January, 2019 | geekspeak

CES 2019: AI and Robots and 8K… Oh My!

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the world’s largest technology show, each year taking over the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels for four full days of innovation. With companies unveiling their latest and greatest, industry attendees get a first look at new tech products before they are made widely available to consumers.

Three geekspeak team members attended the event, showcasing eCommerce strategies and services, as well as new technology that can be leveraged to assist in the creation of optimized product content.

Here are some of the biggest themes we saw throughout the show floors of CES:

Artificial Intelligence

While the concept of AI itself is not new, the ways in which it is being used are becoming more innovative and immersive than ever before. Almost any product you can imagine – from your oven to your travel luggage – is becoming “smart” with AI technology. When it comes to digital assistants, CES saw a race between Amazon Alexa and Google Home for integration into everyday gadgets like smartphones and speakers.

Robots

No matter what venue or conference room you entered at CES 2019, there seemed to be a different robot at every turn. From child-friendly robots that help teach students on the autism spectrum, to promotional bots that can be coded to deliver information as museum guides or airport wayfinding, robots were definitely a hit at this year’s event.

Autonomous Vehicles

Smart Homes

With Smart Homes emerging as one of the largest themes of CES 2019, many of the event’s venues were reminiscent of The Jetsons; the animated show that first debuted in the 60s, featuring a family set in the year 2062. Laundry machines, faucets, blenders, microwaves, and even toilets were given tech-powered upgrades at CES, adding these products to the now-typical doorbells, lights and thermostats of existing smart homes.

8K TVs

Much like robots, 8K TVs seemed to be around every corner at CES 2019. While numerous television manufacturers released their own versions of the 8K screen over the course of the conference, LG and Samsung came out on top with some of the most exciting TV announcements. LG showcased an 88-inch OLED 8K TV called the Z9, as well as one of the most talked-about features of CES: the LG Signature OLED TV R, a rollable TV that disappears into its stand when not in use. Towards the end of CES, Samsung unveiled its truly massive 219-inch TV, dubbed “The Wall.”

5G Wireless Technology

One of the more elusive technologies at CES was new 5G networking, something that seems to be on the radar of every major telecommunications company, though few have actually built products or services around it as of yet. CES 2020 will surely feature more 5G-ready electronics; this year, the concept seemed to be more of a buzzword than anything tangible.

Besides these impressive tech trends witnessed at this year’s CES event, geekspeak was fortunate to have seen a great showing of fellow Canadian companies passionate about technology and innovation, and to have had exciting conversations with industry leaders interested in improving their businesses, communities and selves through technology.

Follow us on Instagram @gkspcommerce for more awesome photos of our time at CES!

Common Amazon Seller Content Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

For the new seller, Amazon can be a tricky platform to navigate. The marketplace has many lengthy guidelines that sellers must follow, related to anything from the content you can publish, to logistical requirements like how quickly you need to respond to customer inquiries or ship products after they are ordered. Because of the number of detailed guidelines, it can be easy to make mistakes, especially for the first-time seller.

Below are some of the most common content-related mistakes made by Amazon sellers, and how to avoid them.

1. Not optimizing your written content

When it comes to selling on Amazon, it is not enough to simply list your product and hope shoppers will make a purchase. Optimized copywriting that takes full advantage of formatting allowances, character limits and search engine optimization (SEO) is key in ensuring your products are searchable to the Amazon audience. Most Amazon categories allow for five feature bullets and up to 2,000 characters in the product description – this is valuable real estate for SEO-friendly keywords that will drive traffic to your product. Another important tip to note is to present the most important information upfront, within the product title and feature bullets, leaving additional information and more narrative content further down in the long description.

Need help with optimized Amazon product listings? Learn more here.

2. Not localizing your content for the market

For sellers expanding into new markets for the first time, it is important to remember to localize your content for the specific geographical area in which you are selling. This may seem obvious when it comes to selling in different languages – but taking into account the subtle differences in the spelling of certain English words between Canada, the US and the UK shows that you’ve put thought into marketing your products in those areas. In terms of presenting your content in different languages, it is worth investing in a professional translation service to ensure your copy is properly interpreted and makes just as much sense to a shopper across the globe.

Looking for a professional who can translate and localize your content on Amazon? We can help.

3. Not following eCommerce photography standards

The ideal way to showcase your product in a hero image is to make sure the product is set up alone on a white background. This ensures shoppers can see exactly what it is they are buying, and excludes any potential distractions within the frame. For Amazon, it is important to ensure your product takes up at least 85% of the total frame and that there isn’t any small text on the image that would render un-readable on mobile. While you can have infographics and lifestyle images within your gallery, the leading image should be your product on a white background.

Need to fill your Amazon image gallery with great photography? See what we can do for you.

4. Constantly changing or updating your content

While it is okay – and sometimes important – to make updates to your content every now and then, you should aim to create product content that is evergreen (meaning it can stay the same season to season). Each time you make a significant change to your Amazon product listing, the search algorithm re-indexes your page, potentially leading to a decrease in your organic ranking. Including seasonal promotions in your title, bullets or images can date your listing if not removed immediately after the promotional period, and so should be kept to a minimum.

