Are last-minute customer doubts quietly sabotaging your Shopify store’s conversion rate—even when your products shine and ad spend pays off?
If abandoned carts and stalled sales feel all too familiar, this episode unlocks fresh, practical strategies for bridging the final gap between “add to cart” and “buy now.”
My guest today is Luca Borreani, co-founder and CMO of ZipChat AI—an agentic commerce platform that gives brands the power to instantly engage high-intent visitors, answer questions in real time, and gently nudge hesitant shoppers through to checkout. Luca’s credentials run deep: he’s scaled fast-growth startups, orchestrated successful exits, and won backing from investors like Sequoia Capital and Jason Calacanis. ZipChat is already trusted by thousands of Shopify stores to deliver smart, conversational experiences right at the crucial moment—when customers are deciding whether to stay or bounce.
What You’ll Learn
✅ The conversion crisis hiding in plain sight – Why over half of high-intent visitors abandon carts at checkout, and how traditional live chat falls short when customers need instant answers to close the sale.
✅ Agentic commerce in action – Discover how ZipChat’s AI agents create personalized, one-to-one conversations that handle objections, drive upsells, and build customer relationships—automatically and at scale.
✅ Simple setup, powerful results – From Shopify integration to knowledge base creation in minutes, plus the strategic differences between WhatsApp and on-site chat for maximum engagement and cart recovery.
✅ Real-world transformations – Hear how brands like an Australian car tuning company turned complex technical sales into seven-figure AI-driven revenue, and how a major shoe retailer discovered untapped market segments through conversation analysis.
✅ Scaling and optimization secrets – Practical tactics for improving AI performance through prompt refinement, live corrections, and ongoing knowledge expansion—so your conversions keep climbing month after month.
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Episode Summary
Steve and Luca discuss the “last mile” conversion crisis that’s quietly draining revenue from otherwise successful Shopify stores. The problem isn’t traffic or products—it’s those crucial final moments when high-intent shoppers need instant, personalized answers but find only generic FAQs or slow live chat responses.
Luca reveals why most “AI-powered” chat solutions fall short: they’re built on outdated platforms with scripted flows, not true agentic intelligence. ZipChat takes a fundamentally different approach, creating AI assistants that instantly absorb your entire product catalog, learn your brand voice through simple prompts, and get smarter with every customer correction.
The conversation explores strategic channel deployment—using on-site bubble chat to capture hesitant browsers and WhatsApp for sophisticated cart recovery that feels genuinely conversational, not promotional. Luca shares compelling case studies, from an Australian car tuning company generating seven figures purely through AI-driven technical sales consultations, to a major footwear brand discovering an entirely new customer segment through conversation analytics.
The timing couldn’t be better for implementation—with Q4 approaching, brands can deploy and optimize ZipChat during lower-traffic periods, ensuring their AI agents are conversion-ready when holiday shopping peaks. The result? Some merchants see 3-4x conversion improvements within months, transforming every visitor interaction from potential bounce to revenue opportunity.
Strategic Takeaways
- Start simple, scale smart – Ignore the LinkedIn AI complexity theater. Focus on proven, plug-and-play solutions that deliver results from day one rather than getting caught up in elaborate automation workflows that overwhelm your team.
- Timing is everything for implementation – Deploy AI conversational tools during slower periods (like late summer/early fall) to optimize performance before high-traffic seasons. This ensures your system is conversion-ready when Q4 holiday shopping peaks hit.
- Think beyond traditional chat flows – Move from rigid scripted responses to dynamic, prompt-based conversations that adapt in real-time. This allows your AI to handle complex product questions and personalized recommendations naturally.
- Channel strategy drives different outcomes – Use on-site chat to capture hesitant browsers in the moment, while leveraging WhatsApp for thoughtful cart recovery that builds genuine customer relationships instead of generic discount blasts.
- Your corrections create competitive advantage – Every interaction where you refine AI responses builds proprietary intelligence that competitors can’t replicate. This continuous learning becomes a defensible moat over time.
- Mine conversations for growth opportunities – Customer chat data reveals unmet needs, common objections, and emerging market segments that can inform product development, marketing angles, and expansion strategies.
Guest Spotlight
Luca Borreani
Co-founder & CMO, ZipChat AI
A seasoned marketer, operator, and repeat founder with multiple successful exits, Luca is pioneering agentic commerce—empowering Shopify brands to boost conversion, automate smarter, and engage customers seamlessly across channels.
Guest Information
Connect with Luca:
Website: ZipChat AI
LinkedIn: Luca Borreani
Email: [email protected]
Links & Resources
Thanks for Supporting the Pod!
Over the past eight seasons, I’ve been incredibly lucky to chat with some of the brightest founders in ecommerce building remarkable Shopify brands and partners shaping the app and marketing ecosystem. Honestly, every conversation has taught me something new, and I’m grateful for the chance to learn alongside you.
What matters most is that this podcast helps you solve real challenges and unlock new growth for your business. Your support, feedback, and stories have made this journey truly special. Thanks for tuning in, sharing your wins, losses, and being part of the eCommerce Fastlane community.
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