Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-October from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on shipping rates, artificial intelligence, fulfillment applications, social media, and emojis.
Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.
Ecommerce Product Releases
Facebook adds A.I. and online merchant deals to Marketplace. Facebook’s Marketplace has turned two, and the company is making some changes. Facebook has introduced new features that use artificial intelligence for price range suggestions and auto-categorization, supported by a multimodal ranking system that incorporates Lumos, an image understanding platform, and DeepText, a text understanding engine. Also, Facebook has added a variety of content from businesses including cars, home rentals, and home services, as well as shopping and deals from ecommerce merchants.
Facebook Marketplace
U.S. Postal Service announces new prices for 2019. The United States Postal Service has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission of price changes to take effect Jan. 27, 2019. The proposed prices would raise mailing services product prices by approximately 2.5 percent. Shipping services price increases vary by product. Review the January 2019 Price Change table.
Etsy launched Integrations for sellers. Etsy has launched Integrations, a toolbox within Shop Manager for sellers. It features a list of third-party tools to help grow an Etsy shop that can be connected to an Etsy account. The curated list of integrations is designed to help sellers market and promote an Etsy shop, keep track of expenses and accounting, optimize listings and photos, and better understand and manage inventory.
Instagram introduces nametag. To make connecting and sharing with others even easier, Instagram is launching nametag, an easy way to add friends in person. The nametag is a customizable identification card that allows people to find your Instagram profile when it’s scanned. To try out nametag, go to your profile, tap the button with three lines at the top, and select “nametag.” Personalize your nametag by touching anywhere on the screen or by tapping the button at the top to try other designs. To scan someone’s nametag, either swipe into the camera, hover over the nametag and hold down on your screen, or enter the camera by tapping “Scan a nametag” when viewing your own. Share your nametag through text messages and via other platforms, such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
Instagram nametag.
Shopify opens a brick-and-mortar location. Ecommerce platform Shopify has announced the opening of its first-ever physical space for providing in-person help and support to merchants and aspiring entrepreneurs. The new space, in Los Angeles, allows business owners to get advice from Shopify’s staff and also to connect with other members of the entrepreneurial community.
ShippingEasy integrates Alexa. ShippingEasy has announced that it will make ecommerce fulfillment operations available through Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant. With simple voice commands, merchants will now be able to manage orders, print labels, check postage rates, and handle other order-fulfillment tasks hands-free.
Apple brings more than 70 new emojis to iPhone, more. Apple is releasing more than 70 new emojis to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, including new characters with red hair, gray hair, and curly hair, a new emoji for bald people, more emotive smiley faces, and additional emojis representing animals, sports, and food. The new emojis are available in developer and public beta previews of iOS 12.1 and will be available in upcoming software updates for iOS, macOS, and watchOS.
Apple’s new emojis.
Salesforce acquires Rebel. Salesforce has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Rebel, a startup that develops interactive email services for business to amplify their direct marketing services. With Rebel’s mail and API solutions, brands, including Dollar Shave Club, L’Oreal, and HelloFresh, turn emails into an extension of their website or app — collecting data, removing friction from the conversion process, and enhancing the customer experience, according to Salesforce.
Yotpo and Magento elevate partnership to unlock the power of customers in commerce. Yotpo, a provider of commerce marketing cloud solutions, has announced that it expanded its relationship with Magento, now an Adobe company, to become a Premier Technology Partner. The partnership will enable brands and merchants to capture, analyze, improve, and market themselves through their customers’ experiences.
Zuora named Amazon Pay Premier Partner. Zuora, a cloud-based subscription management platform provider, has been named a Premier Partner in the Amazon Pay Global Partner Program. Merchants can now integrate Amazon Pay into their subscription checkout experience. Publishers, including The Seattle Times and The Telegraph, use Zuora and Amazon Pay to accelerate the shift to the subscription model and help increase their digital readership.
Zuora