Have you ever tried to find a product on an ecommerce store and ended up scrolling through irrelevant results? Frustrating, right? Well, you’re not alone – many shoppers leave a webpage for a better experience. Some retailers ignore the fact that effective onsite search is crucial to gaining loyal customers. It’s more than just convenience; it’s whether you’ll be able to retain your customers or not. Half of retailers saw an increase in revenue as a direct result of improving their site search technology.
Why is this? Because onsite search users convert 2-3x more than casual browsers, creating an impressive conversion rate of 4.63%, which is above the average of 2.77%. Nosto states that U.S. retailers lose over $300 billion annually due to poor online search experiences. Seamless search is increasingly vital for ecommerce stores. With 69% of shoppers complaining about irrelevant search results, it’s clear that customers care about easy and effective search. According to WebinarCare, advanced search tools give retailers a 50% higher desktop conversion rate.
In this blog, we’ll explore the power of effective onsite search and uncover 6 ways to optimize your site search to create happier customers.
What You’ll Discover
- Ecommerce Search Dynamics: Understand how ecommerce site search goes beyond the search bar, shaping user experience and influencing sales.
- Boosting Sales with Onsite Search: Dive into the statistics that show effective onsite search users convert 2x to 3x more with an impressive 4.63% conversion rate, making it a necessity for your sales strategy.
- Understanding Customer Needs: Explore the significance of search query types, recognizing the different ways customers express their needs, from exact searches to thematic searches.
- Why Seamless Search Matters: Uncover why seamless onsite search impacts shoppers; it keeps customers happy, retains visitors, and increases your online store’s performance.
- Optimizing Onsite Search: Discover ways to enhance onsite search for personalized results and create search result pages tailored to customer satisfaction.
What is Ecommerce Site Search?
Ecommerce site search is the tool that helps users easily find what they’re looking for. It navigates them through your catalog of products and directly to the items they want, for an enhanced shopping experience. On average, one-third of visitors use onsite search, which highlights its importance for retailers.
Users enter their queries on ecommerce sites and the search engine is expected to respond with matching results. Shoppers rely on seamless search experiences to quickly find specific information and products. If your onsite search doesn’t deliver relevant results, you risk losing potential customers as users have grown to expect efficient search functionality.
Why Is Site Search Important?
Navigating websites is about finding what you need quickly and effortlessly, just like how Google or YouTube does. Search bars have become a standard feature, and we might not notice them until they let us down. 30% of the website visitors use the search function. Potential customers who use it are 3x more likely to find what they’re after and convert into customers compared to those who browse categories.
So, having a top-notch site search functionality is the key. It ensures that your users never face the frustration of getting zero results or sorting out irrelevant products.
Onsite Search Query Types
Understanding your customers’ search habits is important. Segmentify reports that 42% of ecommerce sites struggle with onsite search, affecting user experience across eight main query types. With a third of your visitors relying on onsite searches, it’s important to note that not all queries are equal. To boost conversion rates, ensure your store can handle these query types effectively:
- Exact Search
When customers have a clear idea of what they’re looking for, they often use exact searches. This involves entering the specific product name or model number into the site search bar. For instance, a customer might type “iPhone 15 Pro Max” to quickly find the exact model they want. This is where your site should ensure they find specific products with ease.
- Product Type or Category Search
Customers often search by product type or category when they have a general idea of what they want, but not the exact name or model. This exploratory search helps them discover new or alternative products. For example, a customer might search for “wireless headphones” without specifying a brand or model to explore various options in that category.
- Problem-Based Search
Customers frequently use problem-based searches on online stores. For example, a search for “home security” might include results about cameras, alarms, or door locks. Your website should effectively address these queries by offering relevant solutions so that customers can quickly find their ideal product.
- Non-Product Search
Customers frequently search for non-product information such as order tracking, shipping rates, or return policies. Segmentify found that 34% of queries relate to non-product content, yet 39% of websites fail to support these searches. For example, a customer looking for a “return policy” should easily find details about your return process from a non-product search.
Read More: Ecommerce Solutions to Reduce Holiday Returns
- Feature Search
For specific searches, such as a red dress under $50, customers often use features like color, price, brand, or size filters. Your search function should accommodate these filters to quickly help customers find products that fit their parameters.
- Thematic Search
For holiday or special occasion shopping, use thematic search to guide customers to themed items. Showcase Christmas decorations or exclusive Mother’s Day gifts for a memorable shopping experience.
- Compatibility Search
Enable compatibility searches to help customers discover related product accessories or replacements. For instance, a customer buying a camera could easily find compatible lenses or accessories in a single search, enhancing their shopping experience.
- Slang and Abbreviations Search
Customer searches on ecommerce sites aren’t always formal words or phrases, they might use abbreviations or slang when searching. Your website should understand this ‘secret code’ to connect with customers.
Read More: 5 Ways Smart Search Technology Maximizes Profit
What Can Onsite Search Do?
Now, let’s explore what improving ecommerce site search can change for retailers.
Boost Conversion Rates
Smart search functionality on your site means increased sales. When customers find what they want through onsite search, the conversion rate nearly doubles. Onsite search is like an assistant guiding customers straight to checkout for a seamless shopping journey.
Enhance Site Usage
A seamless onsite search experience is crucial – 68% of customers won’t return if it’s lacking. When they find what they need easily, they stay longer, exploring more of your store. This turns your online store into their go-to choice.
Increase Referrals
A positive customer experience creates a referral cycle. Happy customers on your site become brand advocates, returning and spreading the word to others.
Easy Access to Customer Data
Your site search is a valuable source of insights. It reveals the user interest to tailor your offerings. Each search is a data point to study trends and optimize your site. This data can help build personalized content in profiles, targeting emails, product offers, and more.
Read More: Optimizing Ecommerce Search: The Benefits of Smart Search
How to Optimize Onsite Search Results To Drive Customer Satisfaction
Optimizing onsite search is crucial for your online store’s success. Studies show a 43% increase in conversion rates with effective onsite search optimization. Here are six practices to elevate search results and customer satisfaction.
Personalized Search Results
One way to optimize site search is to offer personalized results based on customers’ preferences and previous interactions. After analyzing their browsing, purchase, and search history, retailers can tailor search results to each user.
Read More: 5 Ways to Improve Search Personalization Using Machine Learning
Search Relevance
With the help of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning your ecommerce website can align with customer intent to enhance accuracy. Features like search autocomplete elevate this intelligence by streamlining the search process and boosting sales by 24%.
Product Popularity
Highlighting your best-selling and top-rated products in search results captures customer attention. Retailers can analyze sales data, customer reviews, and product ratings to determine the most popular products. Prioritize these products in your search results to increase visibility and drive more sales.
Product Availability
Nothing frustrates customers more than finding the perfect product only to discover it’s out of stock. Prevent this from happening by using real-time inventory data. Ensure the products showcased in site search results are both relevant and available for purchase.
Product Recommendations
Another way to optimize site search is by providing personalized product recommendations based on customers’ past browsing, purchase, and search history. This not only increases sales but also builds customer loyalty.
Personalized Landing Pages
Create personalized landing pages using customer data to build landing pages that feature popular items, past-viewed products, or related items. This hyperpersonalization elevates your ecommerce website and enhances the shopping experience.
In conclusion, these 6 onsite search optimization techniques can transform your onsite search into a powerful tool that enhances customer satisfaction and drives online retail sales. It’s not just about improving search results – it’s about creating an exceptional shopping experience for every customer.
