There has never been a more pressing time for food producers to harness technology to tackle the sector’s tough mission. To produce ever more healthy and appealing food for a growing global population in a way that is resilient and affordable, all while minimizing waste and reducing the sector’s environmental impact. From farm to factory, artificial intelligence and machine learning can support these goals by increasing efficiency, optimizing supply chains, and accelerating the research and development of new types of healthy products.
In agriculture, AI is already helping farmers to monitor crop health, tailor the delivery of inputs, and make harvesting more accurate and efficient. In labs, AI is powering experiments in gene editing to improve crop resilience and enhance the nutritional value of raw ingredients. For processed foods, AI is optimizing production economics, improving the texture and flavor of products like alternative proteins and healthier snacks, and strengthening food safety processes too.
But despite this promise, industry adoption still lags. Data-sharing remains limited and companies across the value chain have vastly different needs and capabilities. There are also few standards and data governance protocols in place, and more talent and skills are needed to keep pace with the technological wave.
All the same, progress is being made and the potential for AI in the food sector is huge. Key findings from the report are as follows:
Predictive analytics are accelerating R&D cycles in crop and food science. AI reduces the time and resources needed to experiment with new food products and turns traditional trial-and-error cycles into more efficient data-driven discoveries. Advanced models and simulations enable scientists to explore natural ingredients and processes by simulating thousands of conditions, configurations, and genetic variations until they crack the right combination.
AI is bringing data-driven insights to a fragmented supply chain. AI can revolutionize the food industry’s complex value chain by breaking operational silos and translating vast streams of data into actionable intelligence. Notably, large language models (LLMs) and chatbots can serve as digital interpreters, democratizing access to data analysis for farmers and growers, and enabling more informed, strategic decisions by food companies.
Partnerships are crucial for maximizing respective strengths. While large agricultural companies lead in AI implementation, promising breakthroughs often emerge from strategic collaborations that leverage complementary strengths with academic institutions and startups. Large companies contribute extensive datasets and industry experience, while startups bring innovation, creativity, and a clean data slate. Combining expertise in a collaborative approach can increase the uptake of AI.
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
HIV could infect 1,400 infants every day because of US aid disruptions
Around 1,400 infants are being infected by HIV every day as a result of the new US administration’s cuts to funding to AIDS organizations, new modeling suggests.
In an executive order issued January 20, President Donald Trump paused new foreign aid funding to global health programs. Four days later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stop-work order on existing foreign aid assistance. Surveys suggest that these changes forced more than a third of global organizations that provide essential HIV services to close within days of the announcements.
Hundreds of thousands of people are losing access to HIV treatments as a result. Read the full story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
MIT Technology Review Narrated: What the future holds for those born today
Happy birthday, baby.
You have been born into an era of intelligent machines. They have watched over you almost since your conception. They let your parents listen in on your tiny heartbeat, track your gestation on an app, and post your sonogram on social media. Well before you were born, you were known to the algorithm.
How will you and the next generation of machines grow up together? We asked more than a dozen experts to imagine your joint future.
This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we’re publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 A judge has ordered DOGE to cease dismantling USAID It’s been told to reinstate employees’ email access and let them return to their offices. (WP $) + The judge believes its efforts probably violated the US Constitution.(Reuters) + The department has also targeted workers that prevent tech overspending. (The Intercept) + Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? It’s complex. (MIT Technology Review)
2Can Oracle save TikTok? A security proposal from the cloud giant could reportedly allow it to keep operating in the US. (Bloomberg $) + The deal would leave the app’s algorithm in the hands of its Chinese parent company. (Politico)
3 NASA’s astronauts have touched down on Earth They safely landed off the coast of Florida yesterday evening. (FT $) + A pod of dolphins dropped by to witness the spectacle. (The Guardian)
4 AI is turning cyber crime into a digital arms race Europol warns that more criminals than ever are exploiting AI tools for nefarious means. (FT $) + Five ways criminals are using AI. (MIT Technology Review)
5 An Italian newspaper has published an edition produced entirely by AI The technology was responsible for “the irony” too, apparently. (The Guardian)
6 Tesla’s taxi service has been greenlit in California But the road ahead is still full of obstacles. (Wired $) + Chinese EVs are snapping at Tesla’s heels across the world. (Rest of World) + It certainly seems as though Asia will birth the next EV superpower. (Economist $) + Robotaxis are one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Online platforms are fueling ‘facial dysmorphia’ Hours of staring at their own faces made these women anxious and depressed. (NY Mag $) + The fight for “Instagram face.” (MIT Technology Review)
8 Inside the hunt for water on Mars We know that the red planet was once host to it, but we don’t know why. (Knowable Magazine)
9 This robotic spider is shedding light on how real spiders hunt Namely using a form of echolocation. (Ars Technica)
10 We could be dramatically underestimating the Earth’s population New data analysis suggests it could be much higher than previously thought. (New Scientist $)
Quote of the day
“In no uncertain terms is this an audit. It’s a heist, stealing a vast amount of government data.”
—An anonymous auditor offers a scathing review of DOGE’s attempts at auditing US government departments to Wired.
The big story
The humble oyster could hold the key to restoring coastal waters. Developers hate it.
October 2023
Carol Friend has taken on a difficult job. She is one of the 10 people in Delaware currently trying to make it as a cultivated oyster farmer.
Her Salty Witch Oyster Company holds a lease to grow the mollusks as part of the state’s new program for aquaculture, launched in 2017. It has sputtered despite its obvious promise.
Five years after the first farmed oysters went into the Inland Bays, the aquaculture industry remains in a larval stage. Oysters themselves are almost mythical in their ability to clean and filter water. But human willpower, investment, and flexibility are all required to allow the oysters to simply do their thing—particularly when developers start to object. Read the full story.
