Google Cloud integrates with Shopify to combat search abandonment

As we reported recently, delivering relevant search results on websites can be hard to achieve and for retailers this can lead to searches being abandoned and sales lost.

To address this issue, Google Cloud is announcing a new integration with eCommerce platform Shopify to allow sites to deploy advanced search and browse experiences using Google Cloud.

Enterprise brands on Shopify can access Google Cloud's Discovery Al solutions directly through the Commerce Components platform. It uses machine learning to select the optimal ordering of products on a retailer's eCommerce site once shoppers choose a category, like 'women's jackets' or 'kitchenware'. Over time, the AI learns the preferred product ordering for each page on a site using historical data, optimizing how and what products are shown for accuracy, relevance, and the likelihood of making a sale.

The AI underpinning the personalization capability uses a customer's behavior on a site, such as their clicks, cart, purchases, and other information, to determine their taste and preferences. A Google Cloud Recommendations AI solution also helps retailers deliver personalized recommendations.

There are advanced security and privacy practices to help ensure retailer data is isolated with strong access controls and is only used to deliver relevant search results on their own properties.

"We're thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Google Cloud," says Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify. "We're bringing together the best in commerce with the best in search to solve a complex and costly problem for enterprise retailers -- world-class search and discovery for the online store."

Google's research shows using the search function or search box when shopping is the most common way US consumers search for products on retail websites (69 percent), followed closely by general website browsing (63 percent). The problem is that retailers' search experiences lack consistency, as only 12 percent of shoppers say they get exact results for their queries or good alternatives (11 percent) every time they use the search function on a retailer’s site. In fact, 76 percent say that in the past month they have used the search function or search box on a retail website and it did not provide the item they were looking for.

"Shopify integrating Google Cloud's Discovery AI technology into its enterprise retail solution puts the power of AI directly into the hands of merchants and brands to solve everyday problems," says Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. "Now, retailers will be able to enhance their digital properties with better product discovery experiences, creating more fulfilling shopping experiences for their customers."

You can find out more on the Shopify site and the solution will be showcased at next week's Shoptalk conference.

Image Credit: Angela Waye / Shutterstock