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Microsoft is working to improve the online shopping experience for customers by making it less complicated.
Online shoppers encounter pain points such as finding valid deals, determining which product reviews are credible, and navigating a massive variety of products.
Microsoft’s shopping tools, including those on Bing, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Start, and Outlook, aim to address those pain points.
New AI-Powered Tools for Bing and Edge
Microsoft has launched new e-commerce features for its Bing search engine and Edge web browser that use AI to streamline the shopping experience for users.
These new tools are designed to make shopping more accessible, from finding items to comparing products to purchasing.
They provide shoppers with information from reputable sources to help them make better buying decisions.
Buying Guides
Screenshot from: bings.blog.com, June 2023.Bing and Microsoft Edge now offer a Buying Guides feature to help people shop for products even when unsure what they want.
For instance, someone searching Bing for “college supplies” will get a customized set of recommendations highlighting the best options in different categories like laptops, backpacks, and calculators.
The recommendations come with easy-to-read comparison charts to see details of similar products side by side.
Buying Guides are currently available to users in the United States, though Microsoft plans to make them accessible to people in other countries over time.
People using the Edge web browser can find the Buying Guides through the sidebar in the browser or through Bing’s chat feature.
Summarized Reviews for Informed Decisions
Screenshot from: bings.blog.com, June 2023.Choosing a product can be challenging when there are many choices and reviews to consider.
Bing Chat has a new feature, Review Summaries, which will summarize the critical points and prevalent views about a product.
This feature is rolling out worldwide in time for the back-to-school shopping period.
Price Match For The Best Deals
Screenshot from: bings.blog.com, June 2023.Microsoft has added a new price match feature to its shopping tools in Bing and Edge, tracking an item’s price even after you buy it.
If the price drops after the purchase, the feature can help you request a refund from the retailer for the difference.
Microsoft’s price match feature will work with major U.S. retailers with price match policies. It will roll out to more countries over time.
In Summary
Microsoft’s new AI-based shopping features aim to simplify parts of the online buying experience that can often frustrate customers.
While the tools are currently limited to Bing, Edge, and Start, they show the potential for AI to add value in e-commerce.
However, AI is still imperfect, so double-check its recommendations.
Source: Microsoft
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