We might not yet be as road-free as Doc predicted but we are at least half a step back to the future with word-free searching.

Two New eBay Search Features

eBay announced not one but two new futuristic developments last week:

Image Search

Allowing buyers to enter an image instead of text, this new eBay feature will search its 1.1 billion listings and produce items that are “visually similar”, if not the same, available to buy. This feature will be available on both iOS and Android.

Find It On eBay

Sharing is caring and when you share an image with eBay from social platforms (think Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.) or web pages, the eBay app will show you the goods (or at least “visually similar” goods) for sale. This will be available on Android only.

Behind the Scenes

All of this is possible thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning, meaning that the more these features are used, the more accurate the results will become.

What This Means for Buyers

These new features aim to improve buyer experience by:

– Allowing shoppers to quickly find products

– At the best price

– On their phone. Easy.

What This Means for Sellers

With improved buyer experience, comes returning and loyal customers. eBay hopes these two new features will help to increase its 171 million buyers and 370 million app downloaders so if you’re not already selling on eBay you want to head over there quick – these features are set to be released this autumn.

Worried About Managing Too many Sales Channels?

Don’t be. Multichannel management software exists so you don’t have to worry. With the ability to link your shopping cart and sales channel(s) (Amazon, eBay and Etsy), as well simplifying order management, providing live inventory information and integrating your shipping and accountancy – multichannel management software takes away the hassle and allows you to be image (and word) searched on all the channels: Great Scott!

About Expandly

Expandly is multichannel management software that is all about saving you time and effort.

From the moment you login in the morning to the moment you ship your orders, Expandly aims to reduce your workload. It is simple, easy to use and focussed on helping small eCommerce businesses go from home-office or unit to warehouse and beyond.

Find out more about Expandly Multichannel Management software