By Lee Woodman, AGP E-commerce Coach
AI isn’t just for tech giants anymore. It’s a powerful, practical tool for small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses if you’re ready for it. With the right groundwork, AI can help you work smarter, wow your customers, and drive serious sales growth.
Here are five proven ways to start using AI today and future-proof your e-commerce business for tomorrow.
1. Get your data ready for smarter AI tools
The way your data is structured today will shape how you grow tomorrow. In the next 12–18 months, AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT will be able to routinely analyse your business data, spot trends, uncover growth opportunities, and suggest new products or services.
But here’s the catch: those insights will be out of reach if your data isn’t stored accessibly and securely.
Now’s the time to act. For example, connecting your Google Search Console (which tracks what keywords customers use to find you) to a data storage platform like Google BigQuery or Microsoft Azure allows you to collect and preserve that data for future use. Without this step, much of that valuable insight disappears.
Once stored, AI tools can analyse this data in seconds. You’ll be ready to discover hidden trends, spot untapped customer demand, and develop smarter strategies automatically.
The groundwork you lay today will give you a competitive edge tomorrow. So don’t wait.
2. Smarter, real-time pricing with AI
Pricing can make or break a sale. AI-driven pricing tools allow you to adjust prices in real-time based on live market trends, competitor pricing, and customer behaviour. That means no more guesswork and no more static pricing. Just smart, dynamic strategies that boost profitability and help you stay ahead of the curve.
One powerful example is Google and Microsoft Merchant Centres. If you run an e-commerce store, this is a must-have. It now includes dynamic pricing capabilities, using AI to recommend and adjust your product prices based on what’s happening in your market.
The result? You stay competitive without constant manual input. And your margins improve while your team remains focused on growth.
3. Automate customer service without losing the human touch
Speed matters in customer service, and AI helps you deliver it at scale. AI-powered chatbots can handle up to 50% of common customer queries, delivering instant, accurate answers and dramatically reducing response times.
Businesses using tools like ChatGPT or Tidio are achieving sub–1–minute resolution times, boosting customer satisfaction and increasing conversion rates. These tools are easy to implement and integrate seamlessly with your existing support systems.
What’s more, automation frees your human team to focus on complex, high-value enquiries, where empathy and expertise make the biggest difference. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about empowering your business to serve more customers faster and better.
If your business is growing and customer queries are stacking up, this is one of the smartest investments you can make.
4. AI that guards your business processes
Think of AI as your operational watchdog. Embedded into your workflows, it can instantly detect issues, highlight anomalies, and protect critical processes. This real-time monitoring boosts efficiency and reduces costly errors before they become problems.
5. Audit and improve your product catalogue
Content sells, and AI can help you do it better. One client used ChatGPT to review 3,000+ product descriptions, ensuring they were on-brand and optimised for conversions.
Regular AI audits keep your product content sharp, accurate, and engaging without overwhelming your team.
Ready to explore how AI can transform your e-commerce strategy?
Every business is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all. Whether you're AI-curious or already experimenting, AGP support can help you apply these tools in the right way for your business.
Speak to your AGP Relationship Manager today to help unlock your next growth stage.