TikTok Unveils “Most Loved” Badge to Attract Shoppers ❤️

A “Most Loved” badge sounds familiar, right 🤔? If not, think of Amazon’s Best Seller badge, and you’ll get the flow.

Hi there 👋, it’s another week, and of course, another dash of The Ecom Press 🗞️! 

Beyond TikTok’s push to make shopping on the platform feel a little less like a gamble 🎲, Google’s AI Overviews now lets you compare products right from its results page. Even more, Amazon is set to list products it doesn’t even sell with the aim of shifting ecommerce search in its favor.

And because email marketing is still one of the highest ROI channels, we’ve rounded up the best email marketing tools to help you sharpen your strategy 🚀.

Enough talk. Let’s get into the gist, shall we?

In a rush? Here's the juice 🤭:

❤️ TikTok unveils “Most Loved” badge to attract shoppers.

🤖 Google’s AI Overviews now has comparison mode for products.

🛒 Amazon Search now shows products it doesn’t sell.

🧰 Tool Spotlight: The Best Email Marketing Tools for 2025

⚡️Worthy Mentions

❤️ TikTok unveils “Most Loved” badge to attract shoppers.

As TikTok returns to the Google and Apple app stores in the U.S., the platform is doubling down on ecommerce with the introduction of a “Most Loved” badge for top-performing products on TikTok Shop.

Here’s the lowdown ⬇️:

The new “Most Loved” is designed to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions by highlighting products that meet four key criteria:

• High customer ratings 📈

• Low return rates 🔄

• A strong history of on-time shipping ⏳

• Excellent customer service reports 💬

The badge will be visible on product detail pages across various categories, including electronics, beauty, fashion, home goods, and consumables. Tapping the badge will provide shoppers with more details on why a product has earned the distinction.

📦 TikTok Encourages More Ratings & Reviews

TikTok emphasized that the Most Loved badge is not a ranking system—products without it aren’t necessarily lower in quality but may not have accumulated enough positive feedback yet. The company is also encouraging buyers to rate their purchases to help more products gain recognition.

Why it matters 🤨

A great part of ecommerce thrives on trust, and TikTok is playing its cards right with the "Most Loved" badge to boost confidence and reduce buyer hesitation. Certainly, this trust signal does not depend on product quality alone because, beyond that, customers love solid service and fast shipping. As such, reputation is everything, and it's the difference between being "Most Loved" and being buried in the algorithm.

🤖 Google’s AI Overviews now has comparison mode for products.

Google is making shopping research easier than ever by rolling out a detailed product comparison feature inside its AI Overviews. Instead of clicking through multiple sites to compare two products, users can now get a side-by-side breakdown directly within Google Search—meaning less effort for shoppers but potentially fewer clicks for businesses that rely on product comparison traffic.

Here’s the scoop 🍨:

📱 AI Overviews Now Show Full Product Comparisons: When users search for product vs. product comparisons (e.g., “iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro”), Google first provides a summary of key differences in a condensed AI-generated box. But clicking “See Full Comparison” expands a detailed breakdown of features, specs, and performance insights—essentially replicating what you’d find on dedicated review sites.

🎸 Functionality Across Multiple Product Categories: A typical example would be comparing two smartphones, where Google lays out differences in camera quality, battery life, display, and chip performance. But this feature isn’t limited to phones. Users have spotted AI-generated comparisons for bikes, laptops, home appliances, and other high-intent shopping categories.

Could this Hurt Review Sites 😣?

• Less Organic Traffic for Comparison Content: If users don’t need to click away from Google to get their answers, product review sites and blogs could see major traffic drops.

• No Transparency for Site Owners: Google isn’t providing Search Console data on AI Overviews, meaning website owners can’t track how much traffic they’re losing.

Could this be a Goldmine for Advertisers 🤑?

Google’s expansion of AI-powered shopping insights could pave the way for new ad placements inside these product comparisons. If ads become part of this feature, brands could target high-intent shoppers while they’re actively weighing purchase decisions.

Why it matters 🧐

For ecommerce brands, this could be a golden opportunity to see how their products stack up against competitors in a highly visible space. If your product is being compared, analyzing the AI-generated breakdown can help you fine-tune your product pages and highlight stronger selling points to make a better impression during the consideration phase.

For advertisers, this could be a future battleground. If Google allows paid placements inside these AI-powered comparisons, it could be a prime opportunity to influence purchase decisions at the moment they matter most. Whether that’s good news or just another pay-to-play move by Google remains to be seen.

🛒 Amazon Search now shows products it doesn’t sell.

Amazon is testing a major change in search results by displaying products not sold on Amazon and linking directly to external brand websites for purchases. 

This new search experience, currently in beta testing for select U.S. users, aims to expand selection and convenience for shoppers while potentially shifting ecommerce search even further in Amazon’s favor.

