eCommerce Blog | IronPlane

A Practical Guide to Adobe Commerce’s AI Capabilities

Written by Jeff Zoldy | September 26, 2023

One of the best ways to keep your eCommerce site on the cutting edge is to incorporate AI technology into it. If your store is built using Adobe Commerce — which has AI capabilities  powered by Adobe Sensei — there are multiple features that you can utilize. In this guide, we will break down the benefits of using AI in eCommerce before examining the specifics of Adobe Commerce’s AI capabilities.

What’s the Benefit of Using AI in eCommerce?

Staying ahead of the competition requires a personalized touch. Before diving specifically into Adobe Commerce's AI features, it's essential to grasp why personalization is the driving force behind eCommerce success — and how AI can help with it. Personalization tailors every aspect of the customer journey, creating a shopping experience uniquely crafted for each individual. Here's why AI-driven personalization matters for eCommerce businesses, no matter which solution you use:

  • Enhanced Customer Engagement: Personalization fosters a deeper connection with customers by delivering content, products, and offers that align with their preferences and needs — AI can help you identify and focus on those preferences.
  • Improved Conversion Rates: Tailored recommendations and content boost conversion rates by providing customers with products they're more likely to purchase.
  • Increased Customer Loyalty: Personalized experiences lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, as customers feel valued and understood.
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: AI-driven personalization relies on data analysis, enabling businesses to make informed decisions that drive sales and growth.

An Introduction to Adobe Sensei

Adobe Commerce's AI capabilities are powered by Adobe Sensei, an integrated AI and machine learning framework. Adobe Sensei is Adobe’s first-party AI and machine learning (ML) platform, unveiled in 2016. Since its release, Adobe has expanded Sensei to support multiple Adobe SaaS programs and platforms. One of the biggest perks of Adobe Sensei is the fact that Adobe has developed and designed integrations to add the AI tool to a majority of their products and platforms. 

Adobe Commerce’s AI Features

Adobe Commerce — using Adobe Sensei — contains AI-driven features designed to make personalization a breeze. In this guide, we'll highlight how AI's personalization capabilities can elevate your eCommerce game.

Live Search

Live Search enhances and speeds up the search experience for your customers. It uses AI processing and machine learning in tandem with your catalog data to predict and display relevant search results in real-time as customers type their queries. This feature ensures that customers find what they're looking for quickly, reducing bounce rates and increasing conversions.

How To Use Live Search in Adobe Commerce

Live Search is available to Adobe Commerce users for free — all you have to do is download the package. To make the most of Live Search, ensure that your product data is well-structured and tagged appropriately. Configure Live Search settings to match your business needs and monitor customer search queries regularly to fine-tune results.

Intelligent Re-Ranking

Intelligent re-ranking optimizes the order in which products are displayed in search results and category pages. It takes into account various factors such as customer preferences, inventory levels, and trending products to ensure that the most relevant items are showcased prominently for every visitor to your site. This AI-driven feature improves product discoverability.

How To Use Intelligent Re-Ranking in Adobe Commerce

Configure intelligent re-ranking rules based on your business objectives and monitor performance. Continuously analyze customer interactions and adjust the rules to ensure optimal product rankings.

Product Recommendations

Product recommendations are a cornerstone of AI-driven eCommerce. Adobe Commerce's AI analyzes customer behavior — such as browsing history, purchase patterns, popular trends, product similarity, and more — to suggest relevant products. These personalized recommendations can be displayed on product pages, in shopping carts, or through email marketing, increasing cross-selling and upselling opportunities.

Product Recommendations are automatically integrated in Adobe Commerce Cloud. Magento Commerce users can use the technology in their online store through the extension Product Recommendations without additional costs.

How To Use Product Recommendations in Adobe Commerce

Implementing product recommendations requires integrating customer data and setting up recommendation algorithms. Regularly review and update these algorithms to improve their accuracy and effectiveness.

Segment-Specific Content and Promotions

AI in Adobe Commerce enables businesses to create tailored content and promotions for different customer segments. Whether it's offering discounts to loyal customers or showcasing specific products to first-time visitors, AI machine learning allows you to develop segment-specific strategies to improve engagement and conversion rates.

How To Use Segment-Specific Content and Promotions in Adobe Commerce

Identify your customer segments and create targeted content and promotions accordingly. Monitor the performance of these initiatives and adjust them as needed to maximize their impact.

How Adobe Commerce’s AI Capabilities Stack Up Against Magento Open Source

If you're currently using Magento Open Source and want to implement Adobe Sensei’s AI capabilities into your store, you might have some questions.

Can I use Adobe Sensei in Magento Open Source?

Adobe Sensei is not natively available for Magento Open Source. It is a premium feature exclusive to Adobe Commerce and Adobe Commerce Cloud. With enough creative custom development using Adobe Sensei’s API you may be able to build out some of the functionality on your Magento Open Source instance, but the value of this work may not justify the cost - especially when considering the options listed below.

What extensions or third-party platforms can I use to bring Magento Open Source closer to Adobe Commerce and Adobe Sensei?

While you won't have access to Adobe Sensei in Magento Open Source, there are third-party AI and machine learning extensions available that can add some AI functionality to your eCommerce store. These extensions can provide some AI features to your site, although they may not match the depth and integration of Adobe Sensei’s native capabilities. Here are some extensions that can assist with your AI needs:

Always Keep the Customer at the Center of Your AI eCommerce Efforts

Adobe Commerce's AI capabilities — powered by Adobe Sensei — offer a wide range of benefits for eCommerce businesses. From improving the search experience to delivering personalized recommendations and promotions, AI can transform your eCommerce operations. 

However, it's crucial to remember that the ultimate goal is to enhance the customer experience. Always keep the customer at the center of your AI eCommerce efforts, leveraging AI tools to create meaningful, engaging, and human interactions that drive sales and loyalty.

FAQs: Adobe Commerce AI

What AI-powered features does Adobe Commerce offer to enhance customer experiences?

Adobe Commerce leverages artificial intelligence to deliver personalized and engaging customer experiences. Its AI capabilities include product recommendations, personalized search results, and advanced merchandising tools. These features use machine learning to analyze customer behavior, purchase history, and browsing patterns, allowing businesses to display relevant products, improve search accuracy, and drive higher conversion rates. Additionally, AI-driven insights help businesses optimize inventory and pricing strategies to meet customer demand effectively.

How does Adobe Commerce's AI improve search functionality?

Adobe Commerce integrates AI with its Live Search feature, providing customers with fast, intuitive, and highly relevant search results. Powered by Adobe Sensei, this functionality analyzes customer intent and context to deliver personalized search suggestions in real time. It dynamically ranks products based on popularity, relevance, and user preferences, ensuring that shoppers can find what they need quickly. The AI-driven search also supports natural language processing, enabling more accurate and conversational search experiences.

Can Adobe Commerce's AI tools help businesses with inventory and demand forecasting?

Yes, Adobe Commerce uses AI to assist businesses in inventory management and demand forecasting. By analyzing historical sales data, customer behavior, and market trends, its AI tools provide actionable insights into stock levels and anticipated demand. This ensures businesses can maintain optimal inventory, minimize overstock or stockouts, and improve operational efficiency. These predictive analytics help businesses plan more strategically and adapt quickly to changing market conditions.