Part 1 of a three-part series on the “Future of Ecommerce Search”
Artificial intelligence. Chatbots. Voice search. Virtual reality. Self-driving cars. Technology in 2017 and beyond sure promises to be exciting for consumers. For tech-centric businesses, these trends will be game-changing for those who adapt and overwhelming for those who struggle to keep up. As with all tech waves, disruption will follow close at heel and winners and losers will be anointed when the dust settles.
In this three-part series, we take a look at one niche in particular that is poised for change — product search in Ecommerce. That is, the process by which consumers discover and purchase products online, and the digital interfaces that they use to express intent. In part 1, we look at how the Ecommerce search experience is likely to evolve for consumers in the coming years. In part 2, we look at the technology that will enable these changes. In part 3, the final installment, we take a look at how these changes will affect the ecosystem of Ecommerce businesses, especially online retailers and the companies that support them.
According to Sundar Pichai, roughly every 10 years or so, technology produces a landmark shift that changes the rules of the game for businesses and consumers alike.
The ’80s marked the era of the PC revolution, the ’90s the beginning of the Internet age and the ’00s the start of the mobile revolution. The decade starting now will, in Pichai’s words, be known as a “shift from a mobile first to an AI (artificial intelligence) first world”.