By now, we all understand how potential customer’s experiences are pivotal to how they view your brand. We know that their behaviour affects where and when you should be marketing. We have also begun to understand how implemented technology within your processes can make everyone’s life a little more fun. So in this blog, we are going to look at how visual searches are becoming a new way to find exactly what you want. And how they could take user-experience one step closer to total satisfaction.
What is visual search?
Well, for those of you who haven’t yet encountered it, visual search is a piece of technology that allows internet searches to be conducted based on an image. It’s not a standard search, where you type your text query and click on the image tab, it’s so much more.
This process starts with the finished image, and by using deep-rooted pathways, a search engine deciphers the image. It takes into account size, style, etc. Producing multiple places where you could buy the product you took a picture of.
If your business operates in a particularly non-visual medium, this technological advancement probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re a clothing brand…it’s pretty mind-blowing.
For example, your customers see someone wearing a pair of trainers you have designed. In an entirely non-creepy way, they photograph that person’s trainers, in the hope they can find them online. 90% of the information processed by the human brain is visual, and honestly, sometimes we can’t find the right words to describe those beautiful shoes. With visual search, search engines do all the hard work based on an image alone.
Who can use a visual search?
As we watch Google pour more and more money into Google Lens. Visual search has become reasonably accessible. Who can use it in a business sense is a little more sketchy. It isn’t for everyone, and we understand that finding a plumber won’t become easier from taking a picture of some pipework. However, for those who are lucky enough to be in an aesthetic sector, now is the time to get involved.
Why will it improve the user experience?
We understand the pain of searching the internet in the hope of finding that coveted product. The longer we roam, the more we seem to spend, and although that sounds positive for the seller. Often it isn’t. When a customer buys things they don’t want, this often leads to returns and potential bad memories of the brand.
With visual search, all of this changes. Google announced that due to the specifics involved when running a visual search, it is actually FIVE TIMES quicker than a classic text search. Therefore the user finds exactly the right outfit or sofa, without the wasted time. If you are utilising the visual search for your products then you will be in the results of customers who are using this technology.
What should you be doing as a business?
Visual search changes the marketing sector for most businesses. However, the extra work needed requires smarter, more intuitive moves, rather than harder, labour intensive work.
Firstly you should be taking your own photos. If you aren’t already, stop what you are doing, log out of IStock and get a camera. Having your private bank of images means that your product is instantly recognisable. It doesn’t fit into a box with everyone else!
Your photos should highlight all the intricate details of your product, as those are what your potential customer will remember. So whether it’s the awesome suede you used on that dining chair or the stand-out colourway of your t-shirt prints. Make them noticeable, well-documented and individual, if you want to drive visual search sales.
Smart SEO
You should be making your SEO work smarter, not harder. We know first-hand how tedious and difficult getting SEO perfect can be. However, whilst you’re doing it, you might as well get it spot-on!
You’ve taken your own photos, great! Don’t fall at the first hurdle and name them, ‘Shirt-1.jpg’ ‘Shirt-2.jpg’ and so on. The name of every picture is intrinsically valuable. So name them strategically and caption them in the same way, hit your keywords where you can, and hit them over-and-over again.
You’re running an influencer campaign, right? The influencer sector has been drastically optimised by the introduction of visual searching. For example, if you’re a fashion brand (over 90% of fashion brands use influencer marketing), why would you put an influencer in one product? If your influencer is making content, the outfit they wear will be shoppable by visual search. Therefore, if the blazer crafted by your brand is paired with jeans made by another, it opens up the content for both to benefit. If the jeans are also by you guess what…multiple purchases from one lead, that’s winning!
Selling online is better with your own e-commerce website. Take control of your products and online presence, get in touch with our team of web designers based in Manchester to discuss the website you need.
For more information to help your online shop and company in general, take a look at some more of our blogs for helpful tips, tricks and advice:
