Imagine just ‘talking’ to an AI assistant to update your store’s inventory. Or taking a photo of a blackboard menu and the AI automatically creates a digital catalog. It can even recommend pricing.
That’s being enabled by Airo, the AI assistant from GoDaddy, a popular web hosting service and domain name registration company that has been expanding its services to offer comprehensive business solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
The beauty of AI is it enables SMBs to compete with large companies, and gives time back to business owners so they can focus on more strategic issues. To talk more about what GoDaddy is doing in AI, The AI Innovator caught up with Kasturi Mudulodu, president of Commerce at GoDaddy.
What follows is an edited transcript of this conversation.
The AI Innovator: How is GoDaddy using AI to help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in commerce?
Kasturi Mudulodu: GoDaddy Airo is an AI-powered suite designed to help small and medium-sized businesses manage essential commerce tasks. From building professional websites to creating product catalogs, assisting customers, and running marketing campaigns, GoDaddy Airo integrates seamlessly into the tools SMBs use online and in-store.
Using AI, GoDaddy aims to democratize omni-commerce for SMBs, enabling them to focus on what they do best and serve their customers while handling the technical complexities behind the scenes.
GoDaddy’s Airo can do such things as generate unique, professional websites in a few clicks, without needing technical or marketing expertise; generate product descriptions, SKUs and even recommend pricing – all from an image or file uploaded by the SMB; offer voice commands on smart terminals to make restocking and inventory management easier; and provide simplified marketing tools.
According to GoDaddy research, 44% of microbusinesses agree that generative AI will help them compete with big businesses. Microbusiness owners who say AI will help their small business be more competitive are notably more likely to have previously outsourced or hired someone to help with creating content, marketing strategy and business insights.
How does AI enable small businesses to offer personalized shopping experiences similar to those provided by larger companies?
AI, including generative AI, is revolutionizing the business landscape by democratizing access to advanced technologies. Even the smallest businesses can now benefit from instantaneous access to vast amounts of data, as well as sophisticated content creation and management tools.
By leveraging AI, small businesses can dive deep into customer data to understand purchase history, browsing behavior, patterns, and demographic details. This insight allows entrepreneurs to better target specific market segments with tailored marketing and personalized product suggestions, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In addition, AI can handle labor-intensive tasks like drafting responses to common customer questions and inquiries, appointment scheduling, pricing, services offered, and the like. It can also generate ideas for seasonal promotions or special offers, such as discounts, loyalty programs, or events. This automation frees up time for business owners to focus on other critical aspects of their operations while providing a personalized experience that rivals larger companies.
One of AI’s strengths is its ability to analyze data. How can small businesses use AI-powered data analytics to gain insights and make smarter decisions?
Small businesses can elevate their performance by leveraging AI-powered capabilities. For instance, AI could recommend that a pizza shop stock up on inventory and ingredients and schedule additional staff to maximize sales during an upcoming big game weekend. Similarly, if a new product like a beverage isn’t selling well, AI can suggest creating a combo deal of pizza and the drink to boost its popularity.
What is omni-commerce and how is GoDaddy enabling it?
Our mission is to help SMBs sell more while saving time and money. We enable omnichannel commerce by removing barriers and making the buying process as smooth as possible for their customers. To achieve this, it’s imperative to assist SMBs in selling across multiple channels — online through their website, on marketplaces like Amazon, on social platforms, and in-person — by seamlessly managing their products, inventory, and customer communications across all channels.
This approach translates to a delightful customer experience, allowing SMBs to compete with larger businesses by offering options like shipping, buy online/pick up in store (BOPIS), buy online/return in store (BORIS), and the ability to communicate about orders via chat or web, regardless of the purchase channel.
We provide Point of Sale (POS) solutions for in-person transactions and offer an easy way to use a centralized product catalog to sell on websites, social media, and marketplaces while managing products and inventory seamlessly. This customer-centric approach delivers a consistent brand experience across physical stores, apps, and websites, leading to increased customer retention.
Looking ahead, how do you see AI evolving in the e-commerce space for small businesses?
As AI technology continues to evolve, its capabilities in e-commerce will offer even greater benefits to small businesses. Entrepreneurs will gain access to more nuanced personalization tools and ways to tailor customer experiences.
I envision AI becoming not just an assistant that automates mundane tasks — saving time and money — but also an advisor that helps attract more customers, boost sales, and enhance services. I’m excited about AI agents becoming tailored to each SMB’s unique way of operating their business, utilizing modalities that extend beyond text and extending to images, voice, and streaming.
For example, today a small business can use one of GoDaddy’s Smart Terminals to take a picture of a blackboard menu and create a digital catalog from it. Next, we can enhance this by having GoDaddy Airo suggest images, and if price points seem too low or too high, it can recommend adjustments.
Additionally, if an SMB can currently talk to GoDaddy Airo to update inventory, soon they should be able to use the GoDaddy mobile app to stream video as they walk around their storefront, updating inventory without lifting a finger.
Generative AI can save SMBs significant time and help them sell more, attracting customers both in-person and online. These innovations are not just about streamlining small business operations; they also signal a shift toward more efficient, user-friendly payment and commerce systems that can benefit a wide range of industry stakeholders.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I find that the beauty of generative AI is that you do not need to be a tech expert or know how to code to reap the benefits of it. The popular tools today – like the ones GoDaddy is embedding in its solutions – do the heavy lifting for you. If you’re a small business owner who wants hours of their day back or to attract more customers, AI is a gamechanger.
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