New Ecommerce Tools: October 24, 2024

We publish a rundown each week of new products from companies offering services to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes tools for generative AI ads, digital marketing, local search, product returns, cross-border shipping, and holiday marketing campaigns.

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

New Tools for Merchants

Apple expands Business Connect for online businesses. Businesses of all sizes, even those without a brick-and-mortar presence, can now manage how they appear to Apple users using Business Connect. Verified businesses can create a consistent brand and location presence across Apple apps that customers use daily, including Maps, Wallet, and Mail. Through Business Connect, businesses can sign up to display their brand in the Mail and Phone apps and customize their logo in Tap to Pay on iPhone.

Meta introduces AI integrations and tabs for Local, Explore, and Video. Meta is testing Local and Explore tabs that pull Facebook content from Reels, Marketplace, Groups, and Events. Meta is making it easier to find relevant information from public groups, pages, and creator posts with AI Comment Summaries and testing a customizable Group AI to help members find answers. Meta has also launched Messenger Communities for small- to medium-sized communities to connect over shared interests.

Amazon Ads launches AI tools for advertisers. Amazon Ads has introduced an AI creative studio and audio generator, two generative AI tools. The AI creative studio brings Amazon Ads AI-powered image and video generators into a single application where brands can conceptualize, create, and refresh content. Advertisers can use the audio generator to develop interactive audio ad creatives at no additional cost. Advertisers input their Amazon-listed product, and the audio generator will create a voiceover script based on the product information.

Shirofune integrates with BigCommerce to optimize ad campaigns. Shirofune, an advertising automation management platform, has integrated with BigCommerce to predict and optimize ad campaigns based on customer lifetime value. Shirofune states the integration allows advertisers to connect ad performance data with customer lifecycle insights, including whether customers are new or returning, their purchasing behaviors, and predicted lifetime value. Shirofune automatically allocates ad budgets towards campaigns and channels likely to drive higher lifetime returns on ad spend.

Fast Simon integrates with Shopify Markets. Fast Simon, a Shopify Plus Certified App Partner, has unveiled a no-code Shopify Markets feature with AI search and merchandising optimization to simplify and improve complex cross-market selling. Shopify Markets helps merchants sell to multiple countries from a single store. The combination of Shopify Markets and Fast Simon aims to provide an integrated solution to scale internationally, enabling merchants to offer different products with different prices in different markets.

Bonanza removing shipping assessment fees and tripling marketing investment. The Bonanza marketplace is removing the $2 shipping assessment fee for merchants starting in November. Bonanza is also (i) tripling its marketing investment to increase traffic and visibility for sellers and their products and (ii) offering automatic upgrades on purchases of its Vercado Standard Edition web store builder.

Amazon Ads unveils new tools for product launch, optimization, and measurement. Amazon Ads has released new product campaigns, a managed service to introduce products to shoppers within the first 90 days of launch. Advertisers using Amazon Marketing Cloud can now adjust their Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Products bids for audiences who have seen their streaming television ads and visited their website. Amazon Ads has announced a multi-touch attribution model that helps advertisers understand how their marketing works to drive conversions.

DHL Express introduces a label-free service for shipment returns. Global shipper DHL Express has introduced a label-free service for package returns, replacing the traditional printing option with a digital eco-friendly service. Customers receive a QR code and show it at a DHL ServicePoint for package drop-off or to a DHL courier for pickup. The service is live in over 50 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Adobe launches GenStudio for Performance Marketing. Adobe has released GenStudio for Performance Marketing, a generative AI application for brands to accelerate advertising and marketing campaigns. The new app provides brands with a single, self-service portal on Adobe to create social media ads, display ads, banners, marketing emails, and more by leveraging pre-approved, on-brand content. Adobe states the app merges the work of creative teams that define a brand’s voice, channels, and images with marketing teams that deliver variations at scale.

FedEx unveils import tool for trade in Asia Pacific. FedEx has launched an import tool to address the complexities of international trade in the Asia Pacific region. The tool helps reduce manual efforts in customs documentation and regulatory compliance. Features include a unified self-service platform to streamline the shipping process by centralizing document management and shipment tracking, a dashboard for greater visibility into shipments, notifications to expedite the clearance process, and extended monitoring to track shipments.

Feedonomics partners with YouTube’s shopping affiliate program. Feedonomics, a provider of product feed management for ecommerce businesses, has partnered with YouTube to streamline the integration of optimized product listings for the YouTube Shopping affiliate program. The program allows participating YouTube creators to tag products from eligible merchants in videos, shorts, and live streams, allowing viewers to shop as they watch. Feedonomics says it’s the sole feed provider partnering with YouTube.