chat bots, Etsy aims to facilitate conversations that quickly lead to a curated selection of gift ideas.
Given Etsy’s extensive inventory of 100 million handmade, unbranded items, Silverman emphasized the value of enhancing the shopping experience through AI and chat-based search tools. He acknowledged the challenge of categorizing handmade items and explained that the first step is identifying what each item is through computer vision technology.
Furthermore, Silverman underscored the importance of consumers feeling comfortable engaging with chat bots and outlined Etsy’s focus on test-and-learn strategies to optimize user interactions. He expressed confidence in the long-term benefits of incorporating chat bots into the platform.
Overall, Etsy’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve the shopping experience demonstrates the company’s dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction. With ongoing experiments and investments in AI-driven solutions, Etsy is poised to provide shoppers with a more personalized and efficient shopping experience in the future.