—Anna Kramer
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ If you’re stuck for something to do this weekend, why not host a reading hang? + Do baby owls really sleep on their stomachs? Like most things in life, the truth is somewhere in the middle. + Keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re in the British countryside, you might just spot a black leopard. + I couldn’t agree more—why When Harry Met Sally is a perfect film.
Where can you find lasers, electric guitars, and racks full of novel batteries, all in the same giant room? This week, the answer was the 2025 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit just outside Washington, DC.
Energy innovation can take many forms, and the variety in energy research was on display at the summit. ARPA-E, part of the US Department of Energy, provides funding for high-risk, high-reward research projects. The summit gathers projects the agency has funded, along with investors, policymakers, and journalists.
Hundreds of projects were exhibited in a massive hall during the conference, featuring demonstrations and research results. Here are four of the most interesting innovations MIT Technology Review spotted on site.
Steel made with lasers
Startup Limelight Steel has developed a process to make iron, the main component in steel, by using lasers to heat iron ore to super-high temperatures.
Steel production makes up roughly 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions today, in part because most steel is still made with blast furnaces, which rely on coal to hit the high temperatures that kick off the required chemical reactions.
Limelight instead shines lasers on iron ore, heating it to temperatures over 1,600 °C. Molten iron can then be separated from impurities, and the iron can be put through existing processes to make steel.
The company has built a small demonstration system with a laser power of about 1.5 kilowatts, which can process between 10 and 20 grams of ore. The whole system is made up of 16 laser arrays, each just a bit larger than a postage stamp.
The components in the demonstration system are commercially available; this particular type of laser is used in projectors. The startup has benefited from years of progress in the telecommunications industry that has helped bring down the cost of lasers, says Andy Zhao, the company’s cofounder and CTO.
The next step is to build a larger-scale system that will use 150 kilowatts of laser power and could make up to 100 tons of steel over the course of a year.
Rocks that can make fuel
The hunks of rock at a booth hosted by MIT might not seem all that high-tech, but someday they could help produce fuels and chemicals.
A major topic of conversation at the ARPA-E summit was geologic hydrogen—there’s a ton of excitement about efforts to find underground deposits of the gas, which can be used as a fuel across a wide range of industries, including transportation and heavy industry.
Last year, ARPA-E funded a handful of projects on the topic, including one in Iwnetim Abate’s lab at MIT. Abate is among the researchers who are aiming not just to hunt for hydrogen, but to actually use underground conditions to help produce it. Earlier this year, his team published research showing that by using catalysts and conditions common in the subsurface, scientists can produce hydrogen as well as other chemicals, like ammonia. Abate cofounded a spinout company, Addis Energy, to commercialize the research, which has since also received ARPA-E funding.
All the rocks on the table, from the chunk of dark, hard basalt to the softer talc, could be used to produce these chemicals.
An electric guitar powered by iron nitride magnets
The sound of music drifted from the Niron Magnetics booth across nearby walkways. People wandering by stopped to take turns testing out the company’s magnets, in the form of an electric guitar.
Most high-powered magnets today contain neodymium—demand for them is set to skyrocket in the coming years, especially as the world builds more electric vehicles and wind turbines. Supplies could stretch thin, and the geopolitics are complicated because most of the supply comes from China.
Niron is making new magnets that don’t contain rare earth metals. Instead, Niron’s technology is based on more abundant materials: nitrogen and iron.
The guitar is a demonstration product—today, magnets in electric guitars typically contain aluminum, nickel, and cobalt-based magnets that help translate the vibrations from steel strings into an electric signal that is broadcast through an amplifier. Niron made an instrument using its iron nitride magnets instead. (See photos of the guitar from an event last year here.)
Niron opened a pilot commercial facility in late 2024 that has the capacity to produce 10 tons of magnets annually. Since we last covered Niron, in early 2024, the company has announced plans for a full-scale plant, which will have an annual capacity of about 1,500 tons of magnets once it’s fully ramped up.
Batteries for powering high-performance data centers
The increasing power demand from AI and data centers was another hot topic at the summit, with server racks dotting the showcase floor to demonstrate technologies aimed at the sector. One stuffed with batteries caught my eye, courtesy of Natron Energy.
The company is making sodium-ion batteries to help meet power demand from data centers.
Data centers’ energy demands can be incredibly variable—and as their total power needs get bigger, those swings can start to affect the grid. Natron’s sodium-ion batteries can be installed at these facilities to help level off the biggest peaks, allowing computing equipment to run full out without overly taxing the grid, says Natron cofounder and CTO Colin Wessells.
Sodium-ion batteries are a cheaper alternative to lithium-based chemistries. They’re also made without lithium, cobalt, and nickel, materials that are constrained in production or processing. We’re seeing some varieties of sodium-ion batteries popping up in electric vehicles in China.
Ted Kubaitis once managed organic search for a retailer with 25,000 SKUs and 500 categories. He feared competing against Amazon for rankings until he realized most of its product pages had zero external links. Then an epiphany hit.
“All it took was 25 backlinks,” he told me.
Ted is now the founder of SEO Tool Lab, a prominent agency and software provider, and the host of “SEO Fight Club,” a YouTube show.
He and I spoke last month at a conference. I asked him about today’s SERPs, keyword priorities, content marketing, and, yes, competing against ecommerce giants.
The entire audio of that conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.
Eric Schwartzman: Search engine result pages have changed dramatically over the last few months.
Ted Kubaitis: Right. There are keywords now where the first organic result is below the fold — effectively page two. Those keywords aren’t worth targeting anymore.
The Google search result page is now a universal search. It’s multiple blended result sets — ads, products, “People also ask,” local packs, all kinds of things are now above organic listings.
Search engine optimizers must consider two things: Where do I rank organically, and where does the listing appear among all those options?
Schwartzman: What are the best keywords to target for an online store?
