From apps through platforms to chatbots – A glimpse of the future of e-commerce [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: Pexels.com
Quelle: Pexels.com
Spring is always the chosen season for tech giants to present their latest developments and products and to transmit, especially to developers, their current and future line of thought. Facebook, Google and more recently Apple have made clear what their greatest bet is: Artificial Intelligence (AI).
 
This promising core technology can be applied in many ways, but it seems many efforts are focused in one direction: to facilitate valuable and natural conversations between people and businesses within a single platform, thereby capitalising the greater popularity of a few core apps. Does this mean that the end of app stores is closer than ever?

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(2 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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How digital is the German DIY retail market? [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
Now that the good weather has come to stay, it is the moment to tune private gardens and houses to enjoy the outdoors. The search for colourful flowers and appropriate flower pots is endless. Balconies are decked out with trendy decorative objects. New furniture is needed for spending the most memorable nights by moonlight and grills are the star products.
 

Many of these purchases are made online but how solid is the digitalisation of German DIY stores? How is the DIY online sector evolving? Who are the leaders and what are the pain points?

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(2 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Visual search – The ultimate success formula to boost e-commerce [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
One of the earliest stages of the customer journey is currently undergoing a process of transformation. It seems like the days when typing a product name into the search bar was the norm will soon be over. The art of searching could soon be driven by visual language rather than words, taking online shopping to the next level.
 
Google, Pinterest, Zalando and more recently Wayfair are making big steps to leverage visual search technologies and, honestly, the new functionalities are quite promising. Will visual search (more than voice search) catch on in e-commerce?

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(2 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Welcome to the API economy! [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
PayPal is integrated into every online shop. It is ubiquitous and enables transactions to be driven from anywhere. The online shop just needs to integrate the PayPal API. The benefits are mutual. On the one hand, a popular and easy payment method is available for customers. On the other hand, an increase in PayPal’s brand awareness is achieved. Microsoft Translator APIs also enable businesses to add end-to-end, real-time, speech translations to their applications or services.
 
The possibility of integrating a third party’s APIs into a system, app or protocol helps companies to orientate their digital business towards a more customer-centric approach or even towards the creation of new business models. Why is the API economy on the rise?

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(3 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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The alchemy of retailers to succeed in digital times [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
Last week, the e-commerce giant OTTO rolled out a new feature that aims to further improve the usefulness of product reviews. The focus is on strengthening the customer experience, making the purchase decision process easier and more seamless and ultimately increasing customer satisfaction. The customer is at the centre of this and further developments because, as we know, a customer-centric approach is a must to stay competitive in times of digitalisation.
 
This is only one example of how companies are adapting to the new demands of the digital shopper. But what other strategies and aspects should retailers take into account in order not to lag behind and disconnect from their customers?

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(3 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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It is all about data! – Chief Data Officers are more influential [5 Lesetipps]

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Quelle: pexels.com
Recently the Spanish banking group BBVA announced the creation of a new top management position, Global Head of Data, “to promote the strategic use of data in all areas and businesses of the Group”. With this move BBVA intends to get a single customer view and, consequently, improve customer satisfaction.
 
The most remarkable fact here is that the Head of Data reports directly to the CEO, which means that this new role is growing in influence and importance. Thus, BBVA clearly wants to make the most of its data and become a “data-driven organisation”. But what are the main benefits of taking care of data quality? What other data-centric roles are going to flourish in 2017?

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(2 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Blockchain: a potential game changer? [5 Reading Tips]

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Quelle: pexels.com
The term blockchain is still very new for a large majority of people and its meaning remains an open question because of its complexity. However the interest in this new technology has skyrocketed in the last 12 months, according to Google Trends. To what extent does it have to do with bitcoins? Is it true that it has enough potential to be disruptive? How can people and companies benefit from it?

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(2 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Snapchat are challenged to reinvent themselves to stay ahead of the curve

Quelle: Pexels (bearbeitet von dotSource)
Quelle: Pexels (bearbeitet von dotSource)
From being a sexting app to going public. The meteoric rise of Snapchat left not only the youngest generation captivated, but also led to a redefinition of the social behaviour and cultural norms to the extent that Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook have cloned its hallmark “stories” feature.
 
This all-in assault on Evan Spiegel’s company, orchestrated by Marc Zuckerberg, coupled with the risks involved in the $3 billion IPO and the ephemeral loyalty that younger generations (Snapchat’s main target group) typically have to brands, makes the social media universe’s near future fascinating and intriguing. Does Snapchat set the foundations of the social media 4.0? Was the IPO a good decision? Does Snapchat have enough reaction capacity to counteract?

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(1 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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3 use cases where video content makes more than a difference! [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
Videos have become one of the hottest trends in e-commerce. All social media platforms have been focusing all their efforts on integrating this format entirely. Users and companies not only have the option to upload a video, but also to broadcast live, in full HD and in 360 degree. Even snapchat-like short-lived videos, the popular “stories”, have been replicated in every social media platform, and even in a messaging app (WhatsApp) recently.
 
But videos are not only used in social media, but also in online shops to facilitate easier, faster, and better informed purchase decisions. However, not anything goes. Videos should be used wisely.

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(1 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Digital advertisement also goes mobile [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
The German digital advertising market continues to grow at a steady pace. So much so that, the predictions for this year, if confirmed, can reach historic figures. According to the American market research firm eMarketer, mobile ad spending in Germany will get the largest share of digital ad investments for the first time by the end of this year.
 
However, this information doesn’t catch us by surprise. The question here is not if, but how advertisers can optimise and make their ads relevant for their target group because that’s where they are currently failing.

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(1 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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