Shubhi Ahluwalia, Author at Noibu

Posted on August 11, 2023

The surge in eCommerce adoption globally has presented both opportunities and challenges for businesses. Convenience, variety, and ease of use have driven online shopping into a vital aspect of our daily lives. Yet, it’s also resulted in a highly competitive market where businesses are vying for attention and customer loyalty.

But with so many businesses selling stuff online, it’s not enough to just have a website. You need to stand out with something special, something that would set you apart from the crowd.

John Merris, the powerhouse at the helm of Solo Brands, strongly believes in treating customers as you would treat your own mom. On the very first episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives podcast, John shared nuggets of wisdom that drive his business approach. His philosophy underpins Solo Brands’ success in maintaining high referral and repeat purchase rates.

The advice is simple: focus on the customer experience, and outsource when necessary. But let’s dig more into it.

Listen, Improve, Wow!

One of the defining moments in Solo Brands’ journey was their decision to make their customers happier by taking control of their own shipping process. They heard that some customers were unhappy with how long it took to get their products, so they decided to do something about it. And wow, did it make a difference! Customers who used to give them only one star for shipping were thrilled to get their orders in just 12 hours. This change was really good for everyone – customers were happy, and the company made more money.

The Mom Test: A Philosophy for Success

At the heart of John’s philosophy is a fundamental belief: treat your customers as if they were your mom. This is a mantra that outlasts any changing consumer expectations and builds an unbeatable reputation. By providing this level of service to all customers, even when their requests may seem demanding, you can ensure that the majority will appreciate your business and, more importantly, keep coming back for more.

Metrics Matter

Yet, how can you be sure you’re doing right by your customers? According to John, two key metrics can help you determine this: referral rate and repeat purchase rate. These indicators are just as important as revenue and profitability.

If your referral rate and repeat purchase rate are above forty percent, you can be confident that your business is taking good care of its customers, and John believes these are robust metrics for gauging success for all businesses.

The Golden Rule of eCommerce

You guessed it. It’s the good old unwavering customer focus and making strategic outsourcing decisions. The guiding principle is to treat your customers like your mom and create a company culture that values their happiness above everything else. This ethos, along with the wise use of metrics like referral and repeat purchase rates, provides a solid roadmap to success in the ever-changing world of online commerce.

As you grow your eCommerce business, remember John’s wise words: focus on improving the customer experience by taking control of what you can, and above all, treat your customers with the same care and respect you would show your mom. After all, a happy customer is a returning customer.

Tune in to Catch the Whole Conversation

Listen to this episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives with John Merris to learn more strategies behind supercharging your eCommerce operations and developing your site’s success.

👉 Apple: https://bit.ly/3rPKXiR

👉 Spotify: https://bit.ly/3rNaxW0

John is the CEO and Director of Solo Brands, a brand platform committed to empowering unique brands with DTC expertise to build the next generation of customer experiences in digital commerce. He was previously the President and CEO of Solo Stove, the brand at the heart of Solo Brands.

Stay tuned for our next episode to learn how legacy brands can thrive in digital ecosystems with Matthew Lawson, CDO at Ribble Cycles.

Posted on August 3, 2023

The Javascript [object Object] error is common on Magento sites.

This error is traced to a function called getFromServer which is a standard Magento function that retrieves user data from the server in multiple places.

In its default implementation, this getFromServer function throws a vague [object Object] function when it encounters any error from the server. This provides no information about which error occurred or what caused the error, which isn’t very helpful for debugging or investigating the issue.

Fortunately, we have a quick, straightforward fix that reveals the nature of the error and enables you to further investigate or action a fix.

Discovering the Javascript [object Object] Error

The getFromServer function is part of Magento’s implementation for loading and managing user data. You can read more about this function in Magento’s StackExchange post on Customer Sections. There are multiple variations of this getFromServer function depending on the file and context, but it usually looks like this example from the customer-data.js file:

You may see other versions of getFromServer that include extra parameters such as forceNewSectionsTimestamp and different function bodies, but in this article, we will consider them together. The final few lines of the function–which should be identical across the getFromServer implementations–request user section data from the server:

If an error occurs and the server cannot respond with the requested data, the error handler is triggered and the server error response, jqXHR, is thrown as an error. The problem is that jqXHR is a JSON object, and the JavaScript error parameter expects a string. As a result, the error converts the jqXHR object directly into its string form [object Object], which makes the object itself into a sort of “black box” that hides any helpful error information.

Potential Solutions to the Javascript [object Object] Error

There are multiple methods to reveal the error object, depending on how you’d like to display the error data. The most straightforward way is to simply stringify the entire JSON object, as below:

This reveals the error object from the server in a form you can observe in the browser console and in Noibu, albeit in a relatively raw format. If you only want to see specific attributes of the jqXHR error object, you can throw a more specific error with only those attributes–e.g. statusText. You could also add code to clean up the response or format it to be more readable. For example:

Conclusion and Next Steps

Applying this fix will NOT solve the underlying error that causes getFromServer to fail. Instead, this fix uncovers the error information for investigation and debugging. Without this additional context, you may find it difficult to troubleshoot or further investigate the real problem, as [object Object] will always be the same regardless of the error’s specifics.

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With Noibu, you are also provided all the technical details you need to efficiently resolve errors, without having to spend hours investigating and reproducing them or trying to correlate customer complaints to actual user sessions.

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Posted on July 31, 2023

Smart merchandising, a strategic approach to online retail, has emerged as a crucial tool for businesses looking to create immersive, personalized, and efficient shopping experiences. By leveraging this strategy, businesses can solve a number of challenges such as enhancing their customer experience, strengthening their brand’s reputation, and cultivating revenue growth.

With global eCommerce sales expected to reach about 8.1 trillion dollars by 2026, it’s obvious that the world of eCommerce is only growing. However, to capitalize on this opportunity, businesses must strive to stand out from their competitors, and smart merchandising offers the means to achieve this.

In this guide, we delve deeper into the world of smart merchandising, discussing its key components, the role of visual merchandising in eCommerce, effective strategies for its implementation, online merchandising tips, and the critical part that technology plays in this innovative retail approach.

What Is Smart Merchandising?

Smart merchandising is an innovative approach to online retail that employs advanced technologies and data-driven strategies to optimize the arrangement of products, collections, and promotions on an eCommerce website.

The term describes a data-backed method of managing an online store – from the display and organization of products to the implementation of AI-powered personalization tools. This dynamic approach allows businesses to leverage advanced strategies, AI technology, and customer data analytics to enhance the user experience and improve product discoverability and accessibility.

The ultimate objective is to improve conversion rates and boost sales by facilitating a smooth and engaging shopping journey for site visitors. It’s an intricate system that includes several key elements, such as branding, imagery, inventory management, menu organization, product collections, and real-time user behavior analysis.

The core of smart merchandising lies in its application of data and user experience principles to transform casual browsers into paying customers. This transformation process includes various tactics, such as reminders for abandoned shopping carts, effective visual online merchandising, and well-placed calls to action to guide consumers through the purchase process.

Key Components of Smart Merchandising

Smart merchandising uses emerging technologies and data-driven techniques to strategically position and promote products on an eCommerce platform. Here are the key components of it.

AI-powered Product Tagging and Assortment

Using AI, retailers can tag products with relevant information and categorize them accordingly, facilitating easier product discovery for customers. This also allows selective showcasing via product assortment, where certain products can be emphasized based on their relevance or popularity.

Design and UX Considerations

Smart merchandising takes into account the importance of design and user experience (UX) in creating a seamless shopping customer journey. This includes the design of the website, its navigation system, and the organization of its product catalog, among other features.

