What does computer vision have to do with online shopping? Branded3 research reveals that image and voice search may make up 50% of all searches by 2020. Home decor and apparel are the top categories for which customers use AI-enabled visual search — with 31% and 39% accordingly. And in the era of Instagram-driven sales and order fulfillment automation, the demand for computer vision will only grow.
Before researching your options or consulting computer vision developers, let’s dive into the key benefits that will give you extra points in the eCommerce race.
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Improved discovery
Computer vision tech allows customers to search products by photos taken on mobile or use the pictures they found on the Internet. There’s a similar feature on Pinterest called Lens that functions like a visual Shazam. This tool recognizes objects on the uploaded picture and offers relevant content like stylings, receipts, or decor ideas.
You can also use computer vision to enhance your regular website search beyond tags and faceted filters — to cut time spent on page-to-page browsing. When customers type a text inquiry, a computer vision-enabled search engine will apply deep learning and natural language processing to comb through the image database of your catalog and find the exact or similar items you sell.
By leveraging visual search, you will be able to revamp product discovery. To wit, if there’s no exact match, your computer vision-enabled system will offer something similar based on picture or text description. As a result, you’ll spark upsell ideas and facilitate the buying process for your customers.
Augmented customer experience
In most cases, online shoppers are deprived the chance to try on clothes they’re planning to buy. But you can use innovative techs to ensure seamless shopping experiences. From fashion and beauty to design and real estate, AR will help your customers make the right choice.
Trying on a pair of sneakers, analyzing how a particular sofa will look like in their living room, or trying virtual makeup with the help of a mobile camera will not only entertain customers but will also increase the chances for purchase. For example, the 2017 interactive ad allowing shoppers to virtually try different lipsticks helped MAC to promote their new product.
This way, AR piques customer interest, enables on-the-go shopping, and decreases customer anxiety. As a result, shoppers make purchase decisions faster and the levels of satisfaction exponentially increase.
Automated warehouse management
Computer vision is a great fit for warehouse automation, since manual handling of orders and updating stock is prone to severe calculation mistakes that could potentially harm your business.
Think implementing AI and computer vision to streamline your inventory processes and avoid unexpected losses — the way Amazon does it. In 2019, they launched a computer vision-powered system to complement human work at their warehouse facilities. The solution was able to replace handheld barcode scanners and automatically track the item placement in the warehouse.
Moreover, computer vision-based assistants can help you cut time on categorizing thousands of new arrivals in your online store — with intelligent markup and label recognition.
Betting on innovation
If you want to outsrip the harsh competition in the eCommerce area and win customer loyalty, invest in cutting-edge tech. Rest assured that innovations like computer vision will help you create a shopping experience that exceeds user expectations, while converting customer interest into dollars.
