Conversational Commerce: What it is and why brands are slow to adopt

What is conversational commerce — and why does it matter?

Conversational commerce involves any digital interaction that mimics human-like dialogues. These channels streamline the entire purchase journey by merging product discovery, Q&A, support, and checkout into a single conversation.

• High engagement: Consumers tend to be more engaged when they’re “talking” to a brand, rather than scrolling through static listings.
• Personal touch: A well-trained chatbot or voice interface can personalize suggestions based on a customer’s previous behavior, location, or stated preferences.
• Round-the-clock availability: AI-powered interactions run 24/7, allowing customers to get immediate answers anytime, anywhere.

Despite clear consumer interest, most brands aren’t embracing conversational commerce, due to outdated infrastructure, inconsistent product data, and lack of analytics to measure performance, leaving a wide-open space for those willing to innovate.

What are examples of conversational commerce?

Here are some conversational commerce examples:

• Chatbots on ecommerce websites: Customers can ask questions and receive instant responses, streamlining the shopping experience.
• Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger): These platforms allow customers to inquire about orders, receive product recommendations, and get personalized support.
• Voice assistants (e.g., Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant): Customers can make purchases or check product availability using voice commands.
• Text message-based ordering (e.g., Starbucks): Customers can easily place orders and make payments through a conversational interface.

What is conversational commerce vs. social commerce?

Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between conversational commerce and social commerce:

What is the benefit of conversational commerce?

The benefits of conversational commerce are significant, enabling businesses to provide real-time communication, personalize product recommendations, respond to customer inquiries promptly, and resolve issues instantly. By offering a seamless and convenient shopping experience, brands can build trust and enhance customer loyalty, resulting in improved customer satisfaction.

Moreover, conversational commerce helps streamline business operations by leveraging AI-powered tools and automation. Businesses can reduce response times, handle customer queries more efficiently, and automate repetitive tasks, freeing up resources for more strategic activities. The ability to gather valuable customer insights further allows organizations to refine their products and marketing efforts, driving increased sales and boosting customer retention. Ultimately, integrating conversational commerce into a brand's strategy helps strengthen customer relationships while optimizing operational efficiency.

Common types of conversational commerce

Conversational commerce goes beyond basic chatbots and messaging, incorporating various AI-driven solutions to enhance customer engagement. Some key types include:

• AI-powered shopping assistants – Virtual assistants guide users through the buying process, offering tailored product recommendations based on browsing behavior and preferences.
• Conversational checkout – Integrated payment solutions within chat interfaces allow customers to complete transactions without leaving the conversation.
• Interactive customer support – AI-powered agents handle complex queries, escalate issues when needed, and provide proactive assistance based on customer history.
• Live shopping assistance – Brands integrate live chat with product experts to help customers make informed decisions in real time.
• Automated follow-ups – AI-driven tools send personalized messages, order updates, or replenishment reminders to keep customers engaged after a purchase.

By integrating these solutions, businesses can create a more seamless and intuitive buying experience that builds long-term customer relationships.

The importance of seamless integration across channels

For brands adopting conversational commerce, ensuring a seamless experience across multiple channels is essential. Whether customers engage through messaging apps, live chat on ecommerce sites, or voice assistants, consistency is key. Shoppers may switch between channels during their purchasing journey, such as starting a conversation with a chatbot, progressing to a voice assistant for a purchase, and later using a messaging app to track their order. If these interactions aren’t integrated, brands risk offering fragmented and inconsistent experiences, leading to frustration and lost sales.

A seamless integration of conversational commerce solutions ensures that product data, pricing, promotions, and customer support are consistent across all touchpoints. This unified experience not only enhances customer satisfaction but also strengthens trust and loyalty. By integrating all communication channels efficiently, businesses can provide a smooth, personalized journey that keeps customers engaged and increases the likelihood of conversion.

Customers are ready for conversational commerce — so why aren’t brands?