Data-driven Strategies

Smart merchandising relies heavily on data to guide its strategies. This includes using real-time data insights to cross-sell products from different niches, which can increase the value of customers’ shopping carts. It also involves using data to offer hyper-personalized shopping experiences, with relevant recommendations, visual online merchandising, dynamic collections, and thematic galleries.

Inventory Management

Using inventory data to inform various strategies, such as stock replenishment and product campaigns, smart merchandising ensures that the most popular or relevant products are always available for customers to purchase.

AI and Machine Learning

This tactic leverages AI and machine learning to understand and predict customer behavior and optimize the user experience based on different audience segments. AI also aids in the creation of dynamic product groups based on attributes, providing more contextual signals for algorithms.

Effective Search and Navigation

Smart navigation with dynamic filtering helps customers find their desired products quickly and effortlessly, enhancing their shopping experience. Some solutions employ built-in Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to better understand shoppers’ queries, even when they include variations in phrasing or typos, thereby delivering more accurate and relevant search results.

Visual Merchandising eCommerce

Visual merchandising in eCommerce involves the strategic display and organization of products in an online store, akin to a digital shop window. It aims to create an aesthetically pleasing and engaging user interface that stimulates customer purchasing decisions, boosts sales, enhances customer loyalty, and increases average order value.

What follows are visual merchandising eCommerce key aspects.

Product Imagery

Clear and detailed product photos from multiple angles help customers understand the product and make informed purchasing decisions. Consistent image sizes and styles across the website create a cohesive and professional look.

Product Presentation

How products are presented on the website significantly impacts customer engagement. This includes arranging products in logical categories, using clear and descriptive product titles, and organizing them in a visually pleasing manner. Grouping related items, showcasing best-sellers or new arrivals, and using product badges or labels can help highlight specific products or promotions.

Visual Hierarchy

Establishing a clear visual hierarchy guides customers’ attention and makes it easier for them to navigate and find desired products. This involves using size, color, contrast, and positioning to prioritize important elements such as product images, prices, and call-to-action buttons.

Color and Branding

Consistent use of colors and branding elements throughout the website helps reinforce brand identity and recognition. Colors should be carefully chosen to evoke desired emotions, reflect the brand personality, and create a visually pleasing experience.

Responsive Design

eCommerce merchandising should account for responsive design, ensuring that the website and product displays are optimized for various devices, such as desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. The layout should adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes, maintaining the visual appeal and functionality across devices.

Virtual Try-on and 360-degree Views

Incorporating virtual try-on features or 360-degree product views can enhance the online shopping experience, particularly for fashion or home decor items. These interactive elements allow customers to visualize how products will look or fit, increasing confidence and reducing returns.

Personalization and Recommendations

By leveraging customer data and algorithms, personalized product recommendations can be displayed to customers based on their browsing and purchasing history. This tailors the shopping experience, increases relevance, and encourages additional sales.

Visual Storytelling

Using visuals to tell a compelling brand or product story can engage customers on an emotional level. This can include lifestyle imagery, videos, or customer testimonials that convey the benefits, features, or unique selling points of the products.

Effective Smart Merchandising Strategies

Smart merchandising, whether employed in brick-and-mortar or eCommerce settings, aims to captivate customer attention, influence their purchasing decisions, and enhance their overall shopping experience.

Below are some effective strategies that eCommerce businesses can employ.

Data-driven Solutions

With the rise of big data and analytics, retailers have unprecedented access to customer behavior and preferences. By leveraging these insights, businesses can better position their products, pricing, and promotions to align with customer needs and preferences.

Visual Appeal

The use of appealing visual elements in product displays can strongly influence customer behavior. Retailers can strategically place products, use appealing colors and imagery, and create themed displays to catch customer attention.

Performance-based Metrics

eCommerce businesses should use performance-based metrics such as availability and compliance to track the effectiveness of their merchandising strategies. This helps them continually refine their approach based on the strategies that yield the best results.

Dynamic Merchandising

Merchandising strategies should be flexible and adaptable to meet changing consumer needs and market conditions. This includes modifying displays to highlight seasonal items, new products, or current market trends.

Specialized Merchandising Strategies

Strategies can range from traffic building to transaction building, profit-generating, turf defending, excitement generating, and image enhancing. These include placing high loyalty items in visible places to build traffic, creating excitement around new or seasonal products, or enhancing the store’s image by promoting sustainable or local products.

Personalized Recommendations

Using algorithms to suggest relevant products based on individual browsing patterns and purchase history can lead to increased sales.

User-generated Content

Incorporating UGC, like customer reviews and images, can help build credibility, authenticity, and trust, enhancing the overall shopping experience of your potential customers.

Optimized Site Navigation

For online stores, easy and intuitive site navigation with search functionality makes it easier for customers to find and buy products.

The Role of Technology in Smart Merchandising

Technology plays a pivotal role in transforming traditional merchandising practices into smart merchandising, enabling retailers to respond more effectively to changing market dynamics and consumer expectations.

Analytics and Predictive Modelling

Today’s retailers use analytics to make data-driven decisions. Traditional merchandising, which relied heavily on instinct and past experience, is giving way to more sophisticated and forward-looking approaches.

Analytics provides insights into shopping patterns, consumer preferences, and product performance, which can drive strategic decisions. Predictive modeling, enabled by machine learning, allows retailers to forecast future trends and adjust their strategies accordingly.

Automation

Smart merchandising leverages automation to expedite and optimize merchandising processes. This includes the use of smart planograms that automatically organize product displays, tools for rapid price updates, and automated reordering systems. By reducing manual tasks, merchants can focus more on strategic responsibilities and decision-making.

Artificial Intelligence

AI offers significant opportunities for smart merchandising, from enhancing demand prediction to personalizing customer experiences. It can support segmentation and attribute management and can also dynamically group products into solution families based on customer preferences and needs. Recommendation engines powered by AI algorithms can offer customers personalized product suggestions based on their browsing history and purchasing patterns.

Digital Enablement

Digital transformation enables retailers to integrate their online and offline operations, creating seamless omnichannel customer experiences. Advanced systems and tools allow for real-time inventory visibility, personalized marketing, and agile response to market changes. This digital enablement also demands a shift in the workforce, requiring talents who are comfortable with digital tools, analytics, and a customer-centric mindset.

Be Smart and Ace Your Online Merchandising Game!

The rise of eCommerce has fundamentally reshaped the global retail landscape, driven by technological advances and changing consumer behaviors. It’s a sector that has seen dramatic growth, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating this trend. As more consumers embrace the convenience of online shopping, businesses are continually seeking innovative strategies to engage with their customer base and foster brand loyalty.

Smart merchandising provides a powerful platform for businesses to enhance their eCommerce brand. By leveraging data analytics, AI technology, and personalized, visually engaging content, businesses can deliver experiences that captivate customers, encourages engagement, and drives higher sales. So, leverage smart merchandising tools today and watch your eCommerce sales go up north and to the right!

Posted on July 27, 2023

This article aims to help you diagnose and investigate the Javascript AJAX call error response below. This error occurs when making an AJAX call, and may have multiple causes. However, the error is often due to one of two primary causes.

{readyState:0,status:0,statusText: error}

Investigating the Javascript AJAX Call Error

Cause 1: AJAX Call Cancelled by a Reload or Redirect

This occurs when the AJAX call is triggered at the same time as a browser event that reloads or redirects the page. This causes a race condition where the AJAX call is started but the browser event navigates away from the current page before the call’s completion. This causes the AJAX request to be canceled with the “0” error message.

Triggering events could include the following:

Form submission
Clicking on a link

The solution to this depends on how your code is triggering the AJAX call and any other simultaneous events. Generally, make sure of two things:

If you prompt the AJAX call via a trigger with a default event that causes the page to redirect/reload, make sure to override the default behavior and have the event wait until the AJAX call is complete before redirecting. Add this behavior back into the AJAX completion handler function as per #2.
If you need to perform any other logic related to reloading/redirecting the page, make sure to add this logic inside the AJAX completion handler. Otherwise, restructure your code so it doesn’t perform this action until the AJAX call is complete.