Kubaitis: It’s an important question because if the targeting is wrong, the SEO is wrong. It requires a lot of time and effort to figure out. I would start with the names of products and categories. Names are so impactful.
Look at the links in SERPs; many are the actual search terms. A merchant might have a “Gifts and Delights” category, but how many people search for “gifts and delights”? What the heck is a delight? I guarantee “gifts and delights” is a zero-volume keyword.
So even if you rank number one, you’ve won nothing. But if you change the name to “Unique Gift Ideas,” you will now have a search term worth winning. Go through all of your categories and product names. Make sure they’re all named something that has search volume.
Google Trends can help identify those high-volume names. Look at the trending cluster topics for ideas. Consider, too, adding a widget or word cloud to a product page with keyword variants and even typos.
Merchants with multiple SKUs of a single item could name each with a top keyword variant.
Schwartzman: How did you learn ecommerce SEO?
Kubaitis: I was a web developer for a large online retailer. They saw that I was good with SEO, so I took it over as a primary responsibility. I ended up doing SEO for that retailer for almost 20 years. I helped them grow from $5 million in annual revenue to $65 million with a $40 average cart size. So a lot of carts. High volume, low margin. We had 25,000 SKUs across 500 product categories.
We competed against Amazon and all the big marketplaces. A lot of sellers think they can’t compete against those sites, but Amazon’s product pages often have zero external backlinks. You can beat them with 25 backlinks. I spent years being afraid to compete with Amazon. I finally mustered up the courage; all it took was 25 backlinks.
Don’t make my mistake.
Schwartzman: Let’s switch to content marketing. Ecommerce stores often launch blogs to attract traffic for products. What are your thoughts about that?
Kubaitis: Blogs can help, but executing the strategy is often flawed and ends up causing more harm. Most online retailers have a problem with keyword cannibalization between their home page, categories, and product pages. Then they publish blog posts that overlap with the same keywords.
A better ecommerce strategy involves multiple websites. For example, a seller of high-end poker tables could launch a blog site about poker rules, professional tournaments, and related — and then advertise the tables there. The seller would have multiple marketing assets and free advertising. The seller can test keywords that the store couldn’t otherwise target. And since they’re on different domains, they’re not cannibalizing each other.
I tell retailers a blog is helpful on a different domain, but four out of five have a problem when it’s on their ecommerce sites.
Schwartzman: Tell us about your company, SEO Tool Lab.
Kubaitis: Our primary tool is called Cora. It uses statistical analysis to determine which elements on your website and your competitors’ impact rankings for a keyword. Cora reduces the possibilities from thousands to a few dozen to focus on.
Plus, we host a weekly YouTube show called SEO Fight Club. It’s an open debate and peer review of SEO tactics, tools, and trends.
LinkedIn has published its “Skills on the Rise” report, which lists the 15 fastest-growing skills in the U.S. job market.
To stay competitive, here’s what professionals should focus on.
The Top 15 Skills In Demand for 2025
AI is driving major workplace changes. LinkedIn predicts that by 2030, about 70% of skills in most jobs will significantly change. A quarter of professionals plan to learn new skills this year.
“AI Literacy” is now the most in-demand skill, reflecting the need for workers who can use AI tools across all industries.
While many list “AI” as a skill, this usually means basic familiarity with tools like ChatGPT rather than in-depth expertise.
The complete list of fastest-growing skills identified by LinkedIn includes:
AI Literacy
Conflict Mitigation
Adaptability
Process Optimization
Innovative Thinking
Public Speaking
Solution-Based Selling
Customer Engagement & Support
Stakeholder Management
Large Language Model (LLM) Development & Application
Budget & Resource Management
Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy
Regulatory Compliance
Growth Strategy
Risk Assessment
The report explains why each skill is gaining importance and the most common job titles and industries where these skills are prevalent.
Soft Skills Gaining Importance
While AI skills are essential, there is a growing need for soft skills. These skills are valuable as organizations address complex workplace issues such as return-to-office policies and managing teams from different generations.
For example, “Conflict Resolution” (ranked #2) is essential for customer service representatives, administrative assistants, and project managers in the technology and internet sectors.
“Adaptability” (ranked #3) is becoming essential for teachers, administrative assistants, and project managers as they face fast technological and economic changes.
Free Learning Resources Available
To help people develop these skills, LinkedIn is offering free access to related LinkedIn Learning courses until April 18. The list includes a link to a recommended course for each skill.
The report also includes in-demand skills lists for 15 job functions and seven additional countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Spain, and the UK.
LinkedIn created a separate list specifically for marketing job functions, as shown below.
Screenshot from: LinkedIn, March 2025.
LinkedIn’s methodology for determining the fastest-growing skills considers three key factors: skill acquisition (the rate at which members add new skills to their profiles), hiring success (the share of a skill possessed by recently hired members), and emerging demand (increased presence of skills in job postings).
The long-brewing conflict between Google and EU regulators has reached a new milestone.
The European Commission has officially issued preliminary findings that Google has violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in two key areas that directly impact digital marketers and app developers.
What’s Happening With Google Search?
Despite Google’s algorithm tweaks over the past year, EU regulators aren’t satisfied. They claim Google still gives preferential treatment to its verticals, such as Google Shopping, Hotels, Flights, and other specialized results.
The Commission called out Google for displaying its services “at the top of Google Search results or on dedicated spaces, with enhanced visual formats and filtering mechanisms” that third-party services don’t enjoy.
If you’ve been wondering why your clients’ listings seem pushed down by Google’s products, EU regulators are validating those concerns.
Google Play Also Under Fire
In a separate finding, the Commission claims Google Play doesn’t allow app developers to freely direct users to alternative channels for better deals or direct purchases.
For marketers working with apps or managing app-based clients, this could eventually lead to new opportunities to reach users outside Google’s ecosystem without the steep Play Store fees.
