It is no surprise that people mix visual search and reverse image search. They both use similar concepts. But only one can be integrated by ecommerce platforms to boost their conversions.
And it’s NOT Google’s reverse image search.
Visual Search VS Reverse Image Search
How Does Reverse Image Search Work?
Reverse image search is a bit like playing a detective on the internet. Instead of typing words into a search engine, you upload a picture to find similar or matching images. It’s like flipping a photo inside out to discover its secrets.
It sounds fun, and it is, but – like everything in the known universe – it does have its positive and negative sides.
Pros of Reverse Image Search:
- Identifying Images: Have you ever stumbled upon a picture of breathtaking nature and wondered where it was taken? Reverse image search can reveal the location, creator, or related content.
- Spotting Fakes: It’s like a truth serum for photos as it helps detect fake profiles, misleading information, or photoshopped images by finding original sources.
- Improved Shopping: Have you ever found a cool product but couldn’t find where to buy it? Upload the image, and voila! – you may find online stores selling that exact item. But this feature does come with some limitations. For example, what happens if you stumble upon a product/link that is no longer available? Clicking that “Buy Now” button won’t do much, right? This is easily solved by the real visual AI image search tech explained in the next section.
Cons of Reverse Image Search:
- Limited Accuracy: It’s like a game of “hot and cold” – sometimes spot-on, other times not. Results might vary in accuracy.
- Privacy Concerns: While it’s a fantastic tool, the search engine could end up storing or using your uploaded images. So, be cautious about what you upload.
- Not Foolproof: Tricky images, like heavily edited or very specific ones, might not yield helpful results. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle, missing a few pieces.
How Does Visual Search Work?
Often wrongly referred to as an AI search engine, visual search is somewhere between reverse image search and a visual AI search engine and is the superhero of online shopping.
Picture this: you’re on an ecommerce site, hunting for that perfect pair of sneakers. Instead of typing in detailed product descriptions that describe the exact style you want – which is almost impossible using words – you simply tap the product image you like.
Then, like having your personal shopping assistant, the visual AI image search tool performs a site search, perfectly understanding your search intent, and finds similar products for you to explore.
Here’s a quick video of how it works:
Pros of Visual Search:
- Effortless Discovery: Say goodbye to the frustration of finding the words to describe what you want. Just show the AI what you’re thinking, and it does the heavy lifting for you.
- Precise Matches: This ecommerce visual search superhero tech isn’t just about similar items; it often digs up exact or near-identical matches, helping you find what you’re really looking for.
- Enhanced Shopping Experience: It’s like having your own personal shopper who understands your taste without needing to input super-complex product descriptions and 10+ keywords.
Cons of Visual Search:
- Accuracy Challenges: Though quite rarely, the visual AI search engine tool might fetch items that are different from what you had in mind. This is actually made on purpose, on the algorithmic level. After each click, the results seen by the customer are mixed in an 80/20 ratio, showing explorative styles for approximately 1 in 5 items, letting you discover products you didn’t even know you’d like. But even then, getting back on the right track with fully relevant results is a click/tap away.
- Limited Database: The results are only as good as the database. If the store’s selection or product photos are limited, it might struggle to find exact matches.
Visual AI Product Discovery Based on Wordless Semantic Search: the Future of Ecommerce
Ecommerce text search simply isn’t working anymore. Words are powerless to describe a particular personal style completely.
Enter wordless search, the future of online shopping.
Wordless search isn’t your regular AI search engine. It’s the Sherlock Holmes of searches, relying on the actual snapshot of the product instead of just labels and boring old metadata.
Translation?
You can find stuff even if you can’t put it into words. It just goes by the visual vibes, and after a couple of image taps, you are given an entire wall of similar products. A shopping experience is turned into a joyride as thrilling as scrolling through Pinterest or TikTok.
Here’s another quick example:
How’s that for shopping made even more fun? And it’s not just about improved customer experience – it’s about boosting your ecommerce KPIs.
Take Momox, for example. Their GMV improved by almost 20%, AOV by 11%, and ARPU by 10% after just a short time of using the Miros AI-based ecommerce visual search. Percentil had a similar experience.
Want to quickly and easily improve your KPIs and sales? Book a demo with our friendly team now.
