Baidu has made a deal with JD.com with the intention of making shopping online a more streamlined process. Under the new deal, users will be able to search on Baidu's mobile app through a JD.com dedicated section. In this section, any search for a product will allow people to purchase the item directly through the JD.com ecommerce site, whilst remaining within Baidu's mobile app. It is thought the deal will also assist both companies to collect data on user behaviour by being able to better track user journeys from the research phase all the way to conversion. Baidu said in a statement that the new feature “improves efficiency, reduces marketing costs but also enhances the shopping experience”. The data Baidu acquires as a result should enhance its efforts to improve personalisation for users. In turn, JD.com is expected to see an increase in sales following the deal, as well as increased advertising revenue.
