Buy it in ChatGPT: The Future of 0-Click Buying is HERE (Agentic Commerce )
We've seen this coming and it is HERE: The future of ecommerce
It was obvious from the very beginning: AI / LLM answers are not just decreasing the need for clicks by making buying decisions by themselves; soon, there will be no need to click anything, even to buy.
I talked about that a lot (especially when ChatGPT introduced (1) product search) but now it is official.
It is no longer just 0-click discovery (2). It is also 0-click buying.
“Buy it in ChatGPT”: What Is ChatGPT’s “Instant Checkout”?
Simply put, this is a new feature that lets consumers buy products right from ChatGPT answers (using their card, they are paying for the OpenAI premium subscription or any other).
It is free for users, but it charges a percentage of sales from a merchant.
Instant Checkout, the Agentic Commerce Protocol, is now open-source, so any merchants aware of it can participate.
It is powered by Stripe (this is really a big deal for Stripe!). Merchants can use their existing Stripe accounts or set up new ones. Stripe is going to go big!
If you’re an Etsy or Shopify merchant, you do not need to apply or build an integration as you are already eligible. The supported list of partners is going to grow.
So far, if you are not on Shopify or Etsy, you will need to start here.
How Is It Different from Google Shopping?
Re-using your current product feeds may not be enough (3).
Think about conversational search, not keyword-based search.
Use very detailed product descriptions (detailing use cases, specific problems your product is solving, etc.) The more you have there, the better (5,000-character limit). The more fields you have completed, the better (material, weight, age group, etc.).
Think about the diversity of prompts that your products can be an answer to, and optimize your product feeds accordingly. Tools like FeedOps and VersaFeed may be something to consider, but there are also open-source options.
What Does It Mean for Digital Marketing?
This is GOOD NEWS for the future of ecommerce. This means there still will be tools you can use to sell your products online. Actual protocols.
ChatGPT going open-source means OpenAI wants to work with all businesses. There are no exclusive deals.
OpenAI charging (so far, transaction) fees from merchants means that it is looking for more monetization options, so the new symbiosis between discoverability channels and businesses will be forming.
That all also means that ChatGPT is ready to work with businesses. So there will soon be tools allowing them (us) to analyze and track our findability.
It also means there will be even fewer clicks.
It is well-expected. We all saw it coming. Clicks will go down more and more. Now consumers won’t even have to go to a product page to buy.
But clicks are also a new phenomenon. We’ve had them just for a few decades, and it was fun. It is time to evolve, and this is the time.
The fact that ChatGPT is pioneering this and not Google is also good news! We need more players interested in working with businesses!
If you are worried or need help, reach out!
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