References:

Cause 2: Cross-Domain Issues

This occurs when the AJAX function call tries to make a cross-origin request and is blocked by the browser. This is usually easy to diagnose as if it exists, it will cause the AJAX call in the function to fail every time. The error occurs because due to browser security controls, most AJAX requests are subject to same origin policy. For solutions, this Stack Overflow Reference has some potential leads. Alternatively, try enabling CORS or making a request via JSONP.

References:

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Noibu detects all errors on your website and prioritizes them based on the revenue impact that they have. More importantly, the platform provides all the technical details you need to quickly resolve these errors, significantly reducing your error reproduction and resolution time and boosting efficiency.

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Posted on July 24, 2023

We are witnessing a paradigm shift in the eCommerce industry and a huge change in the traditional ways of retailing and consumer behavior. Among the numerous advanced strategies employed by eCommerce platforms, dynamic pricing stands out as a vital one for boosting revenue.

The dynamic pricing model has emerged as a reliable way to optimize revenue by adjusting prices based on various factors, including market demand, competition, and customer behavior. This strategy employs the power of data analytics, a market that is projected to reach $57 million in 2023.

In this article, we shall deep dive into the dynamic pricing eCommerce world, exploring its objectives, components, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and various optimization techniques. We will also break down how you can align dynamic pricing with marketing strategies and the challenges to be aware of when implementing dynamic pricing.

What is Dynamic Pricing in eCommerce?

Dynamic pricing is the automatic process of updating and adjusting product prices in response to changing market conditions. Apart from providing real-time optimization of eCommerce prices, a dynamic pricing strategy offers online retailers more control over their revenue. A dynamic pricing model can be based on customer shopping behavior and patterns, supply and demand fluctuations, and even competitor prices, to determine optimal real-time pricing for products.

Benefits of Dynamic Pricing for Your eCommerce Store

Dynamic pricing in eCommerce aims to leverage real-time data and market trends to optimize pricing strategies.

Here are some of the specific objectives you can achieve by implementing it:

Maximize profitability: Dynamic pricing algorithms consider various factors such as demand, competition, and cost to determine the optimal price point that can maximize profits.
Increase market share: By adjusting prices in real-time based on the competitive landscape, online retailers can remain competitive and capture a larger share of the market.
Optimize inventory management: Dynamic pricing can help companies manage their inventory effectively by adjusting prices based on stock levels. High-demand products with low stock levels can be priced higher to manage supply and demand.
Enhance customer satisfaction: By offering competitive prices, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Test new products: Dynamic pricing can help in assessing the price sensitivity of new products, allowing businesses to find the optimal pricing that maximizes revenue and acceptance in the market.

Components of Dynamic Pricing Models for eCommerce Stores

Implementing dynamic pricing requires a comprehensive approach that combines various elements including robust data analysis, effective pricing methods, and advanced technology.

It involves several key components that work together to drive the strategy:

Price potential assessment: This involves analyzing historical data, current market conditions, and the competitive landscape to determine the potential for price optimization.
Dynamic pricing eCommerce capabilities: This includes building a robust pricing engine that can adjust prices in real-time based on data inputs and pre-defined pricing algorithms.
Customizable modules: These modules can include key-value-item analysis, competitive response, elasticity calculation, long-tail pricing, and omnichannel coordination. They help businesses to adjust their pricing strategies based on specific market scenarios.
Pricing methods: Depending on the business objectives and market dynamics, companies can choose from different pricing methods such as competitor prices, cost-plus pricing, and value-based pricing.
Artificial intelligence: AI plays a significant role in automating the dynamic pricing process, enabling real-time price adjustments based on a multitude of factors.
Evaluation and adjustment: Constant evaluation of the pricing strategy is necessary to ensure its effectiveness. Based on the outcomes, businesses might need to adjust their pricing strategy for improved results.
Optimized hosting solutions: To support the high computational demand of dynamic pricing algorithms and ensure a seamless customer experience, it’s crucial to have a robust and optimized hosting solution.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Dynamic Pricing

With the ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data at high speeds, AI can help eCommerce businesses optimize their pricing strategies in a highly flexible and accurate manner.

AI-driven pricing transformation

AI-driven pricing transformations can have a significant impact on businesses by boosting their EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) and generating financial improvements. Research conducted by MIT and BCG Henderson Institute found that companies using AI in pricing achieved higher success rates than those applying AI in other areas.

An AI pricing transformation begins with data. Companies should prioritize data quality, as the success of AI pricing transformations largely depends on it. With high-quality data, AI algorithms can accurately analyze trends and make effective pricing decisions.

AI pricing and customer experience

While AI pricing has financial benefits, it can also have a psychological impact on customers. If not managed effectively, dynamic pricing algorithms can lead to customer alienation, reduced loyalty, and damage to a brand’s reputation. For example, Uber’s surge pricing led to a negative reaction from customers.

Businesses can mitigate these issues by aligning algorithmic pricing with organizational values and focusing on value rather than solely on supply and demand. Proactive and strategic management of pricing, along with setting and monitoring guardrails, can enhance the customer experience and protect a brand’s reputation. Collaboration in experimentation, monitoring, and strategy is essential for extracting insights from algorithms.

Dynamic Pricing Optimization Techniques

Dynamic pricing, backed by AI and proper optimization techniques, can significantly enhance a company’s ability to maximize profit margin and competitiveness. As more companies adopt this strategy, the role of AI and data analysis will continue to become increasingly critical.

Several optimization techniques can be used in dynamic pricing strategies to maximize revenue and profit:

Seasonality: Companies adjust prices based on seasonality. For example, Airbnb considers seasonality in determining stay prices, charging higher prices during peak travel seasons.

Competitor pricing: Businesses adjust their dynamic prices considering competitors’ pricing strategies. Walmart, for example, frequently changes prices based on competitor bids.
Demand-based pricing: Companies increase prices when demand is high. Uber’s surge pricing is a well-known example of this technique, which helps the company meet high demand and boost profits.
Data collection and analysis: Businesses must collect and analyze relevant data for dynamic pricing. This can be achieved by buying or generating intent data or scraping online data using web crawlers.

Aligning Dynamic Pricing with Your Marketing Strategy

Dynamic pricing can be a powerful tool in an eCommerce marketing strategy when appropriately and carefully implemented. However, the key to its successful application lies in the alignment with the overall brand strategy and the management of customer expectations.

This involves carefully considering the ‘out-the-door’ price, consumer expectations, and selective product price changes. When setting prices, businesses must ensure that they reflect their brand positioning and values.

Prices shouldn’t only be based on demand but should also be in line with the perceived value of products or services. Accurate data is crucial in making these assessments, and as such, companies should prioritize cleaning up pricing inputs and improving cost attribution.

The marketing strategy should also consider the customer experience. Transparency is essential in dynamic pricing, allowing customers to make informed decisions.

If customers understand why prices fluctuate, they may be more accepting of price changes, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, dynamic pricing can be used to generate sales during downtimes through discounts, creating a win-win situation for both the eCommerce store and its customers.

Challenges and Considerations in Implementing Dynamic Pricing for Your eCommerce Store

Implementing dynamic pricing also comes with its unique set of challenges and considerations. These include the ability to gauge shifts in demand, customer acceptance of non-static prices, market leadership, and the adoption of dynamic pricing by industry peers.

eCommerce businesses need to have a clear understanding of their markets to predict demand accurately. This requires having the right dynamic pricing tools and systems in place to collect and analyze real-time data. Inaccurate inputs can mislead pricing strategies and lead to lost sales or reduced profits.

