Ecommerce has revolutionized shopping, offering products at consumers’ fingertips.
An efficient search function is essential to navigate this vast array, directly affecting customer satisfaction, retention, bounce rates, and overall sales. Enhancing your ecommerce site search is achievable with focused strategies.
Let’s delve into some effective strategies for taking your site search to the next level.
1. Implement AI and Machine Learning
Integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI Search) and Machine Learning (ML) to enhance your site search significantly. According to a report by McKinsey, AI technologies can improve search accuracy and personalization, potentially increasing ecommerce revenue by up to 15% [1].
LupaSearch client’s case studies raise the bar even further. With an AI-driven search integrated into a Shipzee shopping platform, the site’s revenue grew by a stunning 17%.
AI and ML analyze user behavior, preferences, and past purchases to deliver personalized search results, offering predictive suggestions that boost conversion rates.
2. Optimize for Mobile
With over 60% of ecommerce transactions occurring on mobile devices [2], optimizing for mobile is crucial.
Ensure that your search bar is prominent on smaller screens and enhance the user experience by implementing autocomplete suggestions and correcting misspellings, which can significantly reduce user frustration and abandonment.
3. Use Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Implement Natural Language Processing to understand the nuances of customer queries better.
NLP allows your site to interpret search terms contextually, improving the relevance of search results.
Let’s say the user searches for “Wireless keyboard compatible with Macbook Pro”.
In NLP-powered search like LupaSearch, the search algorithm gets into the core of such a query and delivers matching results.
Such search returns results that meet all the criteria:
a) wireless keyboards, b) specifically compatible with Macbook Pro laptops, ensuring compatibility with the user’s device.
The market leader, Amazon, has successfully used NLP to enhance user interactions, demonstrating a measurable uplift in customer satisfaction [3].
4. Add Filters and Sort Options
Enhance your search functionality by providing (dynamic or manual) filtering and sorting options, such as price, popularity, and customer reviews.
Well-designed filtering interfaces are crucial for a satisfying shopping experience, as they enhance product discoverability and navigation. Effective filter designs help users efficiently narrow down their search results, which can significantly improve the ease and speed of finding desired products.
Best practices in UX design suggest that thoughtful placement and configuration of filters cater to user expectations, improving overall site usability and customer satisfaction.
Implementing dynamic filters that adjust based on the user’s search context and product category can further enhance this experience. [4].
Let’s take an example of the LupaSearch dynamic filter capabilities. Let’s say a user is searching for outdoor tents.
Your site search should show dynamic filters for brand, capacity (number of people), seasonality (e.g., 3-season, 4-season), tent type (dome, cabin), and waterproofing rating.
It should hide filters unrelated to camping equipment, such as display resolution or operating system (more applicable to electronics).
5. Include Visual Search
Incorporate visual search (also called Vector Search) to allow users to find products using images—an especially useful feature in visually driven industries like fashion or home décor.
With LupaSearch’s vector search, the user can upload a photo of a rug he admires to find similar options based on color, pattern, size, and material, helping the user replicate the look in their home.
ASOS reported a 5% increase in conversion rates among users engaging with their visual search tool, highlighting its effectiveness [5].
6. Prioritize Search Speed
Optimize your search feature for speed, as delays can increase bounce rates and decrease customer satisfaction. Google research indicates that improving search speed by just 0.1 seconds can increase conversion rates by up to 8% [6].
Consider server upgrades, optimized code, and a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve performance.
7. Offer Synonym Support
Synonym support can bridge the gap between different customer terminologies and your product catalog, ensuring users find relevant results regardless of the search terms used.
8. Implement Voice Search
Adapt to the rising trend of voice commerce, facilitated by assistants like Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Voice search adoption in ecommerce could reach 55% among US households by 2022 [7], making it a vital feature for future-proofing your site.
9. Regularly Review Search Data
Regular analysis of search data can reveal insights into customer preferences and search behavior, guiding continuous improvements.
At LupaSearch, you always get access to reports, stats, and analytics, so you can make data-driven decisions about search enhancements and product stock plans.
10. Improve Search Results Page Design
The layout and design of your search results page are critical. Ensure it is easy to navigate, with clear product images and descriptions.
Incorporating feedback from user experience tests can lead to design improvements that enhance usability and customer retention.
Conclusion
Improving your ecommerce site search involves leveraging advanced technology and focusing on user experience.
By adopting these strategies, your site search can become a powerful tool that drives sales and keeps customers returning.
Ready to take your ecommerce site search to the next level? Request a free demo at LupaSearch, adopt the best practices, and scale your business revenue.
References
McKinsey Global Survey. “The state of AI in 2021”. December 8, 2021. Global survey: The state of AI in 2021 | McKinsey.
Adobe Report. “Experience Index 2020 Digital Trends”. digital-trends-2020-full-report.pdf (adobe.com).
K. C. Sabreena Basheer. How AI is Helping Customers Shop Better on Amazon. 23 Aug, 2023. How AI is Summarizing Reviews on Amazon to Help Customers (analyticsvidhya.com)
Studio by UXPin. Discoverability in UX and UI Design — 9 Techniques to Try. Discoverability in UX and UI Design — 9 Techniques to Try | UXPin
ASOS plc investor relations. Investor relations | ASOS plc
Google’s Research on Search Speed. c676a_Google_MobileSiteSpeed_Playbook_v2.1_digital_4JWkGQT.pdf (thinkwithgoogle.com)
Sarah Perez. Voice-enabled smart speakers to reach 55% of U.S. households by 2022, says report. November 8, 2017. Voice-enabled smart speakers to reach 55% of U.S. households by 2022, says report | TechCrunch