Benefits of Visual Search for eCommerce

You may have seen the latest smartphones with the option of conducting visual searches directly from the gallery. Such options exist because, like technology, search trends are constantly evolving. The latest example of this evolution is the shift of search style from text to visuals.

Yes, you’ve heard us right—people nowadays are not only relying on text-based searches, but they are also using image searches to locate relevant results on the web. This practice has become more common in the eCommerce sector. However, despite the sudden rise of visual search in the e-commerce industry, many people are still unaware of its benefits. So, they are hesitant to use this technology. If you are one of them, this blog post is for you.

In this topic, we’ll focus on the advantages of visual search technology from the perspective of the e-commerce sector. We’ll specify the most common benefits here. But first, we’ll discuss the whats and whys about this new search technology. So, let’s dive into this discussion without causing any further delays.

Visual Search — The Meaning and Working Mechanism

The literal meaning of the term ‘visual’ is a ‘picture,’ and ‘search’ is the ‘act of looking for someone or something.’ So, if you combine these literal meanings, you’ll understand that the term ‘visual search’ is a way of searching the depths of the internet with the help of a picture.

Now, you may be wondering how exactly visual search works. If you want to understand its working mechanism, it is essential to comprehend how traditional text-based search works. So, to put it simply, the conventional text-based search operates by matching the search query with the keywords, metadata, and description. It uses algorithms to discover the exact or related keywords that align perfectly with the search query’s intent.

On the other hand, visual or image search relies on the visual features of the picture uploaded as input or search query. Those features may contain image properties like color, pattern, and shape. In order to locate these patterns accurately and find the relevant results, visual search takes assistance from the following technologies:

• Image recognition.
• Machine learning.
• Deep learning (CNN).

The integration of such advanced technologies helps the image search return relevant results. However, you should remember that the accuracy of the visual search technology also depends on its algorithm’s training. The more comprehensive and effective the training, the more relevant and accurate the findings.

Some Common Advantages of Visual Search in the eCommerce Sector

Now that you have understood what exactly a visual search is and how it works to find the relevant results, it’s time to discuss its benefits. So, after thoroughly analyzing various aspects of the e-commerce market, we’ve discovered that image search can help these sectors in the following ways:

1. Better User Experience

Success in the online world is all about delivering the best possible experience to the people. The better the user experience, the more positive feedback you’ll receive from your audience, which will ultimately help you succeed in the internet world. The same fact also applies to the eCommerce sector. 

But you might wonder how someone can achieve a better user experience in a competitive online market. The answer to this lies in making yourself stand out by incorporating cutting-edge technologies, one of which is visual search.

For instance, you can include the visual search option instead of following the convention and limiting your eCom business to textual search queries. You don’t need to develop the entire thing from scratch. You can simply use the API of a reverse image search. This way, your customers will be able to quickly discover their desired items by just uploading a picture. And eventually, they will enjoy a more satisfying shopping experience.

2. Higher | Increased Conversion Rates

Research shows that platforms prioritizing user experience have seen exponential growth in their conversion rates compared to those that don’t. But how is that possible?

Well, the explanation is quite simple—when you make it easier for people to navigate around and use your services, they are more likely to take the desired actions. And that’s precisely how visual search can benefit the e-commerce sector.

The image search option makes it easier for customers to locate desired items in a product inventory. So, when customers find exactly what they’re looking for without making much effort, they are more likely to click the ‘Add to Cart’ button and make the purchase.

3. Enhanced Product Discovery | Reduced Search Frustration

The traditional text-based search method has been around for quite a while. But it still has a major drawback—it uses exact or related keywords that match the user’s query. So, for some reason, if something hasn’t been optimized well for exact or associated keywords, it won’t appear in the search results. Right?

Now, picture the same scenario in the context of e-commerce. Imagine that you’re searching for something, like artwork or unique jewelry, but the terms you use are not generating results. You probably think they don’t have the item you’re looking for. Right? And you probably won’t return to the same platform again, considering their limited product availability. But the good thing is that visual search can’t prevent all of this.

Unlike traditional text-based searches, image searches use visual features to match the results with the search query. This new and improved search method discovers relevant items more accurately by analyzing and matching colors, patterns, and shapes. So, by using this option, e-commerce businesses can enhance the product discovery of their platforms and help people find items that are better seen than described.

4. Competitive Advantage

Most people use the traditional text-based search method to find and locate their desired results. That is exactly why, other than giants like Amazon, ASOS, and Pinterest, many platforms haven’t yet integrated the visual search feature in their systems.

People’s preference for text search creates a huge market gap. This may not remain the same in the coming years, especially considering the pace of technology’s evolution, but it still creates an opportunity for newbies to stand out.

For instance, new e-commerce businesses can better satisfy customers and create unique identities by assisting people with visual searches. In fact, following this approach now can even give them an upper hand over some existing e-commerce businesses.

5. Mobile-Friendly

The world of e-commerce is constantly evolving. Therefore, nowadays, some people refer to this sector as m-commerce (mobile commerce). In fact, a recent study justifies the shift from ‘e-com’ to ‘m-com’ by stating that 57% of global e-commerce sales are conducted on mobile devices. The same research also predicts this figure will rise to 63% by 2028.

But why is it crucial in the context of visual search benefits for e-commerce? The reason is simple—just like text-based searches align best with overall technology, the image search method suits mobile devices well.

This means that visual search technology makes your site more user-friendly for mobile device users. Mobile optimization can eventually help your platform generate more revenue because a recent study suggests that mobile-optimized sites have a 74% higher conversion rate than non-optimized sites.

6. SEO Benefits

The primary intent behind integrating visual search in eCommerce is to allow people to find their desired products easily. Right? However, since this technology relies on search engines’ indexed pictures to show relevant results, how can it achieve the goal of simplifying product discovery if it fails to find any relevant images?

This means that besides recognizing visual features, visual search technology uses search engines’ databases to showcase relevant results. For this reason, it is essential to SEO-optimize every picture on an e-commerce platform before adding the image search functionality. In order to do that, you can use alt text, compressed image sizes, descriptive file names, and image captions. These are not all, but rather some of the most important image optimization strategies.

By following them, you can optimize your platform for image search engines and increase your chances of appearing higher in regular search results. Hence, by integrating visual search, you indirectly improve the SEO of your eCommerce platform.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, visual search has gained significant attention in recent years as a powerful tool for enhancing customer experience in e-commerce. This new search method allows customers to find products using images rather than keywords by leveraging image recognition and other AI-based technologies. This innovative approach offers several benefits for online retailers and customers, including improved conversion rates, increased customer engagement, and enhanced product discovery.