Customer acceptance of dynamic pricing is another major consideration. If pricing changes are perceived as unfair or if there is a lack of transparency in how prices are determined, it can lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of business. Therefore, it’s essential to communicate with users and provide clear explanations for price changes.

Moreover, online stores should consider the competitive landscape. If competitors have already adopted dynamic pricing, it may be essential for survival. On the other hand, if competitors have not adopted dynamic pricing, it could be an opportunity for a competitive advantage.

To implement dynamic pricing effectively, businesses should define their commercial objectives, choose a suitable pricing strategy, establish consistent pricing rules, and utilize appropriate tools. Testing and monitoring the strategy are also crucial for its success.

Final Thoughts

In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of eCommerce, dynamic pricing has emerged as a powerful tool to optimize revenue and stay competitive. Leveraging the power of eCommerce analytics allows businesses to adjust their pricing strategy based on several variables such as market demand, competition, and customer behavior. As we move forward in the digital age, the role of dynamic pricing is expected to grow even more.

However, while dynamic pricing presents numerous advantages, it also brings a set of challenges. But with the increasing accessibility and affordability of AI and data analytics, businesses of all sizes can leverage dynamic pricing to thrive in the digital marketplace. The road ahead may be complex, but the rewards for those who can effectively implement dynamic pricing strategies are substantial.

If you want to learn more about the latest, most advanced tips for growing your eCommerce business, take a look at our blog. From sales funnels to AI, you can find various topics that will help you take your online store to the next level.

Posted on July 20, 2023

As we catapult into the age of technological innovation, the eCommerce landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation. The introduction of machine learning and augmented reality (AR) into the world of online shopping has paved the way for a vibrant, immersive, and engaging customer experience that transcends the conventional norms of retail.

The excitement surrounding augmented reality in eCommerce is echoed by a survey from McKinsey, which revealed a growing interest in AR and VR technology for shopping, with almost half of the respondents expressing interest in these transformative technologies.

The power of augmented reality for business extends far beyond just a novel concept; it’s a game-changing strategy rapidly gaining traction among marketers and businesses. The US AR/VR market alone is projected to exceed a staggering $248 billion by 2030.

In a digital-first world where brands are vying for consumers’ attention, the integration of augmented reality in eCommerce strategies is a necessity for survival and growth. As we delve deeper into this topic, we will uncover the intricate nuances of AR, its profound impact on eCommerce, and how businesses can leverage this technology for a sustainable competitive advantage.

Understanding Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is an innovative technology that superimposes computer-generated information such as images, sounds, and text onto our real-world environment, thereby creating a composite view that augments the reality we perceive.

An example of AR that many of us might be familiar with is the first-down lines seen in televised football games or the projected flight paths in hockey and golf broadcasts. This integration of digitally-rendered information into a real-world setting enhances viewers’ understanding and enjoyment of the game.

This technology has also found extensive use in video games, particularly first-person shooters, and smartphone applications. Looking to the future, it could potentially revolutionize everyday experiences by adding informational displays to lightweight sunglasses or integrating personal identification tags into social networking displays.

It’s important to emphasize that augmented reality technology is not just a tool but a medium. This distinction is critical because it directs our focus towards the content being presented, rather than just the technology delivering it. An AR application, irrespective of its technological sophistication, would hold little value if it doesn’t deliver engaging and useful content to its users.

Hence, the success of an AR experience heavily depends on the quality and relevance of the content being augmented onto the user’s reality.

Benefits of Augmented Reality for eCommerce

As online shopping continues to grow, it presents businesses with innovative ways to engage customers and enhance their shopping experiences. Here’s how leveraging AR for your eCommerce store can set you up for success:

Improve Customer Engagement

AR significantly enhances the shopping experience by making it more interactive and engaging. With features like virtual try-on, virtual showrooms, AR mirrors, and in-store gamification, customers can actively participate in the shopping process.

Through virtual try-on features, customers can visualize how a piece of clothing or accessory would look on them without leaving their homes. This interactive process keeps the customer engaged and could lead to longer browsing times and increased chances of making a purchase.

This feature is particularly useful for businesses in the fashion and beauty industry, like Sephora, which offers a makeup try-on filter. Other brands like L’Oreal, DFS, and ASOS have also successfully implemented AR, resulting in increased sales and customer satisfaction. Virtual try-on experiences have proven to be a successful way to reduce return rates and increase conversion rates.

Moreover, AR mirrors can engage customers in a virtual shopping experience akin to in-person shopping, where they can try on products like cosmetics. AR-powered social media filters also add a layer of entertainment and personalization, encouraging customers to share their experiences, thereby promoting the brand and product organically. Brands like MAC Cosmetics and Tesco have implemented smart mirrors and AR gamification, thereby enhancing the in-store shopping experience.

Boost Conversion Rates

AR enhances the customer’s ability to make informed purchase decisions by allowing them to visualize products in a real-life context.

For instance, a furniture store can provide an AR feature that lets customers place virtual objects in their own spaces, helping them determine whether a piece of furniture matches their room aesthetics and fits the available space. This ability to ‘try before you buy’ gives customers confidence in their purchasing decisions and can significantly increase conversion rates.

Similarly, interactive AR user manuals can help customers understand how to assemble or use a product, thus reducing the perceived complexity and making the product more appealing.

Reduce Return Rates

AR also addresses one of the main challenges in eCommerce – product returns. Since AR provides a more realistic and accurate representation of products, it can significantly help reduce return rates.

For instance, customers can use AR to visualize the size, color, texture, and fit of a product, reducing the discrepancy between expectation and reality, which is a common reason for product returns in eCommerce.

By enabling customers to visualize products in their own environment or on themselves, AR can help ensure that what customers see is what they get, leading to increased customer satisfaction and reduced return rates.

Trends in Augmented Reality Shopping

This field is witnessing rapid innovation and adoption in various sectors, particularly in shopping and retail. Several notable trends are emerging in AR shopping that promise to redefine the way consumers interact with products and make purchasing decisions.

One of the most significant trends is the integration of AR into live-stream shopping. With this integration, users can try on products and visualize them in real time, dramatically enhancing the online shopping experience. Furthermore, AR’s integration into live shopping facilitates the easy incorporation of influencer marketing, driving advancements and expanding its accessibility.

Web AR, another growing trend, is also shaping the shopping landscape. By allowing experiences directly on mobile web browsers without the need for additional apps, it makes AR content more accessible, thereby expanding its reach.

Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly crucial role in enhancing AR shopping experiences. AR and AI are collaborating to power facial and spatial recognition, improving the accuracy and efficiency of augmented reality applications. For instance, AI can help AR systems understand the specific context of the user’s environment, enabling a more precise and personalized shopping experience.

Implementing Augmented Reality in Your eCommerce Strategy

Augmented reality offers a solution to many limitations of online shopping by providing more immersive experiences. It enhances the real world by overlaying digital elements, adding an interactive dimension to online shopping. With AR, customers can visualize products in their own environments, which improves customer engagement and ultimately drives sales.

Below are a few essential tactics you may want to follow for more effective implementation of AR for growing your eCommerce business.

Choose the Type of AR Applications You Want to Implement

There are several ways this revolutionary technology can be integrated into eCommerce:

Virtual try-on: Virtual try-on is an AR application that allows customers to virtually ‘try on’ products such as clothing, accessories, or makeup from the comfort of their homes. For example, a customer interested in buying sunglasses can use their device’s camera to superimpose a 3D model of the sunglasses onto their face, giving them a realistic idea of how they would look wearing the sunglasses.
Virtual showrooms: Virtual showrooms leverage AR to provide a detailed, immersive, and interactive view of a collection of products in a simulated environment. For example, a furniture retailer could create a virtual showroom where customers can explore different room setups and directly interact with the furniture items. Customers can see how different pieces of furniture look together, move them around, and even view them in their own living space.
AR mirrors: These are digital screens that use AR technology to show customers how they would look in certain clothing items, accessories, or even with different hairstyles or makeup looks. Customers stand in front of the AR mirror, which overlays the selected products onto their reflection in real time.

