The versatility of chat as a commerce channel

We truly live in a digital world. I can think of only a handful of things that we spend our time on that is not digital. For the rest, we are dependent on digital devices to interact with our world. Nowadays, these devices come in many different form factors, ranging from desktop computers, set-top boxes, voice-activated devices to mobile phones. We also have various types of services on these devices that we engage with, such as emails, real-time voice calls, browsers, and  apps. One can even find obscure ways many people use digital devices, like USSD strings or SIM-based applications. But by far the most popular and most versatile way of interacting with a digital world, is through chat applications using a new language that can best be described as chat.

There are many applications nowadays that enable the end-consumer to chat with another person or with a bot. Often these chat applications are native chat apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, or kind of chat like, such as Skype. Often the chat functionality is implemented inside the app, like with Pinterest or Instagram and so forth. Not only are we seeing that consumers are getting more comfortable interacting with a chat paradigm, but this approach is way more versatile and powerful than any other way of interacting with your digital world.

While other windows on the digital world have great functions, chat is packed with many cool features and seems to not have trade-offs. Below are some of the powerful characteristics about the channel in your digital world:

• Chat is being used in both a synchronized and asynchronized way. One can interact in situations where immediate responses are required or not.
• Messages can both be pushed to the subscriber or pulled through interaction with the subscriber, so both give and take.
• Chat is more closely related to what we do naturally than most other channels, with the possible exception of voice or telephone.
• Chat comes with the ability to understand context. The history of previous interactions is always available and it is easy to revert back to previous conversations.
• The interaction can be as rich as it is totally conceivable. Interactions can include voice, documents, video, etc.
• State and context are usually retained. In other words, the history can easily be viewed and can have a bearing on what is being said later.
• It is probably more closely tied to an individual person than any other access method, so high natural authentication.

It stands to reason that utilizing chat for commerce makes real sense. Companies that embrace this truth will more likely win.