What This Means For Digital Marketers
If the findings are confirmed and Google is forced to make changes, we could see significant shifts in search visibility and ranking opportunities:
More prominent placement for third-party comparison sites in travel, shopping, and financial verticals
Reduced visual emphasis on Google’s services
Potentially more organic visibility for businesses currently competing with Google’s featured elements
For app marketers, we might see new options for communicating with users about direct purchase options and alternatives to Google Play’s payment system.
Timeline and Next Steps
Google now has the opportunity to respond to these preliminary findings, and the company has consistently maintained that its changes already comply with the DMA.
In previous statements, Google’s EMEA competition director cautioned that further modifications could negatively impact user experience.
The Bigger Picture
This escalation follows the DMA’s implementation in March 2024, which designated Google as a “gatekeeper” alongside other tech giants. The law specifically targets large platforms that serve as critical intermediaries between businesses and consumers.
If Google fails to address the Commission’s concerns, it could face penalties of up to 10% of its global annual revenue. This prospect will likely motivate changes to how search results appear in Europe.
We’ll monitor this situation as it develops and provide updates on how changes might impact your search and app marketing strategies.
Shopify is one of the most impressive internet success stories. According to BuiltWith, the Canadian ecommerce giant now powers almost five million stores worldwide. Merchants choose Shopify for its ease of use, robust features, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Let’s go over the main reasons for choosing Shopify.
Table of contents
What is Shopify and what does it do?
Shopify is an ecommerce platform that has everything under one roof. It’s a cloud-based solution that lets merchants create, customize, and manage online stores without issues. Shopify focuses heavily on ease of use and functionality, and with the thought of having businesses run an online business without technical expertise.
Shopify has quickly become one of the most popular ecommerce platforms. For instance, Shopify dominates the US market, with a market share of around 30%. It helps by easily serving businesses of all shapes and sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
Choosing the right ecommerce platform is critical to your online success. There are many good reasons to choose Shopify, as it’s versatile, user-friendly, and scalable. It’s a good solution for most businesses and even comes with tools like Yoast SEO for Shopify that help you with your content marketing and SEO efforts.
Primary features and services of Shopify
One of Shopify’s main features is hosting and scalability. As a managed hosting solution, Shopify offers fast and reliable performance for your pages. Its infrastructure can handle traffic spikes and high-demand sales peaks like those during Black Friday sales.
Next, Shopify is well-known for its template and customization options. The theme store has over 240 themes, all of which are mobile-friendly. You even get a selection of industry-specific themes to help businesses get online quickly.
Another strong aspect of Shopify is its tools section and the way it integrates with nearly everything. The app store has almost any app you need, from Shopify SEO tools like Yoast SEO to inventory management options. This breadth of options is very impressive.
Last but not least, Shopify makes it easy to manage payments and financial transactions. It runs its own payment gateway, Shopify Payments, but it also supports various third-party payment processors.
These options together form a fully formed product that helps merchants with everything from server management to brand building and marketing. No wonder so many merchants choose Shopify as their ecommerce platform.
How does Shopify work?
Shopify’s intuitive platform makes starting and running an ecommerce store very easy. It doesn’t matter if you sell just one product or thousands — the software makes it accessible for every type of merchant.
Simple setup process
One of Shopify’s most impressive aspects is the setup. Entrepreneurs can literally launch an online store within a few hours — without prior technical know-how. The platform offers easy-to-use tools that work by simply dragging and dropping elements. In addition, it offers user-friendly walkthroughs to guide merchants through the process. There are pre-built themes to get started with quickly, and buying premium themes from the Shopify Theme Store is also possible.
Effortless management
Shopify has a clearly organized admin dashboard. Store owners can track orders, manage inventory, and check customer data in a single place. Merchants also enjoy the automation features. For instance, it automatically calculates taxes, handles shipping integrations, and manages checkout processes — a huge time saver!
Of course, as we live in the mobile age, Shopify offers mobile app access. Merchants can manage their stores on the go, so they don’t have to miss anything when they are out and about. We’ve already mentioned that Shopify store themes all scale with and perform properly on mobile devices.
All of these possibilities make Shopify a very good solution for most stores. Even a solo entrepreneur can build and manage a professional store without issues. This makes it a far more accessible option than platforms like WooCommerce or Adobe Commerce.
7 Key benefits of choosing Shopify
Shopify’s impressive features, scalability, and customer-centric design stand out. Here are some key reasons merchants choose Shopify as their preferred ecommerce platform.
1. The user-friendly interface
Time and time again, Shopify merchants mention that the clean, intuitive interface is the most important reason for choosing this ecommerce platform. Shopify is one of the most user-friendly e-commerce builders out there, and it’s intuitive for beginners and powerful for experienced users.
Shopify has an innovative drag-and-drop builder that lets merchants customize the store layout and product pages without coding. The admin interface is clearly organized and simple, even for non-developers. Thanks to Shopify’s guided setup and well-designed templates, business owners can quickly move from concept to live store. In addition, the admin panel gives an easy-to-understand overview of the store’s performance so merchants can manage orders and inventory without issues.
Shopify’s easy-to-use interface makes it a joy to work with
2. Shopify AI Magic
One of the newest benefits is Shopify Magic, an AI-powered solution that makes work easier and more fun. For instance, it has an image editor that automatically cleans up and optimizes product images, and a content generation tool that uses generative AI to write FAQs, product descriptions, and blogs. Email improvements also help dynamically tailor email campaigns for higher engagement rates.
Shopify also has Sidekick, an AI assistant that can help you get more done in your store. This chatbot answers all your questions and advises you on your specific situation, as it knows everything about your store. As a result, you have more time to focus on important things like strategy.
3. Flexible and scalable
Another big benefit of choosing Shopify as an ecommerce platform is its flexibility and scalability. Shopify can grow with a merchant and offers options for large and small businesses.
