16 Best AI Tools for eCommerce & Dropshipping (Free & Paid) You Need to Know

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What are the best AI tools for eCommerce and dropshipping?

💡 Quick Answer: AI tools can help you with everything from finding what products to sell to writing product descriptions to managing inventory. While there are plenty of AI tools for eCommerce and dropshipping to choose from, here are the best ones we recommend in each category:

  1. SaleHoo Labs (product research)
  2. ChatGPT (product descriptions)
  3. Inbenta (customer service)
  4. Prisync (pricing optimization)
  5. Brandwatch (social media monitoring)

Running an eCommerce business can feel overwhelming, right?

There’s a never-ending to-do list that just gets longer by the day.

And let’s face it, hiring more people isn’t always feasible due to budget constraints.

But what if I told you that it’s possible to make more money and lighten your workload?

Well, I can. And it’s called artificial intelligence (AI).

You could be missing out big time if you’re not tapping into AI for eCommerce and dropshipping.

Just take a look at Amazon - the king of online shopping. They’ve leveraged AI and machine learning for years to enhance product selection, improve customer experience, and optimize logistics. They could have hired more people to do this, but they opted for AI instead, making it more efficient and less expensive.

But with so many AI tools flooding the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the 16 best AI tools for eCommerce and dropshipping.

These are the best AI tools that we think can substantially boost your profits and help you get more done in less time.

Let’s dive in and discover what AI can do for you.

What is AI, and how does it relate to eCommerce?

Let’s quickly cover the basics of AI and machine learning models…and why you should care as a store owner.

So, AI stands for Artificial Intelligence.

It’s a branch of computer science that deals with creating intelligent programs and models that can learn and perform tasks independently.

We’re not talking about The Terminator or Ex Machina here.

Instead, think more along the lines of smart assistants and product recommendations.

Now, AI is important for eCommerce because it can help store owners in three key areas.

First, AI can help you understand what people like to buy.

It looks at a lot of information, like what people search for and buy online, and figures out what’s popular. This helps you know what to sell and what people want to buy more of.

Second, AI can make shopping easier for customers.

It can give personalized recommendations based on what customers like and have bought before. For example, if you like a certain type of coffee, AI can suggest similar types of coffee that you might also enjoy.

In the same way, AI can help you create content that people engage with, such as website copy or product descriptions and ads that generate the most sales.

Third, AI can help eCommerce business owners manage their stores better.

For example, it can help track stock levels and ensure you don’t run out of products. It can also help make sure that when customers order something, it gets delivered on time.

So AI acts like a really smart assistant that helps with everything you need to do to run your store.

16 best AI tools for eCommerce and dropshipping

We’ve covered the basics.

Now it’s time to delve into our list of the best AI tools for eCommerce.

Dropshipping

1. SaleHoo

SaleHoo offers several tools to help eCommerce store owners.

The AI-powered SaleHoo Dropship tool helps you find winning products and add them to your online store in a single click. You can also access a huge online directory of wholesalers and dropshipping suppliers.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Import products in one click

Add AliExpress products to your Shopify store with a single click.

Find products to sell

Use the SaleHoo Labs tool to find high-demand products you can sell at a profit.

Find suppliers

SaleHoo has a database of over 8,000 wholesale and dropshipping suppliers. And they are all vetted, so you don’t have to worry about low-quality products or scammers.

Free/paid?

Pricing for SaleHoo Dropship starts at $27 per month. You can access the SaleHoo Directory for a $67 annual fee.

How to use it:

Create an account and connect your Shopify store to your dashboard. You can use SaleHoo from anywhere with an internet connection.

SaleHoo Dropship is really easy to use. But you need to understand the business model and hope it works to make the most of the tool.

Learn the basics of dropshipping and how to get started in the resources below:

2. Koala Inspector

Koala Inspector is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to inspect any Shopify store. It can help you better understand how to build your store, which niches are popular, and which products are the most profitable.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Product insights

Reveal the price, sales volume, and reviews of competitor products.

Shopify app detector

Find out which Shopify apps your competitors are using to increase the functionality of your own store.

Shopify theme detector

Like the look of another Shopify store? You can use Koala Inspector to discover which theme the store is using.

Free/paid?

