Today is an exciting day for everyone at Searchspring and Nextopia, as we join both teams under a refreshed Searchspring brand. Both companies have created market-leading products, and joining the two together to create one great company is easy, as both have always had the same mission to build outstanding search and merchandising tools.
This isn’t the end of the Nextopia product. There is no timeline for shutting it down and we plan to support clients on the Nextopia platform for as long as necessary. Having just one brand to focus on will allow us to deliver innovative products faster, and meet the needs of our clients and partners while the ecommerce industry continues to morph, something I have personally witnessed for over 15 years.
I got into ecommerce back in 2005. It was new to most and it was somewhat easy as we were first-movers on most things. Fast-forward to today, and the landscape is very different. Retailers are up against Amazon, and brands are launching Direct-To-Consumer channels to ensure complete control of their brand. Even in just the last three years, I have seen a major shift – one that I believe will continue – as we see fewer and fewer traditional retailers.
Retailers used to buy from hundreds of vendors and resell. The vendors needed retailers, because they needed foot traffic to reach their product. But for today’s manufacturer, what is the value of reselling through a retailer when you can put your product in front of the customer yourself?
Giving Ecommerce Merchandisers Superpowers
This shift is where Searchspring comes in, and why I am extremely excited for the future. Our technology allows retailers or manufacturers selling DTC to thrive. The best online experience is one where the site is an experience, where it has a voice and a story, coupled with great merchandising so that products are easily found.
I personally understand the rollercoaster of launching an ecommerce store and getting your first order. It’s an adrenaline rush, but there is also a fear that comes with it. As growth takes over, you have to make incremental improvements to continue to drive conversion rates. Merchandisers obsess over where their products are displayed, and want to ensure that the best product is at the top of any search, or the best cross-sell is displayed at the right time.
Many out there tout AI and less touch to achieve this. We recognize that technology is key, but no one wants to turn their website entirely over to a computer. We believe that humans should augment software, software should not replace humans. Our platform is designed to give merchandisers the control they need to get the right product, in front of the right person, at the right time – or as we like to say, give merchandisers superpowers.
We are super excited to discuss these changes with Searchspring and Nextopia. I invite anyone with questions to reach out to us directly.
Peter Messana, CEO, Searchspring
