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How to improve your webshop ​​​​​​​with picture recognition

With picture recognition incorporated in your webshop, you can optimise the user experience for your customers because they can quickly find what they are looking for or find comparable and related products. And since the use of pictures is growing heavily, most consumers will find this a very natural way to search and research in future.

New opportunities with picture recognition

Not long ago, artificial intelligence sounded a bit like science fiction, but today it is already all around us in our everyday lives.

​​​​​​​Broadly speaking, artificially intelligence is about getting computers and robots to copy people and it comprises several different mathematical models.

The model behind the so-called ‘artificial neural network’ aims at copying the human perception ability and this is the model which is used for recognition of pictures and sound.

The technology makes it possible for the consumers to search for products which they cannot describe in words and more quickly reach a result. In a webshop, picture search can be an efficient supplement to search filtering and brands can easier match a consumer’s style and taste because pictures say more than text searches which can be inaccurate.

​​​​​​​In marketing, picture recognition can also be used across media. For example if a reader takes a picture of a wanted product placed in a magazine with his/her smartphone. The picture is subsequently converted to a digital advertisement which guides the reader to a brand webshop where the reader can buy the product. As a result, the way from advertisement to purchase can be made shorter and easier.

Picture recognition becomes the personal shopper

As online shopping has increased in popularity, the physical shops have been forced to find areas in which they can stand out and this is often the case in personal service. An area which e-sellers have challenged by using data from previous purchases and search patterns to advise the online customers. In addition, picture recognition will challenge the physical shops’ customer service because a webshop based on the customer’s picture search can make search results and recommendations even more precise.

And a better user experience and bigger customer satisfaction tend to increase the conversion rates and thus the turnover!

The fashion giant Asos is already successfully using picture recognition in its webshop. Here the customers can upload photos of clothes and accessories which they have seen, for example, in the friend’s wardrobe, in a fashion magazine or in a physical shop and based on the picture, Asos finds products with the best possible match.

Search and find with Google Lens

Several large online providers already have their feet on the accelerator pedal when it comes to development and use of picture recognition, including Google which back in 2017 launched the function Google Lens. With Google Lens it is possible, provided that you are an Android smartphone user, to search in Google’s own search engine by means of picture recognition.

​​​​​​​Google Lens allows the customers to take a photo of a plant and ask Google for help to find the name of the plant species. They can take a photo of a restaurant and get the reviews in return. They can take photos of products which they wish to find but which they do not know the name of and Google will help with search results that match the style. Google Lens can also be used for scanning of texts which have to be translated.

Also relevant for B2B

There is no doubt that picture recognition is well on its way to play a major role in the retail market. But also in the B2B market, picture recognition can be used to optimise and streamline. Read more about the Danish supplier of equipment for dental clinics, Plandent, which based on the Bizzkit platform and assisted by the implementation house Hesehus, back in 2016 launched picture recognition in its webshop. A feature which has helped its customers to quickly find and buy the right products