What is PHAINA?
PHAINA is a guided selling tool or an artificial intelligence (AI)-based co-pilot for product discovery in B2B e-commerce. It can be implemented through various means on websites or online shops. With the German software solution, your customers can find exactly the product that suits them. Here's how it works: Like in a real sales conversation, customers are asked questions, depending on the current subpage, that lead the searcher simply and effectively to the right product. The product finder relies on AI and thus tries to guide the user to the product that is right for them. According to PHAINA, some companies were able to sustainably increase their conversion rates by 55% through the use of the tool.
Leading B2B companies such as fastening technology manufacturer Böllhoff Group, hazardous material storage specialist DENIOS SE, or sensor manufacturer SensoPart Industriesensorik GmbH are already using the AI-based co-pilot for product discovery.
The questions for the right product
The questions of the guided selling solution are automatically generated by an AI and refer to your product. PHAINA understands "product" to mean both tangible objects, components, as well as services or contracts, for example. Information about these services is provided, but they do not necessarily have to be offered for sale directly on the website. The tool can therefore work equally well with tangible and intangible products or services.
But what might such questions for the right product look like? To understand this best, consider this example: Suppose you sell vacuum cleaners. The tool would then generate suitable questions for your users, such as: "Where do you use the vacuum cleaner?" or "Do you have a dust allergy?". All these questions ultimately lead customers to the right vacuum cleaner – whether for the car, for the household, whether you have a dust allergy and need a filter or not.
Of course, you can view the AI-generated questions at any time or manually supplement them. The complete pool of questions is stored in a list located in the backend.
Ultimately, users receive from the entire pool of questions exactly the ones that best lead them to the desired product. So, if the customer is on a subpage for cordless vacuum cleaners, they will only receive questions that make sense in this context.
Facts about PHAINA
- German SaaS company
- Founded in 2022
- Successfully implemented over 75 product finders
- Servers located in Germany
- Three founders from the German industrial Mittelstand
What is PHAINA based on?
PHAINA is based on and operates with artificial intelligence in these three areas:
1. Product Data
Well-maintained product data is the heart of any online store, but maintaining it is often very time-consuming. By combining large language model (LLM) with tabular large language model (TLLM), product data can now be easily supplemented, completely edited, or improved.
2. API
The application programming interface (API) works with AI to autonomously generate possible questions and answers about the products.
3. The Question Thereafter
Which question is asked when and specifically is determined by a third AI. Based on statistical probabilities, the "Next Best Question" AI learns to ask the appropriate questions at the right time.
What benefits does the use of PHAINA provide?
Individual consultations are particularly necessary in B2B for very specific products and requirements. However, the Gartner B2B Buying Report also shows that 75% of B2B buyers prefer a sales experience without representatives. However, the risk of purchase abandonment is significantly higher in digital self-service purchases. To make profitable purchasing decisions, sales and marketing teams need to find the right balance between digital and human interaction.
This is where PHAINA comes into play. By working with questions similar to those asked by sales representatives, this requirement can be met precisely. The numbers impressively confirm this: sessions with digital consultation, as facilitated by the AI-based co-pilot, achieve up to 55% more revenue and obtain the email address for further contact on every fifth visit. The product finder is capable of advising both individual products and entire shopping carts according to the customers' requirements. PHAINA can also serve as support for sales. For example, if you have products that do not justify a sales conversation, you can "outsource" this to the guided selling solution.
"75% of B2B buyers prefer a buying experience without sellers"
"Sessions with digital consultation, as facilitated by the AI-based co-pilot, achieve up to 55% more revenue..."
Areas of application for PHAINA
E-Commerce
Do you have a complex product range in your shop or marketplace? With the guided search support, you can experience significant increases in the conversion rate. Some customer examples show improvements of up to 55%. Searchers are guided through targeted questions that inquire about the requirements of the application, not just the product features, similar to a sales conversation, leading to suitable solutions.