It has an affordable pricing structure. The $29/month plan helps small businesses get online quickly without investing too much. For large businesses, there’s Shopify Plus, which supports global enterprise brands like Heinz and Gymshark. This plan offers advanced features like a multi-store setup, custom checkout-out options, and very high API limits. Shopify is also very proud of its 99.98% uptime guarantee, which keeps stores online even in the busiest seasons.
4. Integrated payment solutions
Another big benefit of Shopify is its ability to simplify payment processes for clients worldwide. It hosts its own payment system, Shopify Payments, a hassle-free payment gateway. Shopify includes this in the subscription costs, and there are no set-up fees, just the going credit card and transaction fees. Shopify also supports over a hundred payment integrations, from Stripe to PayPal.
5. Robust app ecosystem
Shopify is a very extendable ecommerce platform. It has an excellent app store, where developers offer a wide range of good apps that improve and expand what Shopify can do. Currently, over 10,000 apps are available in the app store, and new ones are arriving daily.
Many of these apps integrate deeply with Shopify, allowing marketing automation and personalization that can increase sales. Merchants can install apps to recover abandoned carts, upsell related products, or integrate with CRM and advertising platforms.
Merchants can find apps for nearly everything. Some of the most popular ones are Oberlo for dropshipping, Klaviya and Mailchimp for email marketing, Judge.me and Loox for product and store reviews, and PageFly for building custom landing pages.
This extendability helps merchants scale their work whenever they need it most.
Shopify has over 10.000 apps in its app store
6. Comprehensive support
Running an online store is difficult enough without having to worry about technical issues. Luckily, Shopify helps remove that worry with 24/7 technical and customer support. Merchants can access professional assistance via live chat, email, or phone. In addition, it offers loads of learning material in the form of Shopify Academy, community forums, and tutorials. Business owners can quickly learn to make the most of their online stores.
7. Yoast SEO for Shopify
Shopify comes with all merchants need to run their stores, including tools to improve search engine visibility. While SEO is always in Shopify’s mind, it is good to think beyond the basics that the e-commerce platform offers. Getting traffic is too important to leave it to chance.
Yoast SEO for Shopify is the perfect tool for merchants looking to get that traffic. This Shopify app is built by a team of SEO experts with decades of experience. Yoast SEO has innovative features like real-time SEO suggestions, helping you optimize your pages and products with actionable insights. Or enhanced structured data for your products to make these stand out in Google.
Yoast SEO for Shopify also helps you write better product content. Enter your focus keyword and use the feedback to make your product descriptions stand out. A readability analysis also helps you make the content as readable for your customers as possible. There’s a Semrush integration to get keyword data from the editor and AI-powered features to automate some parts of the optimization process.
Combining Shopify’s framework with Yoast SEO makes your store accessible to search engines and customers.
Optimize your products with Yoast SEO for Shopify to make them stand out
Unique selling points of Shopify
Shopify has a lot going for it as an ecommerce platform, and there are more things it does to stay ahead of the competition.
Multi-channel selling
One reason Shopify could be chosen over the competition is its ability to sell across multiple channels. Multi-channel options allow merchants to sell their products on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, with all the management and insights happening on the main dashboard. Shopify also has point-of-sale options that help merchants offer in-store sales and integrate online and offline.
Shopify can sync listings to third-party platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Google Shopping, increasing merchants’ visibility. The platform also has many more options for going omnichannel with your store, which makes it a great fit for managing everything all at once.
Strong security and reliability
Trust is an important aspect of ecommerce. Merchants need to trust ecommerce platforms with their data and trust that they keep it safe and sound. Luckily, Shopify is working hard to provide store owners with a secure shopping environment. Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI-DSS compliant, the highest level of payment security standard, which helps protect customer data. It also has built-in fraud detection features that minimize the risk of chargeback.
Compared to hosted platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify automatically handles almost every security aspect. This gives merchants peace of mind that their customer’s data is safe.
Considerations before choosing Shopify
Shopify is an all-around great ecommerce platform, but there are some things to remember when merchants choose between the many other options. For one, Shopify’s pricing is decent, with basic monthly plans starting at $29. Still, the cost can add up when you want to add apps, third-party integrations, or want to have a custom theme developed. However, Shopify is often easier to set up and cheaper to run compared to platforms like Adobe Commerce.
Another consideration is the platform’s limitations. Shopify is closed software, so store owners have limited code access. WordPress solutions like WooCommerce might be better if openness is an issue.
These are the main reasons to choose Shopify
Shopify provides a great combination of ease of use, scalability, and features that help merchants thrive. It doesn’t matter if you run a simple store with a small budget or juggle millions of dollars; Shopify has the necessary solutions. It grows with your needs and offers you many options and possibilities to make the most of your business. Moreover, if you add Yoast SEO for Shopify to your store, you can boost visibility on Google, hopefully translating to more traffic and business growth.
So, why wait? Sign up for a free trial with Shopify, add Yoast SEO to your store, and get your business on the road!
Edwin is an experienced strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he worked for a top-tier web design magazine, where he developed a keen understanding of how to create great content.
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When it comes to luxury fashion, the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Gucci are among the most well-known, and rightfully so. These three alone are valued at over $87 billion.
Over the last decade and a half, I have had the opportunity to work extensively within this market.
Managing PPC in this space is super interesting as it requires a shift in thinking away from cookie-cutter ecommerce PPC strategies.
It’s not just a case of the product value being above average, leading to longer, more considered decision-making processes.
Luxury audiences are unique. They differ by brand, and finding success with PPC requires careful consideration and a holistic understanding of digital performance – not just the data within the accounts.
Understanding The Luxury Fashion Consumer
Luxury consumers have unique characteristics and behaviors that mold their purchase motivations and preferences.
You may be thinking through a lens of tactical management and day-to-day operations, “But how does this really impact PPC?”
