Sophisticated site search is critical for ecommerce merchants to meet the expectations of today's consumers and drive conversions. Implementing high-level site search can significantly increase sales by providing relevant results, learning from user behavior, and offering detailed analytics to optimize product discoverability.
Key takeaways
Merchants should actively monitor site search analytics to understand what language customers are using and identify gaps in product discoverability.
Implement synonym functionality within your site search to bridge the gap between internal product descriptions and customer search terms (e.g., "MP3 player" vs. "music player" or "backrest" vs. "sissy bar").
Recognize that site navigation, while different from keyword search, is also a "searching experience" and should be optimized with similar principles, such as promoting popular products and offering detailed refinement options.
Even if your e-commerce platform includes basic search functionality or you consider using free alternatives, investing in a specialized, hosted site search solution can dramatically improve conversion rates by delivering more relevant results and a better user experience.
The need for sophisticated site search is becoming increasingly important for ecommerce merchants, who are all serving increasingly sophisticated consumers. By almost any measure, high-level site search increases sales. To discuss trends in site search, and new developments in that industry, we are joined by Shaun Ryan. He’s the CEO of SLI Systems, a pioneering site search provider. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about conversion rate optimization?
Merchants should actively monitor site search analytics to understand what language customers are using and identify gaps in product discoverability.
What does this episode say about site search optimization?
Implement synonym functionality within your site search to bridge the gap between internal product descriptions and customer search terms (e.g., "MP3 player" vs. "music player" or "backrest" vs. "sissy bar").
What does this episode say about user experience?
Recognize that site navigation, while different from keyword search, is also a "searching experience" and should be optimized with similar principles, such as promoting popular products and offering detailed refinement options.
What does this episode say about conversion rate optimization?
Even if your e-commerce platform includes basic search functionality or you consider using free alternatives, investing in a specialized, hosted site search solution can dramatically improve conversion rates by delivering more relevant results and a better user experience.