Websites
Especially for more complex services such as insurance, PHAINA can significantly improve the conversion of visitors into leads. Examples show up to 20% lead conversion rate. This turns the website into a digital alternative to the initial conversation with sales. In other cases, the consultation replaces the entire sales conversation and generates direct order inquiries. This use is particularly useful for products that require explanation and are also requested in small volumes, as the consultation often costs more than the order provides in value.
First-Level Support
Searching for the right product often leads to support requests. You're probably familiar with this yourself – whether it's spare parts for your car or the right dowel for screws. PHAINA can intercept these questions. This not only supports support but also saves a lot of resources. Examples show that this can save five-figure costs per month.
Features of PHAINA
To achieve this, the product finder offers a range of features that can be customized by companies to meet their needs:
Automatic Generation of Questions, Answers, and Rules
Rules in Administration
Comprehensive Customer Consultation
In addition, not only individual products are recommended, but a whole system of products is presented that not only meet individual requirements but are also compatible with each other. This ensures that customers make the best possible choice and enjoy an optimal customer experience.
Consultation with Video Content
User Interface Design
API Access to the Tool
Requirements to use PHAINA
To utilize PHAINA to its fullest potential, at least one of the following conditions should apply to your products:
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Sufficiently Large Number of Products
The tool only makes sense if you have a meaningful amount of products. In most cases, deployment becomes interesting with at least 25 similar products.
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Sufficiently Varied Products
Your products may be difficult to navigate due to a wide variation, especially if this variation consists of more than one modifiable attribute.
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Clearly Assignable Products
To be able to assign the right product to users, your products should ideally have specific metrics and data that can be used for the question pool.
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Products Sellable Without Project
Many services come together in a project. Such complex cases should still be discussed personally with the lead. That's why the AI-based co-pilot focuses on products that don't require additional services/conversations.
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Non-Self-Explanatory Products
Products like toys or t-shirts are usually self-explanatory. However, if the product is complex and there's a risk of customers accidentally purchasing the wrong variant, the tool is a great help.
A case speaks louder than a thousand words.
For the B2B company DENIOS SE, operating in the field of environmental protection and occupational safety with a focus on hazardous substances, individual customer consultation has been and continues to be crucial. As an internationally operating company, the team needed a solution that would allow their customers to access advice in any online situation without changing the look and feel of their shop. Therefore, the B2B company opted for PHAINA as the appropriate solution.
The implementation of the product finder in the shop was seamless and visually aligned perfectly with the existing appearance. Within just two months, the integration of the guided selling solution led to significant improvements in key KPIs.
- The basket size almost quintupled.
- The add-to-cart conversion tripled.
- The shop or revenue conversion increased by one and a half times.
These successes underline the effectiveness of the AI-based product finder as a tailored solution for companies like DENIOS SE, which value individual consultation and a seamless shopping experience.
Create a pilot system with 1,000 products in just one day
The first steps with PHAINA
To test the functionalities and deployment of PHAINA, it is recommended to conduct a "pilot." During this pilot phase, a limited number of products (up to 1,000) are tested. Within a few weeks, you will gather substantial data to evaluate the success of the implementation. These 1,000 products can be set up by a PHAINA expert within a single day.
Customized Scaling for Customers
With low time and financial investment, success can be gradually built upon after a pilot phase. PHAINA can be scaled in various directions to suit individual customer needs:
More Products
After the pilot phase, you can expand consultation with the scaling package to over 50,000 products.
More Integration
If you want consultation to be available in many areas of the website or shop, you can book the integration package. This allows you to translate the current product view live into a consultation question in a shop and directly display the still suitable products from your shop. This way, the customer is advised even more individually in every area.
More Complexity
Do you sell solutions to your customers and not just products? With the Cross-Selling package, you can advise entire shopping carts step by step. A saw often also needs a suitable saw blade, and both need advice when choosing. Advise your customers first on the right saw and then on the right saw blade.
More Markets
Do you want to represent other languages besides German and English? Then simply book language packages for your solution. Through a no-code interface, you can export and import all questions and answers to translate the content with your systems.