But it really does.
Broadly speaking, luxury fashion consumers can be divided into three groups:
Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals (UHNWI): Buyers with plenty of disposable income who frequently purchase luxury fashion without too much consideration for price.
Aspirational Consumers: Middle- to high-income buyers who occasionally purchase within their budget to match their lifestyle.
New Luxury Shoppers: Younger buyers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, who engage with luxury brands online and purchase more infrequently, likely to have more of an affiliation with pre-loved luxury.
From a motivational perspective, elements such as social standing, quality, heritage, and storytelling play an important role. They can feed into ad copy and/or landing page messaging to test the impact on PPC.
Let’s say a brand is only bidding on new customers through Google Ads with a basic strategy of “brand keywords” (e.g. “louis vuitton”) and “generic keywords” (e.g. “luxury handbags”).
Focussing on generic keywords, these three audience groupings have to be considered – and segmentation is absolutely essential – as they all search using the same queries and are served the same SERP:
Screenshot from search for [buy luxury handbags], Google, February 2025
It differs on a case-by-case basis, but the customer lifetime value (CLV) of a “New Luxury Shopper” will likely be vastly different from users in the “UHNWI” grouping.
Aspirational buyers now make up 18% of the luxury fashion market across key economies. By 2030, Gen Z is projected to contribute 25-30% of luxury market purchases, with Millennials making up the majority at 50-55%.
There are plenty of opportunities for brands to benefit from when scaling up their PPC spend.
Segment performance data, get a clear view of which grouping demands the highest portion of media spend, and ask yourself whether this can be improved and how this data can be used to drive better results.
The Complexity Of Luxury Purchase Paths
Deliberated decision-making is a key element to consider when measuring PPC performance in luxury fashion.
A study found that two-thirds of Chinese luxury goods consumers undertake thorough product research before making luxury purchases, with over 40% of the respondents sharing that they used photos and pricing comparisons and compared to similar products before making the purchase.
Reporting week-to-week on ROAS/CAC may not be enough, and if decisions are made using windows that are too short/long, optimizations won’t align with the overarching goal.
I’ve seen growth stunted because of this, and access to purchase path data is a must.
The journey to purchasing luxury as a whole (not even considering the three audience groupings) involves many interactions.
A consumer insights study from NP Digital found that as the price point grew, the number of touchpoints for B2C increased.
For example, from $100 or less to $10,000+, the number of touch points moved from 8 to 23, and while price point doesn’t necessarily mean luxury, it shows a strong correlation.
This, combined with 80% of all luxury sales being digitally influenced, shows the importance of having connected data that can be fed into PPC strategies.
Take a scenario where a brand’s new customer acquisition through PPC is bulletproof, but social content is thin, and lead nurturing is non-existent.
This fractures the decision-making process, which ultimately impacts the results driven through PPC as demand will stay consistent and budget will be spent.
Still, the needs of the consumer are not met, which would mean fewer sales, a lower conversion rate, and declining efficiency.
A long-term view is essential for both reporting and optimization, and the necessity for brands to adopt an integrated marketing strategy has never been more critical.
The Influence Of Trends And Tradition
A survey found that 70% of consumers identify as trend-focused, and 77% value tradition.
Trend-focused consumers are driven by the latest movements in luxury fashion, whether this is the latest collab, a change in leadership, or a trending style – all of this will influence PPC.
These trends can occur steadily over time or, in some cases, emerge overnight due to the media, social influence, etc.
Depending on how an account is set up, the flow of search queries over time for “brand” keywords, “brand + product,” “product,” and “generics” will experience ebbs and flows based on a wealth of factors.
Knowing why certain products become more popular than others and being able to pull this data out of the accounts to share with the wider team is essential.
This should be reported as frequently as platform ROAS or blended CAC, not just on an ad hoc basis.
This can be done a few ways, one being to group search queries together, categorize them, and report using an index vs. the average, for example:
Automate the export of all search queries on a daily basis (or longer, depending on the size of the brand and budget) with a date stamp.
Create a script (or use Python/equivalent) – or find a partner to build one for you – to categorize these queries into groupings, or do this manually to get started.
Build a dashboard that maps the groupings over time and benchmarks vs. the average to provide a clear view of increases/decreases in demand, sales, cost, etc.
Map an index to each category and rank these based on the average.
It may take some work, but it is definitely worth it, considering how often trends and seasons change in luxury fashion.
With this data, brands can look at trends over time and react much quicker than simply seeing a better or worse ROAS one week vs. the previous week.
From a holistic perspective, this data can be shared across channels (e.g., SEO, PR, and content) and with the wider team, such as buyers, to share insights ahead of time on what users are searching for and why.
Holistic Performance Measurement
A robust measurement strategy is paramount when managing PPC in any capacity, and even more so for luxury fashion.
Gone are the days when teams were asked, “How much did we put in and how much did we get back?” at an ad platform level (well, almost gone).
Luxury brands are leaning into smart attribution modeling, focusing on CLV and personalization, to find the true value of their PPC activity.
This goes much further than an out-of-the-box attribution solution.
Unified Data Collection
Luxury brands spend millions annually on advertising, with 33% of this cost allocated to digital.
Measuring PPC performance through one or two lenses isn’t enough as it influences (and is influenced) by all other channels.
Stores, pop-ups, and events are incredibly important for luxury fashion brands, and being able to target new and returning users at key touchpoints through PPC is a must.
Pulling together online and offline data across multiple markets, channels, and sources requires robust processes, ownership, and consistency.
And, as easy as it is for me to write this, it most likely isn’t a quick task and will take considerable time and resources, but the payoff is certainly worth it to have a clear view of PPC performance.
Attribution Modeling
In this day and age, models such as “last click” are a touchy subject, and with good reason.
