Episode 86: Click, Cart, Convert: The AI Formula for E-Commerce Wins

On this special episode of Marketing Moves, we unpack how artificial intelligence is transforming the e-commerce landscape just in time for the holidays at our second annual Christmas in July event hosted at VividFront HQ in Cleveland. From hyper-personalized recommendations and dynamic pricing to chatbots that close sales in real time, AI is now embedded in every touchpoint of the customer journey. We’ll explore how generative tools are reshaping digital marketing content, how Google’s evolving AI search is rewriting SEO rules, and why Performance Max deserves a second look despite the skepticism. Whether you're a brand leader or a digital strategist, this episode is your cheat sheet for staying ahead in the AI-powered shopping season.

At VividFront’s second annual Christmas in July event—recorded live for the Marketing Moves podcast—three of our in-house experts unpacked the biggest AI trends reshaping e-commerce. With the holiday season fast approaching, the discussion focused on helping brands stay competitive across every digital channel, from Google Search to Amazon product listings.

Whether you're running a DTC brand, selling on Amazon, or navigating both, this conversation provides the strategies you need to drive more conversions this holiday season.

Joseph Testa, VividFront’s CTO and Chief AI Officer, kicked off the conversation by breaking down how AI has gone from buzzword to backbone in e-commerce. It's already powering:

• Hyper-personalized product recommendations

• Conversational commerce and advanced chatbots

• Generative content creation, including product images and UI mockups

• Dynamic pricing across marketplaces like Amazon

His advice: You don’t need proprietary AI to compete. Start by organizing clean, structured data, then explore plug-and-play tools like Mobi (for cross-platform analytics) and Gorgias (for customer service automation). Once your data is in place, AI becomes a practical accelerator across operations and strategy.

Nate Statt, Director of Web Accounts, provided a roadmap for applying AI to your day-to-day marketing efforts—starting with search and email.

Search Optimization for the AI Era

Google is evolving rapidly, blending traditional search with conversational AI. This shift changes how brands need to show up online. Short, generic keywords are no longer enough. To win in search today:

• Optimize for long-tail, high-intent queries

• Implement structured data via schema.org

• Create landing pages that match the specific context of search terms

He also encouraged brands to experiment with Performance Max. Despite mixed opinions, it offers a broad reach that’s worth testing—especially when paired with strong creative assets.

Using AI to Supercharge Email Campaigns

AI is a powerful asset for campaign planning. By feeding past performance data—open rates, click-through rates, subject lines—into tools like ChatGPT, marketers can uncover:

• Which send times performed best

• Which segments responded most

• Whether design or tone changes improved results

Layering in A/B testing now will give your team a proven roadmap before peak traffic hits.

Reimagining On-Site Experience with AI in Mind

Statt also emphasized the need for brands to move beyond generic collection pages and toward more tailored experiences. Examples include:

• Comparison pages that position products against competitors

• Persona-based landing pages for target demographics or industries

• How-to content to capture high-intent, educational searches

These approaches not only improve the customer journey but also increase discoverability in AI-powered search results.

Jake Merrill, VividFront’s Head of Marketplace Strategy, focused on how brands can apply these principles within the Amazon ecosystem, which presents both unique challenges and massive opportunity.

Content and Workflow Optimization

Amazon is notoriously complex, but new AI-driven tools are easing some of the friction. Merrill pointed out opportunities to:

• Use generative tools for lifestyle imagery and product content

• Automate competitor and pricing monitoring via third-party tools like Appify

• Leverage AI to identify top-performing SKUs, timing, and promotion types

He also urged brands to treat automation not as a bonus, but as a necessity—especially during high-volume sales periods.

Unlocking Amazon Marketing Cloud with AI

Amazon’s clean room solution, Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), allows deeper audience targeting and performance insights. While AMC is technically demanding, AI tools like ChatGPT can help non-technical marketers generate the SQL code needed to unlock:

• Custom audience segments based on behavior

• Attribution models tailored to your product lifecycle

• Deeper campaign reporting by combining ad, sales, and inventory data

This level of control can give brands a major edge when every click counts.

The takeaway from this conversation is clear: AI is no longer optional—it’s essential. As the holiday season becomes more competitive and more complex, the brands that thrive will be the ones that embrace technology to move faster, plan smarter, and connect more personally with shoppers at every stage.

To stay ahead of the curve:

• Finalize your holiday strategy by October 1, and use AI tools to accelerate planning and ideation

• Capitalize on emerging sales moments like Small Business Saturday and Green Monday

• Develop AI-optimized product pages that answer real customer questions and surface in intelligent search results

• Leverage platforms like Mobi and Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) to unlock insights, automate workflows, and drive smarter decisions

In a landscape where timing, relevance, and data-driven execution can make or break a campaign, AI gives marketers the edge they need. This holiday season, success will come to those who use it—not just to keep up, but to lead.