Visual search marketing is breaking down new barriers for businesses every year and we are seeing this the most in the field of ecommerce. With more than two-thirds of online sales1 being made on mobile devices, utilizing visual search and e-commerce stores is a sure-fire way to increase revenue.
In our first blog on visual search, we dove into the specifics of visual search and why it is projected to be the top marketing trend of 2021. Some companies are doing it better than others, however. Here's how Amazon, eBay and other e-commerce juggernauts are dominating this new trend:
Amazon is the fastest-growing e-commerce company in the United States. Although well known, it is still stunning to look at Amazon's projected sales in 2021. According to emarketer.com, the juggernaut of online sales is projected to gross $367.19 Billion in sales this coming year. So it's no surprise that Amazon would be one of the leaders in visual search marketing.
StlyeSnap is the software that Amazon created to enter into the visual search market. StyleSnap helps users shop for clothes and accessories online, generating recommendations for similar items in the same style. Jeff Wilke, Amazon's Consumer Worldwide CEO explained how the software works stating, "When a customer uploads an image, we use deep learning for object detection to identify the various apparel items in the image and categorize them into classes like dresses or shirts. We then find the most similar items that are available on Amazon."
The software will incorporate brands, customer reviews and price ranges in its analysis.
Ebay is often looked at as Amazon's younger cousin. Landing in the top 3 of projected e-commerce sales in 2021, Ebay is projected to generate over $38 Billion in sales this year.
Ebay's visual search feature, "Find it on Ebay" allows users to share images from all social platforms and web browsers to find similar listings posted by users. The images uploaded to "Find it on Ebay" will be instantaneously compared to all 1.1 billion listings helping users find the item they want quicker.
Google is the most used search engine in the world with 86% of mobile users choosing Google over any other search engine. As mentioned in the previous blog, Google released their own visual search marketing tool, "Google Lens".
The Google Lens can currently detect over 1 billion objects making it some of the most powerful visual search software in the current market. The company has also made an effort to increase the number of images that show up when users do text-based searches. Currently, users have to use the Google App to access Google Lens, however, the company is working to implement Google Lens into their main search engine, Google Chrome, in the near future.
Pinterest was on the visual search forefront back in 2015 when they released "Pinterest Lens". Setting the bar for other companies, Pinterest increased their visual search marketing by 140% each year6 after the initial release. The company was able to use this success to build up their advertisement business averaging an 8.5% conversion rate. Other companies have begun partnering with Pinterest to help direct traffic to their site through Pinterest Lens.
WayFair is not only a leader in online furniture sales, but is also in the top 10 of overall projected e-commerce sales in 2021. Projecting sales to be around $13 Billion, WayFair rode the visual search marketing wave by implementing the technology into furniture shopping. Their solution working similar to Pinterest Lens, WayFair allows users to take photos of furniture, décor and various other items. So next time an ottoman catches your eye, open WayFair's app and see where you could buy a similar piece.
These 5 companies are just the tip of the iceberg in the race for visual search marketing success. Microsoft, Walmart and Apple are also getting into the game early on. E-commerce companies have made visual search a top priority in their marketing plans, however, small brick and mortar businesses could also be using visual search to help increase their traffic and revenue.