Internet of things (IoT) devices, such as Amazon’s Echo and dash buttons, Google’s Home and others are starting to take a more active role in the shopping process. While it is possible for big conglomerates to convince shoppers to buy and use their devices, this option is entirely unavailable for smaller (and some even bigger) online merchants

Just about everyone knows what the Internet is, however far fewer people understand the “Internet of Things (IoT).” Simply put, IoT is the worldwide network of devices that are tapped into the Internet: things like security cameras, thermostats, Blu-ray players, mobile phones, tablets and other objects that are accessible via an IP address.