ai visual search

AI Visual Search Is the Future of E-Commerce

You may have heard about an English adage that says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, that’s exactly why AI visual search is the next big thing in e-commerce.

Before, the visual search was something impossible. Blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds was a thing that you can only imagine.

But now, things have improved greatly. This even influences how people shop in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For one, we can rarely go out to shop now. With the social distancing rules, people looked for ways to do it online.

So, how did AI visual search came to life? Also, how can it enhance customer experience?

Read on to learn more.

Before AI visual search, there was text-based

Most shoppers don’t know what to buy at that moment. So, they look for inspiration.

They turn to celebrities to follow their fashion. Some even look for eye-catching outfits from the people around them.

But, they get flustered when it’s time to look for it online. Especially when it comes to describing it.

Say you saw your neighbor wearing a cool pair of boots. You suddenly think that you want that. So, you go to an online shopping store.

But, what is its material? What’s the brand? How can you describe the spikes on the heels?

How can you even describe the details of the boots accurately? You’ll run out of adjectives. Or what if you don’t know its correct spelling?

See, typing “black boots with heels” on any search engine shows more than 400 million results. Worse, you spend minutes just finding that same exact pair!

That’s what text-based search is. Things can get stressful, so shoppers feel frustrated with the process.

The thing is, we are visual beings. So, retailers take advantage of that. In fact, those who do so will increase sales by 30%.

So, what’s visual search all about? And how can AI help improve that technology?

How AI visual search works

As stated, we sometimes find it hard to look for the best terms in describing something. And this happens a lot in shopping for clothes, furniture, and more.

But, AI visual search changes the whole experience. How so?

Let’s go back to our pair of boots. Shoppers can simply take a picture of that item. You can also upload a photo of it if it’s in your social media feed.

Then, the AI-powered platform will show you product listings. Sometimes, it can be the exact item. Most of the time, it can be something really close to it.

In a sense, the entire world becomes a shopping catalog. The people wearing clothing are the advertisements.

What this means for the customer experience

For shoppers, it means enhanced experience. With that, they are more inspired to buy more.

After all, if we love the process, we are also more likely to stay with the brand. So, that means more sales.

They can even tell other people about the feature. So, it increases the retailers’ chance of reaching more people, too.

That’s why the future of search is images. With visual search AI, e-Commerce will improve greatly in the next years.

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