This AR application is common in physical retail stores but can also be leveraged for online shopping through a device’s front-facing camera. This not only creates a fun, interactive shopping experience but also allows customers to try a larger range of products in a shorter amount of time.

In-store gamification: In-store gamification uses AR to engage customers with entertaining, game-like experiences while shopping. These games can encourage customers to interact more with the brand, explore a wider range of products, and even drive specific customer behaviors, such as visiting certain areas of the store or checking out promotional items.

Although this AR application is often associated with physical retail environments, it can also be applied to online shopping, such as through interactive product explorations or branded mini-games.

Product placement preview: AR product placement preview allows customers to visualize products in their own space before making a purchase. For example, a customer interested in a new coffee table can see how it would look in their living room using AR. This feature helps customers to visualize the size, color, and style of the product in context, which can lead to more confident buying decisions and lower return rates.
Interactive user manuals: Interactive user manuals leverage AR technology to provide a dynamic, engaging, and highly visual guide for product assembly or use. Rather than flipping through a traditional paper manual, customers can use their device’s camera to superimpose step-by-step instructions onto the real-world product. For instance, a customer who has purchased a DIY furniture piece can aim their phone at the disassembled parts, and the AR application would project a 3D model demonstrating the assembly process in real-time. Each step is visualized directly on the actual product parts, making the instructions easier to follow.

Select Suitable AR Tools

Choosing the right tools largely depends on your business objectives and product offerings.

These options offer different ways to engage customers and showcase products:

Marker-based AR recognizes objects and displays 3D models, while markerless AR allows users to place virtual objects anywhere.
Location-based AR uses geographic location to present digital content, and projection-based AR
projects synthetic light onto physical surfaces.

Integrate Augmented Reality Into Your eCommerce Platform

Many eCommerce platforms provide features for integrating this technology into your online store. For instance, Shopify offers guidance in AR integration and hosts related product media. Utilizing these features can help to streamline the process of adding AR capabilities to your eCommerce site.

Market the AR Experience

After integrating AR, it’s important to market this experience to your customers. Companies like Christian Dior have successfully used social media apps and camera filters to engage customers and create virtual word-of-mouth marketing. Additionally, using AR in advertising can enhance customer engagement and has been projected to generate substantial revenue.

Evaluate the Success of Your Implementation

Finally, it’s important to continually evaluate the success of your AR implementation and make adjustments as needed. This can involve tracking metrics such as customer engagement, sales, and customer feedback. These insights can help you understand how effectively the features are meeting your business objectives and inform any necessary changes.

Summary

We are undoubtedly standing on the brink of a new era in eCommerce, where augmented reality is gradually weaving itself into the fabric of the online shopping experience. From the transformation of pre-buying experiences to the enhancement of consumer engagement, augmented reality in eCommerce has cemented its position as a potent tool for business growth.

However, while the adoption of AR is a promising development, it is essential to remember that the successful implementation of augmented reality in eCommerce is contingent on user comfort with technology and its seamless integration into the purchasing process. As we move forward, businesses should continually adapt and refine their AR strategies to meet evolving consumer needs and technological advancements.

The story of augmented reality in eCommerce is just the beginning. With generational turnover and the comfort of younger generations with augmented and virtual reality technology, we can look forward to an exciting future where the virtual and physical realms of shopping continue to intertwine in novel and extraordinary ways.

Posted on July 18, 2023

If eCommerce sites using the Magento 2 platform are upgraded to certain versions, users may experience this error when loading site pages. If this issue does appear, it occurs frequently and may prevent key JavaScript elements, like the Add to Cart and Login buttons, from functioning correctly. Learn everything you need to know about this error and how to troubleshoot it in this blog post.

JavaScript Error Description

Error Signature:

Error Message:

Error Filename:

Error Code Snippet:

JavaScript Error Background

This JavaScript Magento error originates from the storage.remove(sectionName) function call made within the remove function. Since storage is undefined, the entire function fails.

This issue initially occurred when Magento upgraded from version 2.3.6 to version 2.4. During this update, Magento changed how it initializes storage. More specifically, storage initialization is now a wrapped function and is no longer available at a global level.

A patch was developed and released to resolve the issue. The fix was merged into Magento version 2.4.3.

Unfortunately, during the update to version 2.4.5, this fix was removed for unknown reasons, and the error returned.

Potential Solution for this JavaScript Error for Magento Sites

Consult the resources below for context surrounding the issue’s cause and solution:

Please proceed only if you feel comfortable making manual changes to your Magento instance. Magento will likely re-release the issue’s fix in a future version.

As of Magento version 2.4.5 (October 2022), the fix is to manually apply a patch that reverses the previous fix’s removal. The patch content can be found here.

Simply add this to a patch file and follow these steps to add this to your Magento instance.

Proactively Detect and Efficiently Resolve all JavaScript Errors with Noibu

Regardless of the eCommerce platform your site is built on, you cannot completely escape JavaScript errors. What you can do is proactively monitor those errors before they cause a significant damage to your site conversions and customer experience.

Noibu – an eCommerce error monitoring platform not only detects all errors on your online store, but also provides you with the details you need to quickly resolve them (down to the exact line of code that needs fixing) as well as AI-generated solutions to help you avoid the need to replicate or investigate errors.

What’s more, product teams can confidently prioritize errors to address first based on the impact that they have on annual revenue as calculated by Noibu. So, you no longer need to prioritize errors based on frequency of occurrence, but can rely directly start addressing those that are leaving the biggest dent in your top line. To explore how the platform can help your online store eliminate revenue-impacting errors, sign up for a demo today.

Posted on July 13, 2023

This is a common issue that affects sites with Apple Pay checkouts. It occurs during the checkout process when an Apple Pay session is started; the issue either prevents the payment sheet from appearing or causes it to disappear before the session ends properly. This results in the user being unable to checkout via Apple Pay, as they cannot complete or end their current payment session or start a new session.

Apple Pay Checkout Error Description

Error Signature:

Error Message:

Why Does this Apple Pay Checkout Error Occur?

To understand this issue, we must examine the steps of the Apple Pay logic flow. Consult Apple’s guide to Requesting an Apple Pay Payment Session for a detailed look.

Merchant validation is the first step when submitting a payment via Apple Pay. This involves the following:

Create an ApplePaySession object.
Call the .begin() function with the new ApplePaySession object to present the payment sheet and initialize the merchant validation process.
Once the merchant validation process is started, the onvalidatemerchant function is called with a ApplePayValidateMerchant object. This function calls your server, which in turn makes a new request to the remote Apple Pay server.
The Apple Pay server responds with a Merchant Session object for your server to pass into the completeMerchantValidation function. This completes the validation process and allows the user to make a payment with Apple Pay.

The active payment session error indicates that the onvalidatemerchant function has failed, as it cannot request a new Merchant Session object from the Apple Pay server. This is because of the following rules Apple enforces for the object:

You can only use a merchant session object a single time per transaction.
The merchant session object expires five minutes after it is created.
The merchant session request must be sent from your server. It cannot be requested from the client.

For more details, refer to this Discussion from the Apple support forums from a developer experiencing the same error with their Apple Pay session implementation.

