The perception of artificial intelligence (AI) has reached an inflection point as it moves from a story about the rise of the machines to a business reality.
Today, AI is used in medicine, industry, banking, tourism and digital commerce. What benefits can it offer online businesses? The answer is in our article.
Artificial intelligence (abbreviated AI) is a technology that creates computer programs and services imitating human mental abilities. AI is based on a neural network – a digital model of many neurons, similar to those found in living organisms. Using mathematical operations, these “cells” process gigabytes of texts, images, documents, and files. This is how the neural network learns. As a result, it develops the “skill” of analyzing information, generating ideas, drawing pictures and performing other tasks that the user sets for it.
How to work with AI tools?
Not only professional IT specialists, but also ordinary people can work with AI services. Moreover, IT companies precisely focus on them, developing their products and making a profit. This is one of the reasons why AI website interfaces are intuitive, and their capabilities meet the needs of an average user.
Working with AI tools is somewhat similar to searching for information in Google. But as opposed to search engines, you can not limit yourself to a short query, but write a mini specification. And the more complete it is, the better the result will be.
Compare the two images below. The first was generated by the request “Create an illustration about AI.” The second is based on a more detailed specification: indicating the desired image style, size, colors and objects. In the first case, the image is indistinct, in the second – it was generated in the spirit of digital surrealism.
For online stores’ and marketplaces’ staff: copywriters, marketers, SEO specialists, designers, AI tools are becoming indispensable. They are able to create advertising banners, draw up a content plan, and edit a video.
However, there is no artificial intelligence that can do everything. Yes, many services combine a number of functions (for example, creating text and visual content), but most have their own focus. And we will consider among them those that increase the efficiency of online business.
Some AI services are free. Most offer free trial periods, after which you need to sign up for a paid plan. So let’s begin our review. For your convenience, we have divided AI into categories according to their specialization.
AI Text Generators
AI writing tools are called artificially intelligent writers. You shouldn’t expect them to generate 100% unique material, but it will be a high-quality workpiece that will save human resources and time. Some of the best AI writing services include the following.
ChatGPT
A bot that many users call the best artificial intelligence. It was developed by American OpenAI, founded by Elon Musk.
ChatGPT can do the following:
- write poems, songs, scripts,
- write articles and scientific papers,
- translate text from one language to another,
- generate and check computer code,
- give advice and keep the conversation going.
What can a smart bot offer to online store specialists? With it, you can prepare:
- welcome message on eCommerce site,
- slogan for banners and advertisements,
- e-mail newsletter to customers,
- privacy policy and terms of sale,
- content plan for social media accounts and the posts themselves,
- product description.
Hypotenuse AI
Neural network and online service for writing professional content. Hypotenuse AI generates text based on a large number of parameters: topic, keywords, tone and style of writing, headings, lists, quotes and even locations to take into account the local dialect.
Here you can specify the response time to the request: you need to receive the text as soon as possible – the neural network will process the information quickly and produce something standard. If you are ready to wait and give the AI more time – then it will produce material with a high percentage of uniqueness (this can also be indicated in the specification).
In addition to composing texts, Hypotenuse AI can:
- edit finished material,
- add key phrases to the content,
- make summaries of long texts,
- classify and structure information,
- translate into foreign languages.
Hypotenuse has a free trial period of 7 days. Next, you will have to choose a paid plan. Its minimum cost is $15 per month.
AI Image Creators
Imagine that you need to update the design of an online store or prepare creatives for banner advertising. Instead of spending hours looking at inspirational websites and images, ask AI to create references. Perhaps some of them will even be suitable as an option.
Midjourney
“The fusion of imagination and technology,” the developers say. With Midjourney, you can:
- generate pictures based on description;
- adjust image size,
- set the style: anime, cyberpunk, fantasy or realism,
- generate one image from two.
The example above is about humor, but who said that Midjourney is not capable of creating professional images? Look at the photo below: it was generated after combining two photographs (a young couple and a mountain landscape). Why not use it as a theme for the homepage of an online store of clothing or goods/services for travelers?