How is PHAINA integrated?
PHAINA can be implemented in two different ways. Firstly, the product finder can be integrated into your existing infrastructure by placing a code snippet in the backend. This snippet generates the required JavaScript, which in turn creates an iFrame and embeds the user interface (frontend) of PHAINA into your website or online shop.
Alternatively, there is the option of a native and direct integration. Instead of an iFrame generated in the backend via JavaScript, elio, as an integration partner of PHAINA, offers the native and direct implementation of the tool. We have summarized the advantages of this approach for you in the table below.
Native and direct integration |
Integration via iFrame |
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|---|---|---|
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User Experience
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Better and seamless user experience through individual customization options in the design, such as individual pixel specifications
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No individual customization options in the design
|
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Independence
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No dependencies due to integration of third-party apps
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Dependencies due to integration of third-party apps
|
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Security
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No security risk due to the integration of third-party code
|
Security risk due to the integration of third-party code
|
|
Performance
|
Better and smoother performance through direct integration
|
Potential performance fluctuations due to lack of direct integration
|
|
SEO-Performance
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Improved SEO performance, as content is more easily accessible for search engines
|
Weaker SEO performance, as content is more difficult for search engines to access
|
|
Native and direct integration
|
|
|---|---|
|
User Experience
|
Better and seamless user experience through individual customization options in the design, such as individual pixel specifications
|
|
Independence
|
No dependencies due to integration of third-party apps
|
|
Security
|
No security risk due to the integration of third-party code
|
|
Performance
|
Better and smoother performance through direct integration
|
|
SEO-Performance
|
Improved SEO performance, as content is more easily accessible for search engines
|
|
Integration via iFrame
|
|
|---|---|
|
User Experience
|
No individual customization options in the design
|
|
Independence
|
Dependencies due to integration of third-party apps
|
|
Security
|
Security risk due to the integration of third-party code
|
|
Performance
|
Potential performance fluctuations due to lack of direct integration
|
|
SEO-Performance
|
Weaker SEO performance, as content is more difficult for search engines to access
|
The native integration of the Guided-Selling solution instead of an iFrame is especially beneficial for extensive websites with complex templates. Through the native integration, the online shop is prevented from being affected by embedding an iFrame. Instead, the product finder seamlessly integrates into the existing design and ensures that the entire website appears cohesive.
elio, Your PHAINA Integration Partner
The strategic partnership between PHAINA and elio ensures that you benefit from a seamless integration of the Guided-Selling solution into your online platform. As an official integration partner of the AI-based Co-Pilot, we provide you with all the advantages of state-of-the-art sales advisory technology for your e-commerce operation.
elio's expertise in e-commerce and performance IT services, combined with innovative technology, offers you a tailored solution for effective sales advice and customer interaction in your online shop. Our common mission is to provide you with an outstanding shopping experience and take your online shop to the next level.
"With elio, we have gained a partner who is exceptionally competent in their field, enjoys the trust of many companies, and is significantly involved in the success of many e-commerce projects."
Dominik Witt
CEO at PHAINA GmbH
Keyfacts about PHAINA
- Easy integration into your system
- Customization of the frontend with the help of elio experts
- Pilot set up within one day
- Support for your sales team
- Reduction of first-level support effort
Your Potential Benefits
- E-commerce sessions with PHAINA compared to sessions without:
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- Increase in add to cart conversion rate by up to 191%
- Increase in conversion rate by up to 55%
- Up to 20% increase in visitor to lead conversion rate
- Benefits for sales:
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- Reduction in consultation conversations by up to 25-50%
- 80% certainty in purchase decision after online recommendation within two minutes
- Benefits for marketing and product management:
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- Better understanding of customers after one month than ever before
- Well-founded marketing decisions based on data from online consultation
- Insights into product requirements and trends from online consultation
Feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Your Contact Person.
Do you have any questions about our services with PHAINA or about elio in general? Contact Ruben Theerkorn. He will be happy to assist you.
