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We surveyed 150 sellers – big and small – to see how they’re using AI tools for eCommerce.
What were the results? AI is used for a ton of things – content, ads, customer chats, product picks, even pricing. We compiled and analyzed data to find out how AI tools can increase your sales and grow your business.
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Because it saves you time, sparks new ideas, and helps you sell more. And the biggest reason of them all? Your competitors are already jumping on board.
AI handles the busywork, like writing product descriptions, answering customer questions, and even predicting what shoppers want, so you can focus on the fun stuff – growing your business.
Here’s how artificial intelligence works its magic in eCommerce:
And it’s not just hype. 40% of businesses already use AI today. 70% of retail execs say AI is key to the future of eCommerce, and 65% see Generative AI – like natural language processing programs – as a game-changer.
In short? AI helps your online store run smoother, look sharper, and sell smarter. Why not put it to work for you?
AI solutions for eCommerce businesses can handle way more of your to-do list than you might think.
Here are the top five AI marketing tasks that our surveyed merchants rely on:
Most sellers start with simple marketing automation. With just a few clicks, AI tools can help write personalized emails, post on socials when your audience is most active, and test which ad images or headlines actually drive clicks. The result? More time to work on establishing a brand.
And deeper stuff like chat integration, forecasting, and analyzing customer behavior? There is still room to grow, but new tools are coming out all the time.
Let’s break down the top tools eCommerce sellers use based on each category – what’s popular, ways you can automate, and a list of tools that can get you started right away.
Used by 66% of merchants
No business survives without a social presence. At the top of this list are tools that automate your marketing tasks on key social platforms. Drag and drop your social media posts into a calendar view, write captions in batches, and schedule weeks of content in under an hour.
Some tools even recommend post times based on past engagement or suggest hashtags and captions with AI assistance. It’s like having a content assistant on call – minus the payroll.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 64% of merchants
Content creation was the leading sales driver for our survey participants. They love tools that write in a few bullet points and generate marketing materials in seconds with their desired tone or style, length, and formatting.
Image generation is another huge hit, saving time on the design process when they need a banner image, social media post photo, or campaign graphics quickly.
These tools are a fast, profitable way to get branded content without all the manpower.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 56% of merchants
Running a store without data is like driving blind, but AI analytics tools can set a clear path.
Analytics and reporting tools give you clean dashboards showing which pages are driving traffic, which customers are most valuable, and which campaigns are actually working.
Other tools can even offer predictive insights – like who’s likely to buy again or why they choose to leave your site – so you can act, not just analyze, and focus on consistent improvements.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 50% of merchants
Email is the highest ROI marketing channel, and our surveyed sellers saw increased sales from AI email tools that automate and improve messages. These tools don’t need any coding and work with a user-friendly interface and seamless integration. They set up email flows to welcome new buyers, nudge customers with abandoned shopping carts, and way more.
Tweak the layout to match your brand and personalize the content for specific audiences, making every email feel personal to better match customer preferences.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 48% of merchants
Curious what’s trending or what your competitors are quietly winning with? Try AI-driven analytics with tools to uncover hot products, price changes, and rising keywords. These help you make smart, data-driven decisions and spot opportunities to lift your sales.
Deeper analytics even let you see the ads your competitors are running, so you can quickly learn what’s working for them and use that insight to make smarter decisions for your own store.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 47% of merchants
Customers want to feel seen and understood. Knowing who they are and what they want helps you create more impactful marketing materials. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools collect behavior data so you can build smarter segments and personalize your offers to individuals, not crowds.
Most CRM platforms integrate directly with your store or email to scrape your data automatically, letting you see browsing habits, purchase history, and lifetime value without any manual input.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 46% of merchants
You can’t answer questions 24/7 – but a chatbot can. These tools help customers get instant answers to simple questions like shipping times or sizing, even when you’re offline.
Conversational marketing tools can also guide people to the right product or give recommendations. They work nonstop, and you can always take the wheel if needed.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 46% of merchants
Our survey revealed that AI ad optimization is the second-best revenue generator. These tools test different images, adjust bids, and find out which version of your ad brings in the most paying customers.
While the AI works on preparing optimal ad strategies and testing which pages get the most clicks, you get to spend more time on more manual tasks.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 33% of merchants
These tools help you group your customers into useful categories – like frequent buyers, first-timers, or discount hunters – based on how they shop, turning numbers into actionable insights. Segmentation and targeting services can then help you send more relevant emails, show the most effective ads, or offer the right deals to people who actually want them.
Tool suggestions:
Used by 27% of merchants
Want more people to find your store without paying for ads? AI SEO (search engine optimization) tools improve your website’s search engine rankings by showing which keywords to use in your content.
Website optimization tools can also spot problems with your site speed or structure that might hurt your rankings, and help you fix them. The more shoppers find you, the more you’ll sell.
Tool suggestions:
Many of these platforms also show up in more than one category. A CRM platform might also feature an email tool, and a customer analytics suite might offer its own eCommerce chatbot.