The cost of subscription to the service starts from $10 per month.
Stable Diffusion
The neural network can generate drawings based on text descriptions, complete sketches and redo references, borrowing the styles of different artists: from Van Gogh to NFT artist Beeple. To achieve this skill, machine learning engineers loaded more than 5,000,000,000 images into Stable Diffusion. Most of them are taken from Getty Images, DeviantArt and Pinterest.
You can work with the neural network in 3 options:
- through an application or website,
- through a program installed on the computer,
- using the console. The latter is suitable for users with programming skills.
The easiest option is to generate images directly on the site. It is clear and simple: enter your request into the “Prompt” field, click “Generate” and wait. We asked Stable Diffusion to generate an image of “online pet store” (an online store of goods for animals) and received this layout.
It is good enough for the first try, but for a better result the user needs to specify requirements, separated by commas: object, background, style, image quality and other details.
What else is good about this neural network? Stable Diffusion has Inpainting and Outpainting functions. Using the first one, you can change one object to another. For example, put a chair instead of a table. And the Outpainting function allows you to change the background or complete the picture. This is exactly how a Reddit user “recreated” the dress of the heroine of the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”
Flair
Using the Flair AI web service and neural network, you can create beautiful branded images. This will be useful when creating advertising banners, presentations of the company’s website and social networks, product pages in online stores and marketplaces.
In ordinary life, for this purpose one would need to hire a photographer, book a studio, and collect props. Now a similar result can be achieved using artificial intelligence.
For example, at the beginning of 2023, the developers of Simtech Development started creating a corporate online store for employees. There, company employees can buy various branded products. This is the picture we got when we added an autumn mood to the store main theme.
The principle of working with a neural network is simple: the user uploads an image of a product (or any other thing), and the AI generates a background for it based on the text description. You can add flowers, drinks, accessories, sports equipment, household appliances and even a person.
The picture generated by the neural network in the AI service can be easily downloaded to your computer, and voila – beautiful pictures with a logo are at your disposal.
The free version limit is 30 illustrations. Next, you’ll have to pay: the cost starts from $10 per month.
Looka
AI tool for creating a company brand book, in particular:
- logo;
- corporate colors and fonts;
- post and story templates,
- advertising banners.
It is enough to specify the brand name, business category and keywords – this data will help it select the best image options. The identity is unlikely to be perfect, but it’s perfect for inspiration and finding the right option.
We also decided to test the service. We generated a request: SWE company (it’s just a set of letters) operating in eCommerce, use the shopping cart icon,the pink, gold, and brown colors. And this is what the neural network offered us.
For those who want to test Looka, there is a free trial period of 7 days. After a week of using the neural network, you will have to pay: the basic version costs $20 per month.
AI Sound Generators
AI tools are becoming indispensable for processing podcasts, interviews and any conversational videos. This is because, with the help of machine learning algorithms, AI services have learned:
- recognize and transcribe speech into text;
- turn text into voice;
- reduce noise and level out background sounds;
- improve the quality of a recording or audio file.
Let’s begin a review of the most interesting artificial intelligence in this area.
MacWhisper
A speech recognition system from OpenAI that allows you to transform voice recordings into text. The system was trained on 680,000 hours of speech data and recognizes 99 languages.
This is a foolproof tool for Mac owners with the Apple operating system. It is used as an application that needs to be installed on a computer, however, you can test the AI service online. Setting up the software takes less than 10 minutes.
What is good about this AI service:
- It can process audio files in MP3, WAV, M4A or MP4 format, as well as live recordings using a microphone;
- It is not sensitive to background noise;
- It is able to understand technical vocabulary and mixed speech using different languages;
- has a high processing speed (where a person will decipher an audio file for hours, artificial intelligence will cope in a matter of minutes).
Would you like a couple of examples of how to use MacWhisper in practice? Here are they:
- You had a work call on Zoom or Google Meet and receive a text that will help you immerse yourself in the context and not miss the details.
- You gave a presentation at a conference and prepared the article with minimal effort.