Limited free plan

Professional: $7.99 per month

Ultimate: $19.99 per month

How to use it:

Add the extension to your browser from the Google Chrome web store. Then, you can open the extension and see the secrets behind any Shopify store.

Need some help finding winning products to sell?

Check out the resources below to learn about the best products to sell and where to source them:

Content generation and optimization

3. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a large language model chatbot developed by OpenAI. It is a powerful tool that can be used to create product descriptions, answer customer questions, and generate marketing content. ChatGPT in eCommerce has the potential to revolutionize the way you run your online store, particularly through chatgpt integration. It can become your ultimate assistant, helping you with a variety of tasks to enhance your business's productivity and growth.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Write product descriptions

Generate informative and engaging product descriptions to boost sales and SEO performance.

Create marketing content

ChatGPT can produce blog posts, social media posts, and email marketing campaigns to help you scale your eCommerce marketing efforts.

Sell in multiple languages

Reach new markets by generating content in 50+ languages.

Free/paid?

Free

ChatGPT Plus: $20 per month

How to use it:

Once you’ve created an Open AI account, you can start using ChatGPT through your browser. You may find that access to the free tool is limited during peak times.

4. Frase

Frase is an AI-powered content research and writing tool that helps you create high-quality content optimized for search engines. It uses natural language processing (NLP) to reveal the topics and keywords you should include in your content.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Keyword research

Find the right keywords to target for your product pages and marketing campaigns.

Content optimization

Optimize your content for search engines with insights into how your competitors use keywords.

AI content briefs

Frase can create a content brief based on your target keyword in seconds - super helpful if you outsource content creation to freelancers.

Free/paid?

Starter: $19 per month

Professional: $49 per month

Business: $99 per month

How to use it:

Go to the Frase website and create an account. You can also use a free trial to test all of the keyword research and optimization tools.

Inventory management

5. SkuVault

SkuVault is an AI-driven inventory management tool. It helps businesses automate and optimize their inventory processes with real-time visibility into stock levels.

This is an advanced tool that is best suited for enterprise businesses.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Multichannel tracking

Unified hub to help you keep track of inventory levels and sales from your online stores and marketplace listings.

Inventory optimization

Automated demand forecasting to make sure you carry the optimal amount of inventory.

Automatic reordering

Set up reorder points to automatically place orders with your suppliers when stock levels are low.

Free/paid?

Growth: $359 per month

Pro: $769 per month

Enterprise: $1259 per month

3PL: From $689 per month

How to use it:

Request a personalized demo on the SkuVault website to learn more about the initial setup and integration process.

6. Fishbowl

Fishbowl is an AI inventory management solution that integrates with all major ecommerce platforms. It provides demand forecasting, automated replenishment, and inventory optimization tools.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Inventory management

Track inventory levels, set reorder points, and manage inventory costs.

Automatic reordering

Avoid stockouts and dead inventory with automated reordering based on stock levels and market demand.

Accounting integrations

Connect with your accounting software to keep track of costs and save time managing your finances.

Learn more about the costs of running an ecommerce business in the resources below:

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it?

Contact the Fishbowl team through their website and request a software demo. They’ll help you set up the data sources and integrations.

Customer service

7. Inbenta

Inbenta is an AI-powered customer service platform that uses NLP technology to understand customer queries and provide automated answers. Inbenta can be integrated with your website, mobile app, and social media channels.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Generative AI chatbot

Provide shoppers with the answers they need without sitting at your desk dealing with customer queries all day.

Semantic product search/customer support

Help shoppers find what they are looking for in your store. The machine learning model goes beyond keywords and focuses on the user intent behind the search.

Live chat

Unified customer support so customers can chat with a live support agent no matter which channels they choose to contact you.

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it:

Sign up for a two-week free trial, and the Inbenta team will help you integrate the tool with your ecommerce store and customer support channels.

8. Thankful

Thankful is an AI-powered customer service tool. It helps you understand customer queries and provide relevant and helpful answers automatically. You can integrate Thankful with any existing helpdesk or customer service platform.

What can it do for eCommerce?

AI-powered chatbot

Thankful’s chatbot can handle customer queries across email, chat, SMS, and in-app channels.

Intelligent ticketing

Prioritize and route customer support inquiries according to the intent and context of the request. Urgent requests are prioritized to keep your customers happy.

