{"id":224416,"date":"2020-03-31T19:07:23","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T13:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qcsglobal.com\/?p=224416"},"modified":"2020-04-18T17:10:19","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T11:40:19","slug":"how-visual-search-is-taking-over-the-web","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/how-visual-search-is-taking-over-the-web\/","title":{"rendered":"How Visual Search Is Taking Over the Web"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Naturally, humans are visual creatures.<\/p>\n

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We crave visual forms of content<\/a>. There\u2019s science behind this claim. Neurons devoted to visual processing make up about 30% of the human brain cortex<\/a>, compared to 8% for touch and 3% for hearing.<\/p>\n

This natural predisposition shapes us as consumers. We tend to judge products based on whether we visually like them or not. And while it\u2019s quite easy to cater to individual preferences and tastes when shopping, sometimes you just fall for a perfect table that you saw in a coffee shop. You think about it during the day and can\u2019t sleep at night wishing you knew where to buy it. This is where visual search comes in \u2013 a technology that meets human nature.<\/p>\n

The visual search industry has developed significantly over the past decade, integrating technology with neuroscientific knowledge. In this article, we will analyze recent progress made by the industry\u2019s top players and discuss what marketers can do at the moment to make the most out of visual search.<\/p>\n

How does visual search technology work?<\/h2>\n

Visual search is a solution that fills the gaps where words fail to describe what the customer is trying to find. It identifies objects within an image and searches for other, similar ones.<\/p>\n

Visual search solutions utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning<\/a> technologies, which means that such systems are constantly improving based on the experience they gain. In short, the more images a visual search engine has analyzed, the more precise it becomes.<\/p>\n

The technology uses visuals as \u2018queries,\u2019 and analyzes shapes, colors, and sizes to find the best matching search results. Following the example of the perfect table, if you take a picture of it, visual search can help you find and shop either identical or very similar tables.<\/p>\n

5 notable visual search engines<\/h2>\n

It was back in 2017 when Ben Silbermann<\/a>, CEO of Pinterest said \u201cthe future of search will be all about pictures, not keywords.\u201d Since then, the industry\u2019s key players have invested heavily in research to develop and improve their visual search applications: back in 2017, the image recognition market was valued at $17,911 million<\/a>, and it is projected to reach over $86 million by 2025.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not only the technology that is constantly developing; the demand for visual search solutions is also growing. According to MarketWatch<\/a>, 62% of Millenials and Gen Z prefer visual search over any other new technology.<\/p>\n

With intelligent visual search technology being incorporated into apps, websites, and prominent platforms such as Amazon, Pinterest, and Google, visual search is irreversibly changing the search marketing landscape.<\/p>\n

1. Google Lens<\/h3>\n

Google\u2019s visual search engine, Google Lens<\/a>, has found wide application in everyday activities. Among others, it helps with:<\/p>\n