In the discussion above, Apple support suggested potential causes:

The code that calls out to your server and receives the Payment Session to pass into completeMerchantValidation. If this is being hit twice then your client side code may have an error.
Along with #1, you could also debug your server to see if the same validationURL request is being run twice from the client, prompting two responses.
Lastly, the entire process could be running twice starting with new ApplePaySession. Examine the code that runs this path. This is likely when the user clicks or taps the Apple Pay button.

Uncovering the specific cause requires further investigation, as it likely depends on your implementation of the Apple Pay merchant validation process. However, in our experience with multiple Noibu clients, we’ve seen the following causes of the error.

Error Cause #1: User clicks Apple Pay multiple times

Since the Apple Pay merchant validation session may take several seconds, the user may not understand that they’ve triggered the start of an Apple Pay session, and may try the Apple Pay button multiple times. Unfortunately, this prevents the Apple Pay form from appearing and triggers the error, blocking the user from using Apple Pay.

There is an interesting discussion of this scenario on the Stripe Github.

From this discussion, developers suggested disabling the Apple Pay button after a user clicks until the merchant validation process completes. It could also help to add a loading indicator or confirmation that the click was effective.

Error Cause #2: Apple Pay triggered without user intervention

The site implementation of Apple Pay may have a bug that causes the site to trigger the merchant validation flow on the checkout page before the user has clicked the Apple Pay button. This summons a payment form that isn’t visible to the user, and when the user does click Apple Pay, they are unable to proceed.

This scenario is less common, but not impossible.

Risks and Mitigation

Once this error occurs, a user cannot checkout using Apple Pay unless they refresh or manually force the Apple Pay session to end. This can cause significant friction for users, especially since the error usually doesn’t usually produce a visible error message. We recommend prioritizing the issue and actioning a fix as soon as possible.

Detect Apple Pay Checkout Error and Other Third-Party Bugs with Noibu

Errors are inevitable on eCommerce websites, especially such third-party ones that you have no control over. Due to the endless third-party scripts and integrations that eCommerce websites have to partner with, it’s impossible to maintain a completely bug-free site at all times.

However, Noibu – an eCommerce error monitoring platform empowers you to stay on top of these bugs by proactively detecting all site errors (including third-party ones) and providing tangible solutions to resolve them without spending hours trying to replicate. The platform also calculates the predicated annual revenue impact of these errors so you can confidently ones with the highest impact and address them efficiently.

Noibu is designed to help development teams reduce error resolution time by 70% so they can focus on more strategic tasks such as feature releases. To explore how Noibu can help you eliminate revenue-impacting bugs on your site, sign up for a demo of the platform today!

Posted on July 10, 2023

In today’s fast-paced digital era, online shopping has become integral to our lives, offering unparalleled convenience and value for money. But what lies ahead for the future of eCommerce? And how can businesses elevate the shopping experiences they offer and captivate customers in a world saturated with options?

Enter the game-changer: artificial intelligence (AI). As eCommerce continues to evolve, artificial intelligence is shaping its future, completely transforming how shoppers interact with online stores and creating interactive and immersive shopping experiences.

AI has emerged as the driving force behind eCommerce’s evolution, empowering businesses to tap into the hearts and minds of their customers like never before. And make no mistake here, it’s not just about automation. It’s about creating personalized experiences, anticipating desires, and crafting unforgettable moments in the digital realm.

Imagine stepping into a virtual fitting room where you can try on clothes without physically touching a piece of fabric, or imagine visualizing furniture in your living room before purchasing it. These are just glimpses of the power of AI tools for eCommerce in action, blending the virtual and physical worlds seamlessly.

In this blog post, we delve into the dynamic realm of eCommerce and explore how AI tools for eCommerce and AI-powered third-party apps are revolutionizing the way we shop, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary. Brace yourself for a journey into the future of retail, where immersive and interactive shopping experiences become the new norm. The future of eCommerce awaits!

The Role Of AI In eCommerce

First things first, AI technologies, such as machine learning and natural language processing, have revolutionized the customer experience, empowering businesses to offer personalized, efficient, and engaging customer interactions like never before.

At the heart of AI’s role in eCommerce lies its ability to understand and adapt to individual customer preferences. Machine learning algorithms analyze vast amounts of data, including purchase history, browsing behavior, and social media interactions, to provide personalized recommendations tailored to each shopper. By harnessing the power of AI, businesses can deliver relevant and engaging product suggestions, enhancing the overall shopping experience, reducing cart abandonment rates, and fostering customer loyalty.

How HelloAva Provides AI-Powered Skincare Recommendations

HelloAva, a skincare and beauty startup, uses an AI-powered system to help users find the best products for their skin type. First, the customer must create a user profile and complete a brief skin quiz. From there, the AI-powered system analyzes the data and provides personalized recommendations tailored to the shopper from a bank of 2,000+ products.

Furthermore, eCommerce AI tools enhance interactivity and engagement through conversational interfaces and chatbots. Natural language processing enables virtual shopping assistants to understand and respond to customer queries, providing real-time assistance and personalized recommendations. Customers can have interactive conversations, receive instant support, and feel as if they have a knowledgeable sales associate guiding them through their shopping journey.

Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are three well-known examples of AI voice assistants, and by 2025, experts predict that more than 150 million U.S. consumers will make use of the technology, a fine increase of over 10 million users over only four years. Nevertheless, these AI-powered assistants are not exclusively utilized by eCommerce giants, as many smaller-scale brands are also developing their own digital voice assistants to handle customer service tasks as well.

Sensory Fitness and its AI Assistant - Sasha

The workout education outfit Sensory Fitness developed its voice-powered AI assistant Sasha to handle service phone calls. Like regular chatbots, Sasha utilizes NLG and NLU to carry out dynamic conversations, but with the addition of TTS (text-to-speech) technology that speaks out loud. This AI tool saves the fitness eCommerce brand around $30,000 per year.

As AI continues to advance, the future of eCommerce holds the promise of even more captivating and immersive shopping experiences that will optimize the way we shop online even further. To learn more about the role of AI in eCommerce, check out our blog post on how AI is changing the landscape of the eCommerce industry.

Benefits Of Using AI For Creating Immersive Shopping Experiences

By harnessing AI technologies, businesses can leverage and benefit from advanced image recognition and visual analysis algorithms to enhance the visual aspects of their online stores. AI-powered recommendation systems utilize visual data to offer personalized product suggestions based on customers’ visual preferences and styles.

These visual-centric AI tools for eCommerce create a more interactive and visually stimulating environment for shoppers, encouraging deeper engagement and increasing the likelihood of a purchase. With AI’s ability to analyze visual data, businesses can further enhance the shopping experience by integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies, offering customers a truly immersive and interactive journey.

The following section will explore how the so-called augmented reality (AR) technology is revolutionizing the eCommerce landscape and taking visual engagement to new heights.

Augmented Reality For Immersive Experiences

One technology that stands out as a game-changer for creating immersive and interactive shopping experiences is augmented reality (AR). Augmented reality has transformed how customers engage with products online, bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds and offering a new dimension of interactivity.

AR allows customers to visualize products in their real-world environment by virtually trying them on, placing them in their homes, or interacting with them in a lifelike manner. This technology has revolutionized how customers make purchase decisions, providing them with a tangible and realistic preview of products before committing to a purchase.

One of the key advantages of using AR in eCommerce is the ability to address the limitations of traditional online shopping. With AR, customers can overcome the challenges of being unable to physically touch or try on products, leading to increased confidence and reduced hesitation in making a purchase.

Whether trying on virtual clothes, test-fitting furniture, or previewing how cosmetics will look on their faces, AR empowers customers to make more informed decisions, resulting in higher satisfaction and reduced returns. For example, giant furniture online retailers like IKEA provide customers with their own AR app that permits potential customers to shop for furniture products online and see how they will look in their home setting before purchasing.