Sentiment analysis

Gain real-time insights from customer interactions to help you identify and address common issues and complaints.

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it?

Request a demo, and a member of the Thankful team will show you how the tool can be integrated with your existing tools and helpdesk.

Pricing and revenue optimization

9. Prisync

Prisync is a price intelligence and optimization tool. It can track competitors and identify price gaps to help you optimize your pricing for maximum profit.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Track prices

See how your pricing compares to the competition, including on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.

Price alerts

Monitor prices for specific products or categories and get alerts when they change.

Historical pricing data index

See if your competitors increase or decrease their prices at certain times of the year - great insights to inform your seasonal pricing strategy!

Free/paid?

Professional: $99 per month

Premium: $199 per month

Platinum: $399 per month

How to use it?

Sign up for a 14-day free trial and start gaining insights into your competitors’ pricing strategy.

10. Competera

Competera is an AI-powered pricing optimization platform that helps you maximize profits. It analyzes competitor prices, market trends, and customer demand to reveal optimal pricing points.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Price Intelligence

Discover your competitors’ pricing strategies, so you know how to price your products for maximum profit.

Predictive pricing

Set pricing based on forecast demand volume changes to determine the right pricing at the right time.

Dynamic pricing

Automatically adjust your pricing based on what your competitors are doing. This can be key to making sales on Amazon and other marketplaces.

According to Business Insider, the average product price on Amazon will change every 10 minutes!

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it?

Request a quote for complete access to the platform or the specific tools you are interested in.

Product and market research

11. SaleHoo Labs/Market Insights

SaleHoo Labs is a market research tool that helps online sellers find profitable products to sell. It provides data on product demand, competition, pricing, and tools to help you source products.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Product demand

Discover the top trending and in-demand products on eBay and Amazon.

Competition

Avoid saturated products and narrow in on the high-demand and low-competition products that offer the most profit.

Find suppliers

SaleHoo Labs shows you the best products to sell and helps you find suppliers, saving you time and money.

Free/paid?

It’s included as part of the $67 annual SaleHoo Directory package.

How to use it:

You can access the Market Insights tool when you sign up for the SaleHoo Directory. That means you’ll also be able to find millions of products from thousands of trusted suppliers and wholesalers.

12. Similarweb Shopper Intelligence

Similarweb Shopper Intelligence is a suite of tools that helps eCommerce businesses monitor consumer demand, analyze shopper behavior, and optimize search strategies. It provides valuable insights into the online shopping behavior of consumers.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Market research

Identify new opportunities, assess the competition, and develop marketing strategies to help you stand out.

Product analytics

Get in-depth data on product performance, including sales, traffic, and reviews.

Marketing analytics

Analyze your competitors' marketing tactics with data on click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment.

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it:

Get in touch with the Similarweb team to discuss your needs. You can test out some limited versions of the tools for free.

Sentiment analysis and reviews

12. Brandwatch

Brandwatch is a social media monitoring artificial intelligence tool that can track brand mentions, identify sentiment, and measure the impact of marketing campaigns. It helps eCommerce brands tap into the gold mine of consumer data and insights on social media.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Collect customer insights

Identify potential problems or opportunities by tracking brand mentions on social media.

Analyze sentiment

Understand how customers feel about your products and brand by analyzing what they say about you online.

Measure marketing campaigns

Gain insights into the impact of your marketing campaigns by tracking the sentiment around your social media mentions.

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it?

There are a bunch of tools to use, and the learning curve can be quite steep. Once you’ve requested a demo, check out the resources in the Brandwatch Academy to help you make the most of the software.

14. Revuze

Revuze is a text analytics platform that helps ecommerce stores understand their customers and make better decisions. It uses AI to understand the sentiment of customer reviews, social media posts, and more.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Understand customer preferences and sentiment

Discover customers’ feelings about your products and brand by analyzing customer reviews and social media mentions.

Identify customer pain points

Narrow in on customer pain points by analyzing what they say about their goals and problems in your niche.

Get ideas for new products

Discover what shoppers like and dislike about products on the market and find opportunities for new high-demand products.

Free/paid?

Pricing on request.

How to use it:

Sign up for a demo, and Revuze will guide you through the onboarding process.

