Lori Schafer in Forbes Tech Council: How To Unlock New Revenue With Embedded Commerce Strategies

Read the original article in Forbes Technology Council here.

Embedded commerce is changing fast, moving beyond the familiar “add to cart” button to become a smart, proactive way to drive sales where and when customers are already engaged. Instead of redirecting buyers to separate online stores, businesses are now connecting with them directly inside the content, chats and workflows they’re already accessing—often before they even know they’re ready to buy.

From AI copilots that can complete transactions to real-time, context-aware nudges that guide decisions, the aim is to eliminate friction, anticipate customer needs and close the deal on the spot. Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share embedded commerce strategies that can unlock high-intent revenue streams—along with tips for effective implementation.

1. Activate A 24/7 ‘AI Co-Worker’

An embedded commerce strategy with huge potential is a 24/7 “AI co-worker” on websites. Picture a fashion site: A visitor asks what to wear on a date. The AI suggests outfits, offers accessories, adds items to the cart and closes the purchase instantly. Start with seamless checkout, then scale with personalization to unlock new revenue. - Vivek Thomas, AISensum

2. Weave Purchasing Options Into Popular Content

The key to embedded commerce is creating experiences that naturally entice consumers to buy. For example, grocers are using GenAI to build tailored recipes for shoppers, allowing customers to purchase ingredients directly from the recipe. When products are woven into content experiences customers already enjoy, retailers turn interest into action, increase sales and unlock new revenue streams. - Bernadette Nixon, Algolia

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3. Trigger The Display Of Product Ads Based On User Actions

One strategy that works is embedded contextual commerce—depending on the action taken by the user, a targeted catalogue item or action is displayed. For example, a user searching for information about a vacation in Hawaii gets a contextual nudge to shop for clothes and accessories. Businesses can tap into the AI trend and expose their products using externalized APIs and multichannel platforms accessed via AI chat assistants (such as Perplexity). - Ashay Satav, eBay

4. Embed Checkout In Unexpected (But Convenient) Places

Think beyond shoppable posts. Embed checkout where no one expects it: in tutorials, FAQs, receipts and even error messages. Allow customers to purchase the part from the how-to guide, add accessories from the warranty email, or reorder via a QR code on the box. Surprise creates intent; one-tap pay converts it. - Darko Pavic, Fiscal Solutions

5. Offer Upgrades And Exclusives In Your App

Add in-app purchases for upgrades or exclusive features. Start small: Test with one high-value item; use QA to ensure a seamless, bug-free checkout; then scale based on user feedback. - Margarita Simonova, ILoveMyQA

6. Provide A BNPL Option

Partner with a “Buy Now, Pay Later” provider and embed the BNPL service directly into your checkout flow. This new service is not just an added feature; the company earns a commission on every approved loan. It can also smooth the customer journey—for example, a small business that’s using a company’s tool may need to upgrade its plan but is hesitant about incurring a large upfront cost. A BNPL option makes the upgrade possible. - Dr. Milan Kumar, ZF Commercial Vehicles

7. Become Indispensable To Your Customers

One embedded commerce strategy is integrating technology so deeply it becomes indispensable to customers’ operations—including their supply chain and critical workflows—creating recurring value. Quick tip: Start with a small pilot, measure impact, gather feedback and iterate to demonstrate irreplaceable value before scaling. - Russ Garcia, Menlo MicroSystems

8. Structure Catalogs For AI Chat Discovery

One powerful embedded commerce strategy is making your catalog discoverable in GPT-powered chats, where customers increasingly seek purchase recommendations. By structuring product data with schema markup and conversational FAQs—essentially, “SEO for AI”—businesses ensure they surface at the moment of intent, unlocking new revenue streams. - Srikrishna Jayaram, Walmart

9. Leverage Clean, Consistent Data To Engage In Content Or Community Platforms

Embedding commerce into content or community platforms unlocks new revenue by meeting customers where they already engage. The key is using clean, consistent master data so products surface accurately and contextually. Start by ensuring data quality before scaling embedded touchpoints. - Lori Schafer, Digital Wave Technology

10. Offer In-The-Moment Usage Upgrades

When our customers hit usage limits, we present upgrade options directly in context—inside the app, or maybe through an account executive’s email. Conversion rates with this strategy are four times higher than those achieved through traditional sales outreach, because we’re solving pain at the moment of highest motivation. - Asad Khan, LambdaTest Inc.

11. Ensure Customers Don’t Have To Leave An Experience To Purchase

One powerful strategy is embedding checkout directly within content—like articles, videos or apps—so customers can purchase without leaving the experience. This reduces friction and captures impulse buys. A quick tip: Start small by integrating a limited product set with clear analytics so you can test conversion lift and scale what works fastest. - Tannu Jiwnani, Microsoft

12. Offer Relevant Add-Ons Inside Non-Retail Apps

A powerful embedded commerce play is contextual commerce—letting users buy relevant add-ons inside non-retail apps (like purchasing insurance in a travel app). The quick tip: Keep it hyper-relevant. Only surface offers tied to the user’s immediate intent so it feels like a natural extension, not a sales pitch. - Shashank Chaurasia, MooresLabAI

13. Embed Products In AEO And GEO Flows

Embedded commerce today is siloed, making discovery costly. The next wave is agent-to-agent, where AI assistants transact for customers. Embed products into agent engine optimization and generative engine optimization flows, enabling contextual buying inside responses. Make catalogs machine-readable to enable ambient commerce and capture new streams, allowing cars, wearables and smart appliances to make purchases autonomously. - Gaurav Aggarwal, WinWire

14. Participate In Partner Marketplaces

My tip is to leverage partner marketplaces: Let other companies resell your product for a revenue share. When I was working at YouTube, we partnered with products that complemented our subscriptions. Build on a platform that handles different deal structures, test with your top three partners first to work out issues, and then scale fast. Set up win-win incentives like higher revenue shares for hitting volume targets. - Lalit Kundu, Delty

15. Create AI-Driven Shoppable Videos

Use AI-driven shoppable videos that personalize offers in real time. For example, a travel clip can instantly show flights from the viewer’s city, with live prices, seat options and instant booking links, turning interest into action. Quick tip: Connect personalization and inventory APIs so each viewer sees relevant, in-stock deals, and run micro-segment A/B tests to refine conversions. - Arun Goyal, Octal IT Solution LLP

16. Try Community-Triggered Commerce

Let purchases surface inside peer groups—forums, Slack channels or community dashboards—so members can recommend add-ons, and include one-click embedded checkout to enable instant action. Pilot with a small, active community feature and track peer-influenced sales to refine before rolling the strategy out widely. - Jagadish Gokavarapu, Wissen Infotech

17. Engage In Knowledge-As-Commerce

Knowledge-as-commerce involves transforming educational touchpoints into revenue streams. Imagine an analytics dashboard where users can unlock premium insights, expert tips or interactive tutorials via embedded micro-purchases. My quick tip is to start with one “locked insight” in a high-traffic feature and measure adoption before expanding the library. - Cristian Randieri, Intellisystem Technologies

18. Embed Subscription Layers In Existing Products

Embedded subscription layers in existing products create predictable revenue. Transform one-time buyers into recurring customers. Offer a small discount for subscription commitment, but lead with convenience—auto-delivery, exclusive access or priority support. Start by identifying products customers already repurchase. The lifetime value increase is incredible when done right. - Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC

19. Let Your Biggest Customers Sell Your Product

Everyone’s embedding commerce outward. Embed it inward instead. Let your biggest customers sell your product inside their platforms and split the revenue. Start with whoever complains the most about missing features. They’re already invested in making you better. - Ishaan Agarwal, Square