Consider all the touchpoints, advertising channels, and budget invested in delivering great customer journeys that luxury buyers experience for billion-dollar brands to then turn around and say the last click before the sale gets 100% of the credit.
In-platform, brands use multi-touch attribution (such as Google data-driven attribution or DDA), which is the best of the bunch, but still very limiting.
To begin to bridge the gap between online and offline, Louis Vuitton and Gucci invested heavily in omnichannel data platforms that allow them to connect in-store activity with digital interactions.
Another way brands are moving towards a more connected view of performance is through Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM), a methodology that was first used in the 1950s.
This takes attribution a step further by measuring the impact of PPC (for example) on the broader marketing ecosystem, quantifying PPC’s role within the entire marketing mix.
The complex decision-making process for luxury fashion makes having this connected data a non-negotiable for effective PPC budgeting, optimization, and growth.
Customer Lifetime Value
This metric refers to the total profit a customer is expected to drive over the duration of their relationship with a brand.
New customer acquisition through PPC is often measured through in-platform/blended ROAS and CACs, both serving a purpose when analyzing platform performance.
However, luxury brands that adopt CLV are able to identify which customer segments are the most profitable and take a longer-term view of acquiring high-value customers while tailoring strategies to audiences that aren’t as profitable to them.
Let’s look at an example of Brand A, who sells luxury handbags:
Current KPI for paid search: Account-wide Google Ads in-platform ROAS >5.
Brand A runs a data analysis project to find CLV by user segment and discovers that Audience 1 spends $11,000 over their lifecycle with the brand, and Audience 2 spends $4,000.
Their new KPIs would look vastly different, which feeds into budgeting, setting bidding strategy targets, promotions, and more.
Looking at the longer term, having this data gives luxury brands the benchmarks to work from to improve CLV numbers, which will, in turn, allow more freedom for scaling PPC spend.
Bringing It All Together
PPC doesn’t exist in isolation for any brand.
It’s influenced by many factors, and looking at one metric or platform for the answers isn’t enough.
Luxury fashion operates differently from a standard ecommerce retailer with unique audience profiles, extended decision-making processes, and an ever-moving flow of trends and traditions.
I’ve seen luxury brands dive headfirst into advanced data modeling, then go back to the drawing board to set accurate KPIs that fuel the fire of scaling media spend on PPC.
At the same time, plenty of luxury fashion brands use arbitrary in-platform modeling (e.g., last click) as the source of truth.
Aside from the obvious (cost, time, resource, etc.), there are only benefits from digging into the data to improve PPC performance from one end (e.g., setting bids, messaging, etc.) to the other (e.g., budgeting, market/network expansion).
Social commerce for marketers has become a strategic growth lever, evolving from a customer retention and engagement channel to a source of revenue generation.
Social media sales defy traditional ecommerce with the entire shopping journey taking place in just a few clicks and in one platform, making online shopping more simple than ever.
Social media users simply see a product they want to purchase, make a few clicks, and the item is ready to be shipped.
The purchase experience has certainly been redefined with the rise of social commerce, and more consumers are eager than ever to make a purchase through a social media platform.
In fact, over half (53%) of Gen Z say they’ve clicked “buy” buttons on social networks. One-third (30%) of shoppers find new products or brands on social media, further highlighting the social commerce opportunity for businesses.
Simply put, if your retail business has a presence on social media and isn’t tapping into the potential of generating sales directly from these platforms, you are missing out.
For marketers, now is the time to take advantage of social commerce and use it to your benefit. It serves as not only an opportunity to connect with your target audience, but also boost your business’s bottom line.
By creating engaging and personalized shopping experiences, businesses benefit from yet another channel to grow their sales and improve customer experiences.
In this post, we’ll explore how marketers can capitalize on this evolving trend and explore innovative approaches that go beyond the traditional playbook.
Let’s first dig into how social media usage went from seeking likes to craving purchases.
The Evolution Of Social Commerce
When social media first hit the scene in the early 2000s, it was primarily used to keep in touch with friends and family. Users could share photos, personal sentiment, and interact with other user’s content.
Over time, social media has grown to be so much more than a medium for connection but rather an outlet for making purchases.
There are several factors that have contributed to the social commerce transformation. To start, making online purchases is now more seamless than ever.
Credit card information can be seamlessly stored on sites, payment integration is simple, and consumers are more comfortable and trusting with making online purchases.
Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook have native checkout solutions, allowing customers to quickly and with minimal effort buy products without even having to visit the retailer’s website.
A study found that nearly 80% of American customers say fast, simple interactions and transactions are the most important customer experience element and shape their impression of the business.
U.S. consumers are increasingly embracing social media as a shopping channel, with nearly half (47%) having made a purchase through these platforms and another 39% expressing willingness to do so again.
YouTube leads the pack in terms of the most trusted social network to find and buy products in the U.S., with 61% of consumers stating they found this channel trustworthy for social commerce. Facebook and Instagram came in a close second and third place at 51% and 45%, respectively.
The same study found TikTok to be in a distant last place at 35%, which comes as no surprise given the recent apprehension and possible removal of the platform from U.S. app stores in the near future.
The Role Of AI In Social Commerce
Artificial intelligence (AI) has also played a key role in increasing social commerce by tailoring personalization.
AI is powerful enough to sift through vast amounts of data, deciphering exactly what types of products and solutions consumers are most interested in.
In turn, social media feeds highlight products that align closely with consumer needs and preferences. This level of personalization plays a critical role in shaping consumer behavior and encouraging engagement.
Thanks to AI, customers feel more seen and heard, promoting trust with businesses and social media platforms alike.
When customers feel truly heard and seen, they are more likely to take meaningful action.
Consider this surprising statistic: almost all consumers (92%) interested in product personalization are willing to share personal data to allow a business to tailor and personalize a product.
With privacy being a key concern for many consumers, their willingness to share personal information in exchange for personalized product recommendations holds immense weight.
