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Growing usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning in E-commerce
E-commerce is on its way to grossing $700 billion by 2022. The use of artificial intelligence in e-commerce is helping to pave the way to e-com sites that are safe, easy to use, and profitable.
In the age of big data, e-commerce websites have access to a lot of personal data including demographics, exact geographic location, and personal preferences. In other words, AI and machine learning technology carries enormous value and can be applied to many facets of the e-commerce industry.
How AI-based Image Search change the way consumers search for products
One of the most recent benefits of Artificial Intelligence in e-commerce is the ability to process product images. Why this is valuable to online merchants lies in how it changes the way consumers search for products.
We can now search based on part of an image, search with our cameras, and search via augmented reality applications.
As we have seen, AI takes keyword searches to a whole new level. But customers seem to prefer searching by images lately. That’s why visual search is going to be one of the most pivotal factors of e-commerce in the future.
Pinterest’s CEO Ben Silbermann has previously said that “the future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.”
Visual search technology is much more complex than text-based search, as with visual search the image itself is the query. Furthermore, Search engines are getting better at understanding the components of images, resulting in more reliable results and heightened usage.
74% of consumers say that traditional text-based keyword searches are inefficient in helping them find the right product online
(Slyce.it)
With new, intelligent, visual search technology being incorporated into branded apps and websites as well as improved visual search functionality being built into platforms such as Pinterest, Bing, and Google, visual search is changing the search marketing landscape as we know it.
In fact, recent advancements in visual search technology from the likes of Pinterest, Forever21, and ASOS are already making it much easier for users to snap an image and either buy the product captured or search for similar items. Pinterest’s visual search has seen a 100% year-over-year user growth—with up to 600 million visual searches made every month.
Introducing SimiCart’s new Image Search feature
The emergence of visual search technology is poised to reshape customer behaviors in the next few years. SimiCart’s latest app feature — Image Search, has embraced Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver visual product search capability that helps brands adapt and compete. In addition to textual, voice search and code scanner, SimiCart continues to provide a more advanced product search method through the power of AI. Recently, using deep learning, SimiCart apps can now allow users to search for products by images and instantly get access to the information they need.
How it works
Enhanced by AI, SimiCart Image Search can automatically determine the object in the picture and generate associated keywords to refine search results. Simultaneously, it transforms the device camera into a smart shopping tool that makes every photo searchable. Instead of inserting keywords, users simply snap a photo of the desired product using their mobile devices to search for matching items across your product catalog. The smart search gives users the ability to immediately discover and purchase exactly what they desire from your online store.
Benefits of Image Search
SimiCart Image Search aims at improving the product discovery experience for consumers while boosting your business growth, in several ways:
1. Enable quick and intuitive product search
While online shoppers know exactly what they want, they often have difficulties finding the right words to describe the specifically desired product. Specifically, in the world where a picture worth a thousand words, the image-based search can save your customers a lot of time in finding the right item. An in-app visual search function eliminates the need for users to manually mark the item they want to order, which significantly cuts into the product search process.
2. Bridge the gap between online and offline shopping
Offering image search is one of the best ways to connect the offline and online shopping experiences for your customers. Photo-driven searches allow users to look for their desired item in the same way they think about it – visually. In this way, image search can bridge the gap between the convenience of online shopping and the rich discovery experience in brick-and-mortar stores to give customers the best of both worlds.
3. Give more relevant search results
Combining machine vision and AI technology, SimiCart powers the Image Search engine in your app to help users find visually matching products with high accuracy. Therefore, the feature uses photo captured by the app user to recognize all product offerings and perform custom label detection. Based on the chosen label, it presents a curated and tailored list of comprehensive results for the user.
4. Improving conversion and revenue
This easy, instant and effective method to product search will serve a more engaging customer experience that shortens the path to checkout and drives long-term value. A number of retail leaders have capitalized on its powerful capabilities to boost revenue and growth. Only a month after launching their mobile visual search tool, Forever21 reported a 20% increase in the average purchase value, as well as their improved sales conversion rate.
Use case by one of our customers – an Australia physiotherapy app
The Australian physiotherapy brand is the first adopter of SimiCart Image Search to streamline product discovery experience for app users. By integrating smart visual search into the app, the brand gives customers the ability to search the entire range of its physiotherapy and health products with a photo of any item they see in the real world.
This app allows their customers to shop for any physiotherapy product by taking a picture of it to see visually similar items available for purchase. By processing the submitted photo, the app instantly detects and generate a set of image labels for users to narrow down search results. After choosing a label that best describes the desired product, the user is presented with a list of available products that match the captured image.
Adapting your E-commerce store to the changing technology is crucial to stay competitive in today’s fast-growing and competitive market. For that reason, SimiCart continuously evolves our platform with the most innovative features and latest technologies to keep our customers ahead of their industry. By leveraging Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning in product search, we put together the new Image Search feature that allows Magento merchants to enrich the app experience and wow their customers.
Experience the new Image Search feature in person by requesting a free demo app here:
Read more:
Convert More Visitors to Buyers with 12 Actionable eCommerce Search Strategies