Here’s how it works 🧐:

• When a customer searches for a specific brand or product, Amazon’s search results will now include both products available on Amazon and select products that Amazon doesn’t sell.

• If a product isn’t sold on Amazon, the result will include a direct link to the brand’s website, allowing customers to purchase it there.

• Clicking “See More” on these non-Amazon listings redirects the shopper off Amazon after a notification that they’re leaving the site.

• Amazon pulls product information and pricing directly from the brand’s website, but notes that updates may not always reflect real-time changes.

• The company clarified that no customer data will be shared with brands and vice versa—Amazon will not track interactions once a shopper leaves its platform.

This move mirrors Amazon’s Buy with Prime initiative, which allows brands to offer Prime benefits (fast shipping, returns, customer support) for purchases made on their own websites. While this search update isn’t limited to Buy with Prime participants, brands that use the service can still offer Prime perks to redirected shoppers.

Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, previously addressed concerns about off-platform shopping, stating: “What we know is that it’s going to be a better customer experience for Prime members. And if we have happy Prime members… that’s going to be happy sellers, and it’s going to be great for all of us.”

Amazon is rolling out the feature gradually and says the expansion will depend on feedback from both customers and brands.

Why it matters 🤷‍♂️

It’s great news for external brands. If you get featured, you can optimize your website, ensure competitive pricing, and streamline checkout to convert that traffic. But if you rely solely on Amazon to sell, this could mean increased competition from DTC brands that now have a direct pipeline to Amazon’s traffic. 

🛎️ The Ecom Press Insider

Ecom Fact: Email marketing delivers an average return of $36 for every $1 spent, making it one of the most profitable marketing channels. In fact, 14% of marketers say it outperforms every other strategy in their playbook (Source: Shopify).

Truth is, while fancy new trends come and go, email marketing remains a tried-and-true powerhouse. If you’re not leveraging it yet, you’re missing out on one of the most efficient ways to boost your bottom line 🚀.

🧰 Tool Spotlight: The Best Email Marketing Tools for 2025

Let’s be real—email marketing isn’t dead. In fact, it’s thriving and still delivering some of the best ROI in the game 💰. The real question isn’t if you should use it; it’s which platform is going to make your life easier while driving the most conversions.

Lucky for you, we’ve done the homework (so you don’t have to). Whether you’re running an ecommerce store, a newsletter empire, or just looking for a no-BS email platform, we’ve got you covered.

1️⃣ Omnisend – Best for Ecommerce Marketing 🛍️

If you run an online store, Omnisend is the go-to choice. It integrates seamlessly with Shopify and WooCommerce, offering pre-built templates, automated coupon campaigns, and SMS marketing to boost conversions. The best part? It gives you detailed performance tracking so you know which emails are actually making you money. Oh, and pricing? Starts at just $16/month—not too shabby!

2️⃣ Constant Contact – Best for Multi-Channel Marketing 📱

Been around since 1995, so you know it’s battle-tested. What sets it apart? Social media scheduling! If your marketing strategy blends email + social (think: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), this one’s worth a look. It does email, SMS, and social posting all in one, making it Old Reliable—but still relevant.

3️⃣ Beehiiv – Best for Newsletters & Content Creators 📰

Running a newsletter? Beehiiv is the secret sauce behind many of the top email newsletters you read. With easy-to-use tools, built-in monetization, and an ad network to help you make money, it’s perfect for creators, bloggers, and anyone building an audience.

4️⃣ Moosend – Best for Automation on a Budget 🤖

Want AI-powered automation without breaking the bank? Moosend lets you create smart sequences, like abandoned cart reminders, welcome flows, and hyper-personalized campaigns. Pricing starts at just $9/month, but watch out for hidden fees if you send a ton of emails!

5️⃣ Brevo – Best for Low-Volume Senders 💡

If you don’t send emails every day, Brevo is the best cost-effective option. Unlike Mailchimp (which charges you just for having a list), Brevo only bills you when you actually send emails. It also throws in WhatsApp marketing and CRM features, making it more than just an email tool.

Want to see these platforms in action 🔥? Check out the full breakdown in our YouTube video and find the perfect fit for your business!

⚡️Worthy Mentions

• Wayfair launches Muse, a next gen AI-powered tool for personalized home shopping.

• Etsy scraps handling fees to simplify pricing for sellers on March 3rd.

• Google Ads releases Performance Max usefulness indicator to help advertisers drive more incremental traffic.

• YouTube unveils AI video generation tool for Shorts creation.

• TikTok returns to Apple and Google app stores in the U.S.

Wrapping up…

If this week proved anything, it’s that ecommerce is one wild ride 🎢. TikTok wants to boost trust, Google wants to keep you searching longer, and Amazon? Well, Amazon just wants to be your first stop for everything—even if that means sending shoppers off-site.

Who knows what’s next? Well, that’s why we’re here to keep you in the loop. 

And if you haven’t already… smash that subscribe button, and we’ll catch you next week with the latest buzz 🚀!