If your Amazon content is in need of a refresh, see how we can optimize it once for better ranking.

5. Not paying attention to the real people

For a first-time Amazon seller, it can be easy to forget about “the other guys” on Amazon. Your goal in selling on a marketplace is to direct shoppers to your page over your competitor’s. As such, it is important to understand what your competitors are doing on Amazon – including what kind of content they are using to market their products. Complete a brief competitive landscape analysis to make sure your content is at a comparable or higher quality than other sellers’.

Perhaps even more important than understanding your competitors is understanding your shoppers. Pay attention to your reviews and customer questions when you receive them, responding to people in a timely manner. Before you receive your first reviews, check out reviews on your competitors’ product listings and make sure your content reflects common questions about the kinds of products you are selling.

Trying to do everything on your own as a new Amazon seller, without the help of an Amazon content expert, can be a daunting task. From account setup and management, to inventory coordination, to content creation, the Amazon marketplace can seem overwhelming at times. These content mistakes are common to many first-time sellers and can be easily avoided by following the tips provided.

The Latest Facebook Ad Specs and Image Sizes

As 2018 ends and we head into a new quarter, it is important to start thinking of your 2019 advertising strategies. For eCommerce sellers, social media is steadily becoming an alternative – or addition – to traditional Google and Amazon pay-per-click advertising. As such, we have put together a guide explaining the latest Facebook ad specs and image sizes so that you can optimize your social advertising.

Businesses may have different reasons for advertising via Facebook and other social media channels. From brand awareness to lead generation to sales, social media offers a good chance at reaching your advertising goals because of the sheer number of people using social platforms every day.

Depending on your specific goals, there are a number of ad formats available to you on Facebook – image, video, carousel and collection are the four main formats we will discuss in this guide. Each has its own features and set of ad specs depending on placement within the Facebook interface.

1. Image

Image ads on Facebook can appear directly in a feed, on the right-hand side of the feed, in Facebook Instant Articles, in the Marketplace, in Stories, in the Messenger inbox, or as a sponsored Messenger message. Depending on the placement of your image ad, specs may differ slightly, but in general the recommendations are as follows:

File type supported: jpg or png
Image ratio: 9:16 to 16:9
Resolution: the highest resolution available that meets the above ratio requirements (600 x 600 px minimum)
Text on image: must take up no more than 20% of the image itself
Ad copy: optimal length is 125 characters, with anything over that being truncated
With link: 1.91:1 to 1:1 image ratio; 1,080 x 1,080 px resolution; 25-character headline; 30-character description

2.Video

When a still image won’t cut it, opt for a video ad on Facebook. Video ads can appear in all the same placements as images except for Messenger messages. Videos can also appear as ads within organic videos posted to Instagram. Just like image ads, specs depend on the placement of the video, but the general guidelines to follow are:

File type supported: most video file types
Video ratio: 9:16 to 16:9
File size: 4GB maximum
Resolution: the highest resolution available that meets the above ratio and file size requirements
Video length: 1 sec to 240 mins
Captions and sound: recommended but not required
Text on video thumbnail: must take up no more than 20% of the thumbnail image itself
Ad copy: optimal length is 125 characters, with anything over that being truncated
With link: 25-character headline; 30-character description

Need to create eCommerce videos that can help sell your products online? Request a quote for product video here.

3.Carousel

The Carousel ad is one of the most intriguing ad types on Facebook, allowing for more creative space and promotional links. Built of 2-10 individual images or videos, each tile has its own link and short ad copy. This allows a brand to showcase multiple products, product features or pieces of information that together create a holistic brand message. Carousel ads can be placed in the feed, right column, articles, Marketplace or in the Messenger inbox. General spec guidelines are as follows:

Number of tiles: 2-10
Image file type: jpg or png
Video file type: most file types supported
Maximum file size: 30MB for images; 4GB for videos
Video length: 1 sec to 240 mins
Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 px
Image or video ratio: 1:1
Ad copy: optimal length is 125 characters, with anything over that being truncated
Headline copy: 40 characters
Link description: 20 characters
Text on image or thumbnail: must take up no more than 20% of the thumbnail image itself

Newer to the Facebook ad game is the Collection ad, which happens to be perfectly centered around eCommerce companies and their sales objectives. Collection ads are generally composed of a cover image or video, followed by smaller product images in a grid format. This allows potential customers to see your products at a glimpse, and when they click, they are immersed in your brand through an Instant Experience. Instant Experiences are full-screen mobile takeovers that allow the customer to explore more of your brand story and seamlessly make a purchase. Collection ad specs are as follows:

Placement: in the Facebook Feed only
Cover image file type: jpg or png
Cover video file type: most file types supported
Cover media: must choose to show either an image or a video
Grid images: optimized for 1:1 ratio (can be cropped)
Headline: 25 characters recommended
Ad copy: 90 characters recommended

Facebook advertising can be an important tool for eCommerce sellers. Taking advantage of one of the four main ad types on Facebook means placing your brand and products directly in front of the eyes of your audience when they have free time to browse. With Collection ads specifically, your products take the spotlight and your branding becomes a unique, immersive experience for potential customers.