All things considered, AR has emerged as one of the most powerful AI tools for eCommerce when it comes to creating immersive experiences. By enabling customers to visualize products in real-world environments, AR enhances the decision-making process, boosts confidence, and fosters a deeper connection between customers and the products they wish to purchase.

AI Tools for eCommerce: Enhanced Product Discovery And Recommendations

Nonetheless, the power of eCommerce AI tools extends beyond immersive experiences. AI tools have revolutionized product discovery and recommendations, providing customers with personalized and relevant suggestions that elevate their shopping journey.

AI algorithms play a pivotal role in understanding customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing vast amounts of data, including purchase history, browsing patterns, and demographic information, these algorithms generate personalized recommendations tailored to each individual. This level of personalization not only increases customer engagement but also significantly improves conversion rates.

Visual search and image recognition are additional AI-powered key features that enhance product discovery. With visual search, customers can upload or capture an image to find similar products, bypassing the need for text-based searches. AI algorithms analyze the image’s visual characteristics, enabling customers to discover products that align with their desired style or aesthetic. This technology makes the shopping process more convenient and efficient, as customers can find what they are looking for with just a few clicks or taps.

In a few words, AI tools for eCommerce have transformed and continue to transform product discovery and recommendations in eCommerce. By analyzing customer data, offering visual search capabilities, and providing personalized guidance, eCommerce businesses can enhance the overall shopping experience. These AI-driven enhancements increase customer engagement and satisfaction and contribute to higher conversion rates and long-term customer loyalty.

Future Trends in AI Tools for eCommerce

The future of AI in eCommerce holds exciting possibilities, with emerging technologies set to shape the industry in profound ways. Some of the trends that are poised to revolutionize the way people shop online include the following:

Hyper-Personalization. AI algorithms will continue to evolve, enabling businesses to deliver highly personalized experiences tailored to individual preferences and behaviors.
Chatbot Advancements. Chatbots will become more sophisticated, employing natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to provide personalized assistance, answer complex queries, and engage in more human-like conversations.
Predictive Analytics. AI-powered tools that provide predictive analytics will allow businesses to anticipate customer needs, optimize inventory management, and offer proactive recommendations, leading to improved customer satisfaction and increased sales.
Augmented Reality (AR) Enhancements. AR technology will continue to advance, offering enhanced visualizations, better product interactivity, and improved integration with eCommerce platforms.

Social Commerce. AI tools will play a significant role in social commerce, enabling businesses to leverage social media data and user-generated content for targeted advertising, influencer marketing, and personalized product recommendations.

Supply Chain Optimization. AI-driven supply chain management systems will optimize inventory forecasting, demand planning, and logistics, leading to more efficient operations, reduced costs, and faster order fulfillment.

Fraud Detection and Prevention. AI algorithms will continue to evolve to detect and prevent fraud in eCommerce transactions, safeguarding customer information and enhancing the overall security of online shopping.
Voice Search Optimization. Businesses will focus on optimizing their eCommerce platforms for voice search queries, ensuring that their products and services are easily discoverable through voice-activated virtual assistants.

The ever-evolving nature of technology ensures that new trends will continue to emerge, shaping the future of eCommerce and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, AI tools for eCommerce have emerged as transformative forces in the eCommerce landscape, paving the way for immersive and interactive shopping experiences. From personalized recommendations and enhanced product discovery to the integration of augmented reality and the rise of voice commerce, AI has evolved how customers engage with eCommerce stores.

The potential for further innovation and growth in the eCommerce industry is immense as AI continues to evolve and shape the future of shopping. Exciting possibilities await as AI technologies advance, offering even more personalized, convenient, and captivating customer experiences. As we look ahead, it is clear that the synergy between AI and eCommerce holds tremendous promise, propelling the industry to new heights of success.

Posted on July 7, 2023

What is ‘Illegal Invocation’?

“Illegal invocation” is a type of error that occurs in JavaScript when a function is called with an unexpected or illegal context or argument. This error typically occurs when a function is called with an incorrect value for the “this” keyword, or when a method is called with an incorrect argument or context.

Here are some common scenarios that may trigger the “Illegal invocation” error:

Calling a non-method function as a method: If a function is not designed to be called as a method, and it is called with a “this” value that is not an object, then the “Illegal invocation” error may occur.

Using a method as a standalone function: If a method is called without an object context, it may trigger the “Illegal invocation” error.

Passing an incorrect argument type: If a function is called with an argument that has an incorrect data type, it may trigger the “Illegal invocation” error.

Using a non-object context: If a method is called with a context that is not an object, such as a primitive value like a string or a number, it may trigger the “Illegal invocation” error.

Why ‘Illegal Invocation’ May Be Occurring on Your Site

Here are some reasons why you may encounter the “Illegal invocation” error on your eCommerce site:

Using the wrong context: If you are calling a function or method with an incorrect context, such as passing a non-object value for the “this” keyword, it can cause the “Illegal invocation” error to occur.
Incorrectly using callbacks: If you are using a callback function incorrectly, such as calling it with an incorrect context or arguments, it can cause the “Illegal invocation” error to occur.

Misusing built-in methods: If you are misusing built-in JavaScript methods such as forEach(), map(), reduce(), etc., it can cause the “Illegal invocation” error to occur.

Using third-party libraries: If you are using third-party libraries or plugins, it’s possible that one of these may be causing the “Illegal invocation” error due to incorrect usage or a bug.

Issues with the code: If there are syntax or logical errors in your code that are causing unexpected behavior, it can trigger the “Illegal invocation” error.

To troubleshoot the “Illegal invocation” error on your eCommerce site, you should start by reviewing the code that triggers the error and verifying that the function or method is called with the correct context and arguments. You may also want to check any third-party libraries or plugins that you are using to ensure that they are being used correctly. Finally, you should review your code for any syntax or logical errors that may be causing the issue. Once you have identified the root cause of the error, you can take steps to fix it and ensure that your eCommerce site is running smoothly.

General Troubleshooting Steps for 'Illegal Invocation' Error in JavaScript

To solve the “Illegal invocation” in JavaScript, you need to identify the root cause of the error and fix it accordingly. Here are some general steps that you can take to resolve this error:

Check the function’s context: Review the function or method that is triggering the error and verify that it is being called with the correct context. If the function is designed to be called as a method of an object, ensure that it is being called with the correct object as the “this” keyword.

Verify the function’s arguments: Check the arguments being passed to the function or method that is triggering the error. Ensure that the arguments have the correct data type and that they are being passed in the correct order.

Review your code for syntax and logical errors: If there are any syntax or logical errors in your code, it can cause unexpected behavior and trigger the “Illegal invocation” error. Review your code for any syntax or logical errors and fix them accordingly.

Check third-party libraries or plugins: If you are using third-party libraries or plugins, it’s possible that one of these may be causing the “Illegal invocation” error due to incorrect usage or a bug. Check the documentation for the library or plugin to ensure that you are using it correctly.

Use the call() or apply() method: If you are unable to fix the error by adjusting the context or arguments, you can try using the call() or apply() method to call the function with a specific context.

Use bind() method: If you need to fix the context of a function, you can use the bind() method to create a new function with a specific context.

Overall, the solution to “Illegal invocation” depends on the specific cause of the error. By following these troubleshooting steps, you can identify and resolve the issue and ensure that your JavaScript code is running smoothly.

Resolve Such Errors and Many More Revenue-Impacting Bugs with Noibu

Noibu is an eCommerce error monitoring platform that detects 100% of all website errors in real time and provides actionable details on how to efficiently resolve them without having to investigate or replicate them. Not only does that bring down error resolution time by 70%, but also allows you to focus development hours to strategic projects like launching new features.

