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Shopify Launches AI Assistant for Merchants
29 Ecommerce Success Factor Your Store Needs
Target Partners with Shopify to Boost Online Marketplace
Generative AI Transforms SEO
Chinese E-Commerce Sales Surge 14%
ECOMMERCE AI
Shopify Launches AI Assistant for Merchants
Shopify is rolling out early access to an AI assistant named Sidekick for its merchants. Sidekick is among 150 updates to Shopify’s integrated platform, as announced in a press release on Monday (June 24).
“Sidekick offers all the context and guidance you need to make good decisions, resolve tasks, and make the most of all the features in Shopify,” the company stated. With an understanding of specific products, orders, and customers, Sidekick can help generate customer segments and guide analytics insights.
In addition to Sidekick, Shopify has enhanced its platform with expanded AI image generation capabilities. Merchants can now use AI to edit images in their online stores and emails via the Shopify mobile app.
Shopify has also introduced Magic, an AI-powered product creation tool that suggests personalized recommendations, assigns the right attributes, and minimizes listing errors for new products.
Another upgrade includes an AI-powered tool for generating suggested responses to customer chats. Merchants can approve or edit these AI-generated responses before sending.
“Time is the most valuable asset for any entrepreneur,” Shopify noted. “That’s why we’ve embedded AI across Shopify to save you precious hours and keep your business on the cutting edge.”
The PYMNTS Intelligence report found that 92% of companies use AI-driven personalization to drive growth, and 77% rank generative AI as the most impactful emerging technology.
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ECOMMERCE OPTIMIZATION
29 Ecommerce Success Factor Your Store Needs
Building a successful e-commerce website requires focusing on what you know about your customers, their journeys, and their needs. Then, you need to make those journeys as easy as possible to follow on your website.
Key Principles for Ecommerce Success:
Prioritize a seamless user experience for all devices and platforms.
Make navigation intuitive, search functions intelligent, and information readily accessible across all site sections.
Detailed and immersive product descriptions featuring user-generated content like reviews and customer photos. Expect technologies like augmented reality (AR) to revolutionize how customers interact with products online.
Blend your online presence with brick-and-mortar locations for convenient options like buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) or in-store returns for online purchases.
Emphasize secure payment options and clearly outline your personal data policy to address growing concerns about data privacy.
Commit to transparent customer service and simple return procedures to foster long-term brand loyalty.
The success of any e-commerce website ultimately depends on exceeding customer expectations. Stay current on the latest trends and technologies, and strive to deliver an exceptional online shopping experience.
ECOMMERCE MARKETPLACES
Target Partners with Shopify to Boost Online Marketplace
Target is teaming up with Shopify to introduce new and trendier brands to its website. Starting Monday, Shopify-affiliated companies can apply to join Target Plus, Target’s third-party marketplace. Shopify’s smaller or emerging brands now have a chance to reach Target’s online shoppers.
Target Chief Guest Experience Officer Cara Sylvester told CNBC that this partnership will help discover hot items for quick availability online and potentially in stores. Target Plus is seen as a “halo” that accelerates overall business, drawing more frequent visits and purchases.
Facing four quarters of declining sales, Target aims to boost growth through this collaboration. Its digital sales grew 1.4% in Q1, marking the first increase in over a year. Target anticipates sales growth in Q2, despite recent struggles.
Target’s stock remains below its pandemic highs, while Shopify’s shares have dropped about 17% this year. Unlike Amazon or Walmart, Target Plus is invite-only, with over 1,200 sellers compared to Amazon’s 2 million.
Target’s marketplace offers items like the viral UnBrush and premium products from Ray-Ban and Coach. Target Plus has more than doubled its seller and product count over the past year, contributing to “one of the fastest growing parts of Target’s business,” Sylvester said.
SEO
Generative AI Transforms SEO
The ’90s saw landmark events like the O.J. Simpson trial and Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Another pivotal development was search-engine optimization (SEO), shaping online content visibility. Today, SEO faces a new transformation with the debut of generative AI.
Since ChatGPT’s launch, marketers are using AI to boost search rankings through content creation and internal linking. George Strakhov, EMEA chief strategy officer at DDB, calls this a “powerful weapon” in the SEO arms race, but warns it could make “traditional search completely unusable.”
SEO marketers have long optimized content to rank high in search results. Now, they’re leveraging generative AI tools. Joe Stoffel, SEO director at Marcel Digital, uses AI to generate content and topic ideas, leading one client to see a 555% year-over-year increase in traffic.
Generative AI also improves internal linking protocols, enhancing SEO rankings. Marcel Digital uses ChatGPT to audit and map internal links, generating recommendations to address deficiencies.
Other agencies, like DDB, use custom AI tools for content creation, boosting SEO productivity. Agencies also target customers more effectively with AI. Marcel uses ChatGPT for website metadata and tailored calls-to-action, while TriComB2B employs Google’s AI tools for precise customer targeting, enhancing website traffic.
Despite these advancements, agencies ensure safety guardrails like data anonymization and human oversight on AI-generated drafts.
As AI reshapes SEO, it offers unprecedented opportunities and challenges for digital marketers.
ECOMMERCE TRENDS
Chinese E-Commerce Sales Surge 14% During 618 Festival
China’s leading e-commerce platforms saw 13.6% year-on-year growth in gross merchandise value (GMV) during the 618 shopping festival, according to research firm Analysys. This growth includes sales on major platforms like Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall, JD(.)com, Pinduoduo, Douyin, and Kuaishou.
Newer e-commerce challengers outpaced traditional giants. Douyin led with a 26.2% GMV increase, followed by Pinduoduo at 17.7% and Kuaishou at 16.1%. In comparison, Alibaba and JD.com saw GMV grow by 12% and 5.7%, respectively.
Despite growth, merchants report profit declines due to fierce price wars. Zuoliang, a domestic brand, stated it was “forced to sell at a price lower than our cost” during the event. Other brands, including those in apparel and appliances, also reported losses.
E-commerce platforms are emphasizing price competitiveness to retain market share. Pinduoduo introduced an automated price-tracking system and Douyin tested smart pricing systems.
Delivery rates for e-commerce parcels grew 23% year-on-year, surpassing GMV growth. Consumers, like Jessie Li from Shanghai, are becoming more price-sensitive, opting for cheaper brands amid economic constraints.
Signing off,
The Merchant @CartHustle