Look for tools that offer good value across categories, and weigh features against pricing. The best setup is the one that fits your store and goals and doesn’t overcomplicate your workflow.
Yes, businesses are making money with AI. Both small and large sellers reported gains from AI automation or analytics, while mid-sized brands saw more mixed (but still positive) results.
89% of eCommerce businesses using AI marketing tools reported increased conversion rates.
AI marketing tools lifted conversion rates across all surveyed business models by over 90%, whether it was a traditional retail brand, print-on-demand merchant, or subscription seller.
Two ways: reduced workload and better data on how to convert customers. It’s not just one feature or task that impacts sales, but a mix of multiple AI-driven improvements.
And yes, these results grow over time. From the merchants surveyed, sellers who had used AI for more than six months reported more consistent and higher gains than newer users.
Our survey shows that AI tools benefit sellers using both types of sales channels, but to different degrees. This is because not all tools are available on both marketplaces and ecommerce Platforms.
| Metric | Own website (Shopify, WooCommerce) | Marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon) | Social media shops (Instagram, TikTok) |
| Revenue increase | 44.7% | 47.5% | 44.4% |
| Conversion rate increase | 95.3% | 90.0% | 89.7% |
| AOV (avg. order value) increase | 91.8% | 83.3% | 84.6% |
| Retention gains | 38.8% | 36.7% | 35.1% |
| Reported negative impact | 17.6% | 17.5% | 17.8% |
Marketplaces grow sales fast. Platforms like Amazon or Etsy come with built-in AI tools for optimizing listings, prices, and ads, so sellers often see quicker sales growth.
Websites convert better. Stores built on platforms like Shopify have more control, offering tools like personalized product suggestions and smarter checkouts to help retain visitors.
Social storefronts increase visibility. Instagram and TikTok Shops thrive on AI-powered content and targeting. They’re great for getting discovered, but rely more on platform algorithms.
AI can do a lot, but getting started isn’t always smooth. Even with strong success rates, many sellers hit a few speed bumps. About 16% of businesses saw setbacks when setting up AI.
The biggest pain points are privacy concerns, costs, and not knowing where to begin. Small shops often feel the pressure the most, especially if they don’t have time to learn new software.
Here’s what we learned from our participants:
Most start with simple wins, like AI-generated emails or basic product recommendations, because they’re fast to set up and easy to see ROI. But even with tools like ChatGPT, you still need to double-check what gets published. Bottom line: AI works best when you stay involved.
If you’re building your AI stack, focus on tools that are:
Based on recent analyses and industry insights, here’s a look at the current trends in AI, future predictions, and steps that eCommerce businesses can take to stay ahead.
Generative AI is becoming a core part of eCommerce, moving beyond content creation to improve product discovery and personalized customer experiences. Tools like AutoGPT aim to deliver intelligent, AI-powered ‘assistants’ that help increase engagement and conversions.
Visual search technology makes online shopping easier by letting users find products using images or simple descriptions. Google Vision AI tools already automate and analyze images, and it’s only a matter of time until eCommerce tools start offering visual product search tools.
While still underutilized, voice commerce is growing. AI-powered assistants, like Cartesia.ai, are getting better at helping customers shop by talking, not typing. As these tools improve, eCommerce businesses will need to adjust their content and SEO to match how people speak.
Agentic AI systems are advanced programs designed to act independently, handling tasks like inventory management, customer support, and campaign launches without human input. Microsoft’s Autogen is at the forefront of helping develop agentic AI tools for eCommerce.
In the future, AI may step into a more strategic role – predicting trends, simulating campaign outcomes, and adapting to customer interactions in real time. The forecast of AI in eCommerce predicts smarter, more personalized experiences and automated operations.
Benefit from these trends by:
Our research shows most sellers begin with AI-powered eCommerce tools for email personalization, ad optimization, and content creation. These help improve website search rankings, meet customers where they’re at, respond to shopper browsing behavior, and boost engagement.
As you grow, use AI for predictive analytics, custom pricing ratings, and customer segmentation. These advanced eCommerce AI tools support smarter targeting, inventory planning, and automation, enabling businesses to scale easily.
Top AI-powered eCommerce chatbots like Tidio, Gorgias, and Chatfuel help answer questions, guide shoppers, and collect customer feedback in real time.
They learn from interactions and tailor responses, increasing engagement and reducing abandoned carts.
Yes, Shopify supports multiple AI tools for eCommerce business growth, including AI copywriting apps, dynamic pricing engines, and product recommendation tools. These apps often integrate AI tools seamlessly, improving both conversion and customer retention.
AI offers new ways for eCommerce sellers to grow faster. In our survey, 89% saw better conversion rates thanks to better content, smarter ads, and more thorough marketing analysis. Whether you’re on a marketplace or your own site, AI helps with everything from increasing traffic and sales to customer support.
The key? Start simple, scale smart, and stay up to date on advances that’ll improve your business operations even further.
The post AI tools for eCommerce: How real merchants use AI to sell smarter appeared first on Printify.
