[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] It appears that the starting point for shopping is shifting from portal searches to generative artificial intelligence (AI). Analysis shows that visits to D2C online stores via generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini are on the rise, leading to increased purchase conversions and order volumes.

Cafe24 Corp.(042000), a global e-commerce platform, announced on the 28th that its analysis of traffic data for D2C online stores built on its platform revealed approximately 850,000 visits via major generative AI tools in the second quarter of this year. This represents a 72% increase compared to the same period last year.

This analysis was compiled based on referrer data, which shows which sites online store visitors came from.

By service, traffic from ChatGPT totaled approximately 620,000 visits, accounting for 73% of the total. Traffic from Gemini surged by 686% year-over-year to approximately 170,000 visits. Its share of total AI traffic also expanded from 4% to 20%. Traffic from Claude and Copilot also increased by 851% and 156%, respectively.

Traffic from generative AI went beyond simply increasing visits and led to improved purchase performance. During the same period, the purchase conversion rate for visits via AI rose approximately 1.7-fold, from 0.50% to 0.85%. The number of orders increased by 195%.

In particular, the purchase conversion rate for visits via ChatGPT was recorded at 0.96%. This is higher than that of other AI services, such as Gemini (0.57%) and Plexity (0.50%).

Cafe24 Corp. analyzed that generative AI is emerging as a commerce channel that drives actual purchases, going beyond being a mere traffic source.

The way users browse products via AI also differed from traditional search methods. When Cafe24 Corp. analyzed the first page visitors landed on across the top 30 online stores with high AI traffic, it found that 57.4% of visitors coming through AI went directly to product detail pages rather than the store’s homepage.

While traditional portal searches often begin with brand-name or category-based searches, generative AI stands out for its ability to connect consumers directly to the specific products they want. This demonstrates that generative AI is exerting a growing influence on the consumer journey, from product discovery to purchase.

Cafe24 Corp. observed that as generative AI establishes itself as a new channel for product discovery, the accuracy with which AI understands online stores and product information is emerging as a key factor in brand competitiveness.

Accordingly, Cafe24 Corp. is introducing “GEO” technology to help generative AI more accurately understand and recommend online store and product information. GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. While traditional search engine optimization (SEO) targeted visibility on portals and search engines, GEO is a method of structuring information so that generative AI can thoroughly understand brand and product details and incorporate them into its responses.

Through its premium service, “Cafe24 PRO,” Cafe24 Corp. provides an “llms.txt” file that guides AI crawlers to understand the online store’s structure, product information, and brand story. It applies structured data (JSON-LD) to product, site, and bulletin board information to help generative AI and search engines understand online store information in a structured manner. It also offers features that convert image-centric product detail pages into text-based structures and create FAQ content based on actual customer inquiries to convey product information more comprehensively.

Cafe24 Corp. plans to continue expanding related features in line with changes in the generative AI-based search environment. Lee Jae-seok, CEO of Cafe24 Corp., stated, “Generative AI is becoming a new starting point for shopping for consumers and a new customer acquisition channel for brands,” adding, “Cafe24 Corp. will continue to enhance its GEO technology and services so that D2C brands can connect with more customers even in the AI environment.”