Visual search allows people to search using images as opposed to text. With a photograph that they have taken, or found online or on social media, consumers can search to find the same item or something similar. Software identifies what the object is in the picture and returns results based on the image. From online to onsite to live streaming, retailers that harness the potential of visual search can grow their online revenue.
Visual search uses a combination of computer image processing to interpret the image and machine learning technology to understand what is being presented. When applied in a search function, this information is cross-referenced with image recognition technology to deliver matches or results. GenZ and millennials have a strong preference for visual search (62%) (ViSenze) and research shows that brands supporting visual search will increase their revenue from digital commerce by 30% in 2021. (Gartner)
Visual search can help retailers provide an easier and more efficient shopping experience for customers – closing the gap between search and purchase. When a customer sees something they like and want to know more about it or even purchase it, all they need is a picture. They can snap a photo of the item wherever they see it, when they are out and about, browsing online, scrolling through their social media stream or flicking through a magazine. The image can then be used to find the item or something similar on your website.
Retailers in fashion, home decor and beauty have been quick to adopt visual search. Any digital retailer or marketplace can benefit, especially retailers that have a large selection of products with names customers may not know or that are difficult to describe. B2B organization in industrial manufacturing can also benefit by enabling customers to quickly identify parts and components
Offering greater personalization and driving omnichannel experiences, visual search incorporates many of the key trends driving ecommerce growth. Many of the existing platforms used by both shoppers (to find what they are looking for) and retailers (to promote their products) have invested to develop visual search. This creates an opportunity for brands to increase their visibility in highly competitive and noisy marketplaces and shoppers to search online using real-world images.
As in any search optimization, the best practices for site performance are essential, including site speed and accessibility. Using a Visual Search Technology Platform as a marketing tool requires some additional considerations to see the best results.
An image sitemap: required for Google to identify, crawl, and index the images and ensures the images can be found by search engines.
Search helps users to discover the products they are looking for among the millions offered by Wayfair. Text search could only work to a certain extent as it is difficult to describe these items in a way that a search engine understands.
With Wayfair’s Visual Search, customers can use photos of items they like to find products that are visually similar on the Wayfair website. The earlier version of this search function required the customer to ensure the photos were tightly cropped to the object of interest. The latest version allows customers to select areas of their photos for search that include multiple products. This upgrade resulted in a 58% increase in repeat engagement. (Wayfair)
Home Depot has made strategic investments to seamlessly blend digital and physical experiences to create frictionless omnichannel shopping. Visual search is a core component of this strategy and uses technology to provide shoppers with recommendations based on the photo used during the search and making it easy for the customer to find the item they are looking for.
With more than one million items in stock, visual search not only saves time, it also increases customer engagement. Following the introduction of these digital initiatives, Home Depot’s ecommerce sales increased by 20% in comparison to an increase of 5.2% for in-store sales. (Indigo9 Digital)
For its mobile app, Neiman Marcus launched a feature called Snap. Find. Shop. Customers can upload a photo to see if it or something similar is in the store’s online inventory. If an exact match is made, it is returned, but if not, similar products are presented. The app has increased app usage and customer engagement.
Asos introduced Style Match through their mobile web app to allow customers to upload photos from their own library, magazines or social media to the app to search for the same or similar products in the Asos catalog. The results help customers to find the items they are looking for quickly and easily.
Providing customers with a visual search tool in an app or on a website offers convenience to the shopper and tailors the results to items only offered by the retailer. Without significant investment, all retailers can leverage visual search engines such as Pinterest Lens to see firsthand how the technology enhances their customers’ experience, improves the visibility of their own products online and increases sales.
Learn about the emerging trends that can develop markets, increase revenue and optimize your customers’ experiences, plus get actionable steps to put each trend to work in your ecommerce platform.
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