Dive Brief:
- Continuing its search improvements, Amazon has recently added five new visual search features, according to a Wednesday announcement.
- To help users sift through a range of similar items, the company introduced visual suggestions which display products similar to the search term they’ve typed. The “more like this” feature showcases comparable items and speeds up search. Shoppers can also see product videos for the items they’re seeking without clicking on a product, according to the company blog post.
- To provide customers with more precise results, the company now allows shoppers to add text to their Amazon Lens image search. Shoppers can also isolate items by circling what they would like to search within an image they have uploaded to Amazon Lens.
Dive Insight:
Amazon’s new visual search features follow its previous investments in its search capabilities. In July, the company rolled out its generative AI shopping tool, Rufus, to all U.S. shoppers. Rufus allows shoppers to view previous orders, request product updates and see product details in what CEO Andy Jassy called “a significant customer experience improvement for discovery.”
Amazon said that its visual search queries have jumped 70% globally year over year as shoppers take advantage of its new features. Following the launch of these tools, the e-commerce giant said it will be looking for feedback on its new visual search capabilities will continue to enhance them.
Meanwhile, other companies have been developing image search enhancements for online shoppers. In 2021, Google introduced its image search button, which allows all images on a page to be searchable and shoppable. The following year, Etsy unveiled its visual image search tool, which lets shoppers upload or take pictures of the items they’re seeking on its marketplace.
Beyond helping shoppers find their desired items, companies have been introducing tools to help sellers create captivating product images. Last year, Google debuted its Product Studio, where sellers can create new backgrounds for their product images, remove visual distractions and sharpen the image resolution. Similarly, eBay launched its photo background enhancement tool, allowing merchants to replace their image background with an AI-generated backdrop.