eBay is looking to make visual search the future of shopping (EBAY)

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eBay is preparing to unveil two AI-powered visual search features for its mobile app later this year, according to Engadget.

The first feature, Image Search, enables users to search for products by taking a photo or uploading an existing one to the mobile app. eBay will subsequently provide listings visually similar to the products entered.

The second visual search feature, dubbed Find It On eBay, will let shoppers on any social platform share a URL with eBay, and the eBay app will provide listings for the product being shared. Building out its image search capabilities is a prudent move for eBay — it makes it easier for users to surface products, while helping the company provide increasingly more accurate recommendations.

The smartphone camera is becoming more important to mobile search and discovery, and visual search technology plays into that trend by removing users' reliance on text.

Visual search technology can help reduce friction associated with searching. The new AI-powered features could help to make searches on the platform much more straightforward, since users won’t be limited to typing keywords to find what they’re looking for. Although text searches currently dominate how users find information via their phones, photo-based searches may become increasingly popular as the quality of smartphone cameras continues to advance.
Mobile is becoming an increasingly critical discovery tool, and visual search technology can facilitate immediate discovery. Google recently found that more than half of all web searches are on mobile, mostly through micro-moments, or when individuals reflexively turn to a device to act on a need to learn something, do something, or discover something. In these instances, users are searching for specific information on impulse, and visual search technology can quickly sort through masses of information to find the user’s desired result.
Utilizing the camera can increase engagement by allowing consumers to narrow down their search to a simple photo. Photos can offer more context than words, showing exactly what the user is searching for, and resulting in far more-targeted search results. By speeding up the process online and providing more accurate discovery, visual search can increase sales, as well as loyalty, for brands and platforms utilizing the technology.

Tech companies are increasingly integrating visual search technology into their products and platforms. Pinterest launched its visual search solution, Pinterest Lens, in May of this year, and it recently raised $150 million in funding, a portion of which will help support the development of its visual search technology. Also in May, Google announced its visual search tool, Google Lens, at its annual developer conference. eBay's new visual search technology will help it better compete the likes of Pinterest and Google as the camera becomes a greater focal point for mobile discovery.

Laurie Beaver, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on the battle for the smartphone camera that:

Describes how smartphone cameras are being leveraged by chat apps.
Explains the how brands and businesses can take advantage of cameras on messaging apps.
Highlights the differences between certain messaging apps and their strengths and weaknesses.
Looks at the potential barriers that could limit the adoption and use of chat apps’ cameras.

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