Clearly, customers want conversational commerce, and they’re already engaging with brands via chat, messaging apps, and voice search. Yet, brands hesitate to fully commit due to several key roadblocks:

1. Inconsistent, outdated product information leads to customer distrust

   Conversational commerce is only as effective as the product data powering it. When chatbots or voice assistants pull outdated pricing, incorrect specifications, or conflicting inventory details, customers lose confidence in the brand. Many organizations struggle here because their product information remains scattered across disconnected systems, resulting in:

   • Mismatched product details between chatbot responses and actual website listings.
   • Inaccurate availability, causing frustration when items turn out to be out of stock.
   • Poor chatbot experiences, where outdated information or a lack of relevant content makes interactions feel impersonal and unreliable.

   How Contentserv solves this:

   • Product Information Management (PIM): A centralized, real-time source of truth for all product details, ensuring chatbots and voice assistants always deliver up-to-date responses.
   • Automated data syndication and feed management: Keeps product content consistent across all channels — chat, website, marketplaces, advertising and marketing platforms, and customer service portals — preventing mismatches that undermine trust.
2. Disconnected content systems make rich media integration difficult

   Today’s shoppers don’t just want text-based interactions — they also expect visuals, videos, and enriched descriptions to make informed decisions. Many brands, however, still rely on disconnected digital asset repositories, causing:

   • Inconsistent visuals across channels (for instance, a chatbot pulling an outdated image).
   • Limited engagement due to missing product demo videos or lifestyle images that highlight product benefits.
   • Fragmented brand experience, where conversational commerce lags behind the rich media found on ecommerce sites.

   How Contentserv solves this:

   • Digital Asset Management (DAM): A centralized media library enabling brands to serve chatbots and voice assistants with the latest product visuals, videos, and promotional assets. 
   • Headless content delivery: Seamlessly integrates media into any platform — chat interfaces, voice assistants, or social commerce channels — without rebuilding assets for each one.
3. Lack of contextualization and localization

   A global brand spanning multiple regions cannot rely on one-size-fits-all product messaging. Shoppers in different locales expect:

   • Localized pricing, descriptions, and compliance information.
   • Region-specific promotions or product recommendations.
   • Culturally relevant languages and examples in chat responses.

   Brands hesitant to deploy conversational commerce often lack the infrastructure to adapt content dynamically.

   How Contentserv solves this:

   • AI-driven contextualization: Automatically tailors product descriptions, pricing, and compliance details for each location, language, and local regulations.
   • Localized content delivery: Ensures that chatbots and voice assistants serve region-specific responses, so shoppers receive relevant information without manual intervention.
4. No visibility into overall ecommerce performance

   Many companies are hesitant to invest in conversational commerce because they lack a clear understanding of overall ecommerce performance across digital channels. Without integrated insights, it’s hard to:

   • Identify which products are performing best in online sales and why.
   • Optimize product listings, pricing strategies, or promotional campaigns across different digital touchpoints.
   • Gauge the impact of omnichannel efforts — including conversational touchpoints — on overall revenue and customer satisfaction. 

   How Contentserv solves this:

   • Digital Shelf Analytics: Delivers visibility into how products appear and sell across ecommerce platforms, marketplaces, and other digital channels, so you can see where improvements are needed.
   • Performance tracking: Monitors engagement and conversion data at the product and category level, enabling data-driven adjustments to enhance your overarching ecommerce strategy.

Seizing the conversational commerce advantage

By tackling these four challenges — inconsistent data, disconnected content, limited localization, and lack of performance insights — brands can move from tentative experimentation to solid success in conversational commerce. In doing so, they create frictionless, real-time customer experiences that improve loyalty and drive revenue growth.

Contentserv provides an integrated framework — from PIM and DAM to automated syndication, AI-driven contextualization, and analytics — ensuring your product data is accurate and up to date, your content is consistent, and your ecommerce performance is trackable. This solid foundation is essential for powering any conversation-driven initiative you choose to deploy.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re looking to elevate your product data, unify content, and streamline workflows in preparation for conversational commerce (or any other cutting-edge channel), let’s talk. Contentserv provides solutions to help you thrive — delivering accurate, enriched, and localized product information to customers wherever they choose to engage.

Don’t stay in the majority that hesitates! Contact Contentserv to explore how we streamline your product information, optimize your content operations, and give you the foundational insights needed to excel in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Access Forrester’s “Predictions 2025: Digital Commerce” here to learn more.
This report is available to Forrester subscribers or for purchase.