- You recorded a webinar or presentation of a project and received a ready-made text version.
The basic version of the MacWhisper application is free. If you purchase the more functional Pro version, you will have to pay at least $25 for a license.
Mubert
A platform powered by artificial intelligence, the purpose of which is to generate musical compositions. On the platform, you can create your own tracks for social networks or videos on Youtube without worrying about copyright infringement.
Mubert has a simple and intuitive interface. Users just need to specify the music genre, mood, activity (sports or meditation?), and track length. Mubert can also create an audio track based on your text request.
You can also buy ready-made tracks from authors who want to monetize their creativity.
The service can be used for free – you will have access to 25 tracks per month per account of average quality, which is quite enough to create a lot of useful content. But if you need more soundtracks and extremely high quality, it is better to sign up for a paid plan. Its cost starts from $14 per month.
AI Video Creating Services
Now, with the help of artificial intelligence and its online services, you can create videos using texts, photos, presentations or audio clips as “sources”. And besides, add various effects, animation, motion tracking and filters. Below we will talk about the most interesting AI tools for creating video content.
Pictory
AI that turns text, audio and photos into video or GIF animation using stock materials.
Pictory.ai can be used to create:
- short videos about the company, products and services;
- videos for contextual advertising and social networks;
- short video instructions (if you are selling a new or technically complex product in your online store, tell users how to use it and why they are interested in it);
- creating video reviews.
Subscription to the AI service is $23 per month. The free trial version allows you to create 3 videos up to 10 minutes long.
Fliki
A neural network that turns text into video with voiceover. Using the AI tool, you can easily convert social media posts or blog articles into a video with voiceover. Fliki can also:
- import text from links;
- add visual effects and subtitles;
- work with 75 world languages and 900 voices.
After the video is edited, you can edit it: customize the background, choose music, add stock images, and create captions.
The AI service has a free trial period in which you can edit a video up to 5 minutes long. Paid plans with professional tools allow you to create video files with a total length of up to 6, and also provide the ability to “clone” your own voice into the library and give access to millions of videos in Full HD format.
Read more: 25 Best AI Marketing Tools In 2024
How to choose a service based on artificial intelligence?
There are several factors to consider when choosing an AI tool:
- Goals and objectives
Why do you need a neural network? To write texts, generate pictures or create videos? The second important point is who it is for. Do you want to use it for personal or business purposes? Start from the first and second questions to understand the specialization of AI and the scope of required functionality.
- Capabilities and quality of services
Explore the functionality of AI, read reviews and testimonials from real customers. Test the operation of several similar services in the free version, compare, and if you find the best option, subscribe.
- Integration and compatibility
Check how easily the service integrates with your infrastructure and systems. Make sure it can be seamlessly implemented into your business processes.
- Price and payment model
Compare the cost of similar AI tools. Find out what features the service provider offers for this price. Answer the question: Does this fit my budget and long-term plans?
- Support and service
Research what assistance the service provides in mastering it. Ideally, you should be able to get advice if you suddenly need it.
Conclusion
Humanity has entered the era of artificial intelligence. Every year, the speed of emergence and number of AI tools increases, as do their areas of application. Progress cannot be stopped. Therefore, the sooner you start using them, the faster you can learn to get the maximum results from them. To begin with, you can start from the list of AI services that we provided in the article.
And yet, we should not forget that a neural network is not a magic wand that will do the job for a person. This is an assistant (it is no coincidence that the word “help” with its derivatives was repeated many times in our article), and if used correctly, it can increase the speed and improve the efficiency of employees involved in the field of eCommerce.
We hope the trend of incorporating AI into your work is new horizons for you. And if you are just on the way to creating or improving your existing online business, we, Simtech Development experts, are ready to help you:
- launch an online store from scratch;
- develop a marketplace;
- integrate the store with any services;
- create UX/UI website design;
- develop a website architecture
and finally, implement any of your ideas on a turnkey basis. Contact us, we will select the best solutions to improve the efficiency of your digital business.
