One of the great paradoxes of the modern age is that the sheer amount of choice available makes it harder to choose something. Back in the days before the internet and the thriving world of ecommerce, people had fewer decisions to make and had to settle for what was available.
Now, decision fatigue poses a problem for ecommerce sites, where people have so many options that they often end up choosing none of them. AI could help solve this issue, and it may be able to one day recommend the exact products that people want without them having to browse through endless pages themselves.
How Ecommerce Sites Currently Help People Make Decisions
Decision fatigue isn’t just an issue in ecommerce. In fact, it can be found in countless other online industries, with entertainment being a prime example. As streaming services like Netflix have expanded, they have had to give people new ways to discover content. The algorithm is refined to make suggestions that individual users want to watch, and then these are listed prominently at the top of the page.
The same thing can be seen in the online casino industry, where players are faced with hundreds of slots to choose from. Sites tend to mix up the selections and list the top UK slots online near the top of the page where people can easily see them. Operators also make good use of categories, arranging games based on popularity or theme.
Some of the leading ecommerce sites have this kind of system in place as well, and trending items are often listed on the homepage. Returning users will also often see recommendations based on their past purchases and have the option to buy directly from a link. This means that they don’t have to browse through different pages with slightly different variants of the same item.
AI Is Expected to Make Ultra Tailored Recommendations
AI is already starting to have an impact on the ecommerce industry, especially when it comes to automating processes that previously required humans. Amazon recently laid off 14,000 employees and replaced them with AI, highlighting how this shift towards the future technology will have a massive impact.
The potential for AI is vast, and one of the most exciting things about it will be its ability to make tailored recommendations for individual users. Today’s recommendations already feel refined, as they are based on huge amounts of data and user demographics. But AI will have the ability to crunch even more information and home in on the exact things that people need.
This could involve connecting to different apps in smart homes and on smartphones, ensuring that AI has enough information about users to anticipate their purchases. For example, if an ecommerce site is linked to a smart fridge, it may be able to add items to people’s baskets that they need to restock.
In the future, ecommerce sites will have even more options than they have today. However, decision fatigue may not exist at all then. That’s because AI will assist users and help them find exactly what they want, without them having to sift through the various options themselves.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