Social media management

15. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that offers a variety of AI-powered tools for scheduling posts, identifying trends, and measuring results. It’s been around for a while and is still considered one of the best social media management tools.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Social media publishing

Schedule and publish social media posts across multiple platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google My Business.

Social media listening

Monitor social media conversations about your brand, products, and competitors. This can help you identify trends and respond to customer feedback.

Social media analytics

Track the reach and engagement of social media posts, identify which posts are performing well, and optimize your social media campaigns.

Free/paid?

Professional: $99 per month

Team: $249 per month

Business: $739 per month

Enterprise: Custom

How to use it:

Sign up for a free trial on the Hootsuite website. Once you’ve created an account, connect your social media channels and start using the AI features.

16. Predis.ai

Predis.ai is a social media marketing platform that uses AI to help you create and schedule high-performing content. It’s easy to use and offers a bunch of features for online store owners to improve their content marketing and reach their target audience.

What can it do for eCommerce?

Create social media content

Use AI to generate engaging social media content based on input prompts automatically.

Schedule social media posts

Create a social media calendar and schedule posts in advance with automatic publishing.

Analyzing social media performance

Gain insights into the performance of your social media campaigns to find out what’s working and what’s not.

Free/paid?

Limited free plan

Solo: $29 per month

Starter: $59 per month

Agency: $139 per month

How to use it:

Once you sign up, you can create content using the templates and AI tools. You can even schedule posts and perform competitor analysis on the free plan.

These are just some of the AI tools you can use to automate your business. Check out our automated dropshipping guide to discover more tools and use cases.

Pros and cons of AI tools for eCommerce and dropshipping

There are some really compelling AI use cases for eCommerce. But like any new tool, machine learning technologies have pros and cons.

Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages, so you decide whether these tools are a good option for your ecommerce store.

✅ Personalization

You can provide personalized recommendations, offers, and experiences to customers. By analyzing customer data, machine learning algorithms can understand individual preferences and customer behavioral patterns and make tailored product recommendations.

✅ Improved customer service

AI-powered chatbots can handle customer queries, provide real-time support, and assist with order tracking and returns. As a result, these automated systems can significantly reduce customer service costs while improving response times.

✅ Efficient inventory management

AI can analyze vast amounts of historical sales data, market trends, and other factors to accurately predict product demand. You can make sure you always carry enough inventory and minimize the risk of overstocking.

✅ Enhanced pricing strategies

You can maximize profits using dynamic AI-powered pricing tools. Many ecommerce businesses and brands are already using the technology to maximize profits. In a recent study, 44% of retailers stated they use price optimization tools.

✅ Automated product descriptions and content generation:

With tools like Jasper and Predis.ai, it’s never been easier to automatically generate product descriptions, content, and creative assets. NLP and image recognition technologies can save you a bunch of time and effort.

❌ Lack of personal interaction

AI can lack the personal touch and empathy human interactions provide. Some ecommerce customers prefer direct human interaction for complex queries or personalized assistance. Don’t rely solely on AI to handle the customer-facing aspects of your ecommerce business.

❌ Initial investment

There are a bunch of affordable AI tools you can use. For example, ChatGPT is completely free to use.

But some tools require a significant initial investment. For example, you’ll need to spend money acquiring AI technology and providing training to employees.

❌ Data privacy concerns

AI collects and analyzes vast amounts of customer data to provide personalized experiences and recommendations. This means your data customer privacy and security need to be up to scratch.

❌ Technical complexity

Some tools are user-friendly and ready to use out of the box. But many AI systems are technically complex.

While most vendors offer support, it’s best to avoid complex integrations if you only have a small team and limited tech skills.

Grow your eCommerce business with AI

AI is a game-changer in ecommerce.

It provides a heap of opportunities for store owners to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and maximize sales.

Using the AI-powered tools listed above, you can get more done in less time - and achieve better results!

If you’re looking for a powerful AI tool that’s easy to use, check out SaleHoo Dropship. It makes it easy to find winning dropshipping products and add them to your store in seconds.

If you have any questions about AI tools for ecommerce or anything else related to selling online, feel free to contact our SaleHoo support team. We’ll provide the guidance you need to succeed and grow your ecommerce store.

 

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