How To Maximize Social Commerce Marketing Efforts
Whether you’re just getting started with social commerce or have been onboard the train for a while, the opportunity for optimization is always there. However, they require diverse strategies.
For those just getting started with social commerce, the following framework can help you get your efforts started on the right foot.
The Social Commerce Framework For Beginners
There are various best practices for ensuring you kickstart your campaign off right. To start, I recommend using the following framework:
Research Your Audience
As with any marketing effort, it’s essential to truly understand your audience. Consider answering the following questions:
Which platforms do they spend most of their time on?
What types of content formats resonate with them most?
What products are they most interested in?
What time of day are they on social media?
What is the average order value from social commerce?
Answering these questions will help you to determine which platforms to allocate efforts towards, what products might be worth putting money behind for promotion and retargeting, when to post, and what types of content formats to invest in (written, graphics, video, etc.).
Social media platforms and other technology can provide these insights, shedding light on consumer preferences to better inform your strategy.
Test The Waters
Before investing too much time and energy into social commerce, it can be beneficial to start small. Try one shoppable post on the platform where your audience spends most of their time.
By showcasing your products directly in your posts, you can see how your audience reacts to and engages with this sort of content while reducing the burden of effort on your team, as this requires a lower lift.
Partner With Influencers
If your budget allows, working with influencers can help elevate your brand presence and build trust with a new audience.
Influencers have an established audience of loyal followers who many trust with product recommendations.
In turn, this untapped audience may feel compelled to give your product a shot with the influencer’s stamp of approval.
Additionally, many influencers only trust products they believe in further amplifying your brand’s relevance and reputation.
Be Authentic
Consumers can sniff out disingenuous or self-serving content. In today’s era, where customers are highly intuitive and crave authenticity, it’s crucial to create content that resonates with them.
Focus on creating compelling stories and narratives that align with common pain points they may be experiencing.
Show how your product helps people in real life through videos and pictures that are unaltered and unfiltered.
Encourage influencers you work with to post their genuine thoughts and feedback rather than sticking to a strict script.
Keep A Pulse On Performance
Tracking and understanding how your social commerce efforts are performing is integral to learning and growing your revenue through this channel.
Data-driven insights help guide your marketing strategy, ensuring each of your efforts contributes to the business’s bottom line and enhances the customer experience.
Regularly monitor your product post-related engagement (shares, comments, likes, clicks) and conversions. Be sure to have a proper attribution model in place to be able to tie social commerce to sales.
Maximizing Social Commerce Impact
For those who have already invested in taking advantage of social commerce for their businesses, there are several strategies to consider that can help level up your efforts.
Expand Your Platform Presence
Perhaps you’ve already gotten started with social commerce on one platform but haven’t yet dipped your toe into the other platforms available to you.
While each platform requires its own distinct approach, it can be beneficial to expand your portfolio and leverage other commerce opportunities available to you.
Before making the leap to a new platform, make sure it’s worth your investment. This can be accomplished by assessing your target audience and having an understanding of which platforms they tend to be on.
Research the platform and its target audience first to ensure it’s the right fit to maximize your efforts.
Take Advantage Of Personalization
Consumers have come to expect personalized content as it’s become embedded in every aspect of their lives – from being shown what shows to watch on Netflix or what to buy on Amazon based on previous consumption patterns.
Social commerce should mirror this pattern, delivering hyper-targeted ads and product recommendations based on consumers’ browsing and purchasing habits.
If your business already isn’t investing in AI-powered tools to assist with your personalization efforts, now is the time to integrate this advanced technology into your tech stack.
Make It Mobile-Friendly
Every aspect of your customer experience must be mobile-friendly, as consumers spend a large portion of their day on their phones.
Similarweb’s data indicates that mobile devices account for over half (57.8%) of the traffic market share in the U.S., highlighting the preference for mobile browsing in online engagement.
Knowing potential customers are likely coming to your website via their mobile device, it’s crucial to ensure your content is optimized for mobile devices and your mobile checkout is a seamless process.
Show how your product works, monitor your comments, and respond to customer questions.
For example, a beauty brand might show what a new bronzer looks like on multiple different skin tones, enabling live show viewers to see how the product would match their unique skin tone.
Expand Your Retention Efforts
While attracting new customers is always a must, you should also prioritize previous customers who are already familiar with your business.
Many retail businesses offer customer loyalty programs, sharing exclusive offers and promotions with repeat customers. Building an engaged community of loyal customers can:
Boost average order values.
Encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
Increase organic reviews and engagement on social posts.
Create a highly motivated community of like-minded customers.
Drive repeat sales.
Turn a one-time customer into a brand advocate.
Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is perhaps the easiest way to share authentic and unbiased feedback about your company.
When customers organically share their experiences with your business, consumers are more likely to trust what they have to say.
A Rio SEO study found that 41% of consumers said online reviews and personal recommendations are equally trustworthy.
Encourage customers to share user-generated content after they make a purchase.
To help boost UGC efforts, run a contest on your social media channels asking your followers to share their experience with your business for the chance to win a free product or some other type of reward for their time.
Embracing The Future Of Marketing Products With Social Commerce
The future of shopping is looking to be more social, as more consumers continue to crave the simplicity social media shopping brings.
The ease of seeing a product on a post, clicking the product desired, and checking out an all-in-one platform has revolutionized the shopping experience.
It’s also brought about yet another avenue for marketers to leverage to drive sales and highlights why retail businesses should be taking advantage of the wealth of features available to them.
Whether you’re just getting started with social commerce or you’re a seasoned professional, the key lies in understanding your target audience and what motivates them to take action.
As social commerce continues to grow and expand, marketers must stay agile and arm their teams with strategies for success.
By embracing social commerce, businesses can stay attuned with the ways customers prefer to engage and shop, and also uncover new routes to drive more digital conversions.