The platform also calculates the impact of every single error on the annual revenue, so if don’t have to randomly select which ones to address first, but can confidently prioritize based on tangible top line impact. By eliminating revenue-impacting errors on your site with Noibu, you can boost conversions, reduce customer frustration, and ultimately boost sales. To explore how Noibu can do the same for your eCommerce business, sign up for a checkout audit of your online store to uncover errors that could be killing your conversions all this time.

Posted on June 29, 2023

Let’s face it – In a world where human attention span is constantly being compared to a goldfish, there’s no acceptable excuse for a shoddy user experience on any website. But, ensuring a seamless and delightful UX requires going above and beyond to continuously keep a tab on site performance and how visitors are interacting with it.

Website monitoring is that one silver bullet to routinely tracking the performance of a site and validating that users are able to interact with it as intended, with no potential hiccups. In this post, we shall break down website monitoring, why you should consider investing in it, and reliable software to get started on your journey to a frictionless user experience.

What is Website Monitoring?

Website monitoring is the process of regularly evaluating and verifying your site performance, functionality, and usage to ensure that it’s working like a well-oiled machine and visitors are delivered a flawless experience. It’s a proactive approach to maintaining site stability that involves rigorous testing and meticulously tracking user sessions to pinpoint (and resolve) any roadblocks that may be hampering the customer journey.

Why Should You Invest in a Website Monitoring Tool?

There’s a plethora of reasons for investing in a website monitoring software that certainly promise you a solid bang for your buck. Let’s look at some of the key ones:

Allows You to Resolve Issues Proactively

If data is the new oil of the digital economy, your website is the most valuable reserve at your disposal. A website monitoring tool empowers you to leverage your eCommerce site data to proactively gauge user journeys to detect and resolve issues before they become threats to your business. By granularly tracking each site session and identifying bugs that could be frustrating users, you can address them before they do more damage and cause further revenue loss.

Helps Maintain Search Engine Rankings

Website monitoring enables you to track the search engine performance of your pages and ensure their SEO rankings are maintained. Any hiccups with the overall user experience adversely impact SEO rankings and keeping a tab on it proactively allows you to make the necessary optimizations well in time before your site’s position is affected.

Helps You Step Into Your Customers’ Shoes and Empathize Better

A website monitoring tool allows you to replay user sessions and really step into visitors’ shoes to experience your site from their perspective. This not only allows you to empathize with your customers better and the frustration they are experiencing, but also reproduce those errors efficiently to determine the corresponding root cause. Therefore, a robust monitoring software would help bridge the gap between visitor pain points and your hypotheses to pinpoint exactly what needs fixing to improve user experience, avoid drop-offs, and prevent revenue loss.

Noibu - The Leader in the Holistic Website Monitoring and Revenue Recovery

At Noibu, we’ve been on a mission to revolutionize website monitoring and error detection for fast-growing businesses that are invested in removing the frustration out of eCommerce experiences. Our website monitoring software is built to help you detect, prioritize, and resolve errors without having to rely on customer support tickets, guesswork, or manual QA.

Here’s how Noibu’s intuitive platform makes website monitoring a breeze:

Detects all Website Errors

Most website monitoring tools are designed to only capture errors that are triggered most frequently and have the highest visibility. Not Noibu! Our console captures 100% of all errors that any user encounters that you can prioritize and address accordingly. This ensures that no bug – regardless of how big or small it is, gets missed and is reported along with the business impact it has.

Reduces Error Resolution Time

The Noibu console detects and reports errors in real-time as users are facing them along with all critical technical information developers need to reproduce and resolve them. This essentially brings down the error resolution time by almost 70% by providing all technical information required for fast, efficient, and accurate reproduction.

Helps Recover Lost Revenue

What really sets Noibu apart is that the console is designed to report the corresponding revenue loss that each bug is causing. For example, if an error at the checkout page prevents users from selecting their desired payment method, the annual revenue loss that it would lead to if the error is not fixed is calculated based on the average order value and presented on the dashboard. This can streamline the prioritization of bugs so that the ones with the highest business impact can be addressed before others.

Identifies Root Causes of Customer Complaints

Of the 5-10% of customers who take the time to report issues they face on a site, very few of those complaints can be actually traced back to the technical root cause or error. Most support tickets aren’t comprehensive enough to provide the information developers need to reproduce and resolve bugs effectively and often lead to dead-end complaints. With Noibu, root causes can be identified down to the exact line of code, thus empowering tech teams to make data-backed decisions and fix bugs efficiently.

Need another reason to give Noibu a try? Noibu was recently ranked the #1 website monitoring software solution by Tech Times and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be recognized as the leader in the space. Get a free checkout audit to experience the magic of Noibu and uncover errors that could be hampering conversions on your website.

Posted on June 28, 2023

Encountering “The String Did Not Match the Expected Pattern” JavaScript error message while developing an eCommerce website can be frustrating. This error occurs when there is a mismatch in the pattern of the string being passed. In this guide, we will provide developers with a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and resolve this error message.

Common Reasons for this Error Message

One of the most common reasons for this error message is passing an incorrect string format. For example, If you are trying to match a string with a specific pattern using Regular Expressions, the string must match that particular pattern. Moreover, it could also be a result of user inputs not following the same pattern as specified.

Prerequisites to Troubleshooting This Error

Before proceeding with the following troubleshooting steps, you should have a solid understanding of:

Regular Expressions
JavaScript

Debugging Precautionary Measures

It is essential to check the Regular Expression pattern thoroughly before beginning the troubleshooting procedure. You should also verify the string input that is not matching the expected pattern. This validation will help you identify where the error is occurring in your code.

Troubleshooting Steps

Follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve “The String Did Not Match the Expected Pattern” JavaScript error message:

Step 1: Check for Syntax Errors

Ensure that the syntax of Regular Expression is correct.

For example:

This step will help catch any typos or syntax errors present in the regular expression.

Step 2: Verify the String Input

Double-check that the string input matches the expected pattern. If the string input does not match the pattern, you can modify the Regular Expression to match the new input correctly.

Step 3: Use Debugging tools

Use debugging tools like console.log statements to log any intermediate values of operations being performed on the strings. You can use console.log statements to print the values of regular expressions and input strings that are not matching to identify the problem.

Step 4: Use String Methods

Javascript offers many built-in string methods like match(), test() etc. to manipulate and match strings without any need for regular expressions. Using built-in string methods can be an alternative solution.

The code above verifies that the string starts with the expected pattern using the inbuilt method startsWith.

Post-Resolution Steps

Once the error message has been resolved, it is essential to evaluate the code and prevent errors from recurring. Consider the following best practices:

Validating the user input to ensure it follows the pattern expected.
Always check your regex or input strings for syntax errors, especially if they are dynamically created.
Utilize a code linter to identify errors at an earlier stage in development.

By following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to resolve “The String Did Not Match the Expected Pattern” JavaScript error message efficiently. It is also essential to implement best practices to ensure future errors are prevented.

How Noibu Can Help Detect and Resolve JavaScript Errors on Your Site

There’s no denying that eCommerce websites today are extremely complex and riddled with errors. Given the countless integrations, regular feature updates, and multiple browser/OS/device support, completely avoiding JavaScript errors is nearly impossible.

You can, however, opt for a quick and efficient way to proactively detect and resolve these errors. Noibu is an eCommerce monitoring platform that not only actively crawls your website to detect errors in real-time, but also provides all the technical information you require to resolve them (down to the exact line of code that needs fixing). This way, you can significantly reduce your error resolution time.

With Noibu constantly detecting errors in the background, you get instant alerts every time an issue occurs on your site. The best part? All errors are organized based on revenue impact so you can determine which ones to prioritize and address first.

If you’d like to explore how Noibu can help you save critical development hours by proactively detecting and helping resolve key site errors, sign up for a demo of the platform today!