With so many people using mobile devices to browse websites, ensuring your site’s search function works well on phones and tablets is crucial.
Mobile on-site search helps users find products or information quickly.
What Is Mobile On-Site Search?
Mobile on-site search works similarly to desktop search but is designed specifically for mobile devices. Users can quickly find what they need without excessive scrolling.
Since mobile screens are smaller and rely on touch, the search function needs to be adapted to these devices.
Research shows that a well-designed mobile search can significantly increase user satisfaction and conversion rates. For instance, a study by Watanabe and colleagues (2018) found that businesses optimizing their mobile on-site search saw a 30% increase in conversions due to improved ease of use [1].
Best Practices for Mobile On-Site Search
To improve mobile on-site search, businesses should:
Make the search bar easy to find:
Users should be able to spot and use the search bar quickly. Adding features like auto-suggestions and autocomplete can help users find what they’re looking for faster.Include voice search:
Many users prefer speaking their search queries, especially on mobile devices. Incorporating voice search can improve accessibility and save time, aligning with growing trends in mobile usage.Use visual search:
E-commerce websites benefit significantly from visual search options. For instance, letting users upload a picture to search for similar products can enhance convenience. This is becoming increasingly common in retail as it helps users find products they may not know the name of.Ensure the site is responsive across all devices:
Websites must adapt to different screen sizes to ensure the search feature is easy to use, no matter the device. Responsive design helps retain mobile users and improves the overall search experience [2].
How to Improve Mobile Search Results
Given the limited screen space on mobile devices, it’s important to ensure that search results are relevant and easy to navigate.
Using filtering options can help users refine their searches and quickly locate exactly what they need.
Personalization and Mobile Search
Personalization plays a critical role in improving mobile search. By using customer data, businesses can provide tailored search results, increasing the chances of user engagement.
A case study showed that e-commerce sites using personalized search saw an 18% increase in repeat purchases due to better customer engagement [3].
How to Make Mobile On-Site Search Faster
Speed is key for mobile users. A slow search function can drive users away.
That’s why to ensure fast results, you should:
- Reduce network requests and optimize how data is loaded.
- Ensure searches are quick and responsive.
When mobile searches are fast, businesses have reported up to a 20% decrease in bounce rates [4].
Tracking and Analyzing Mobile Search
It’s essential to track how users interact with the search function.
Tools like Search Intelligence (an analytic tool for e-commerce search) provide insights into the most common search queries, problem areas, and overall search success rates.
Regularly analyzing this data helps businesses refine their search function and better meet user needs.
For instance, an e-commerce study found that by analyzing zero-result searches, companies were able to add missing products and refine search algorithms, leading to a 15% increase in successful searches [1].
Challenges of Mobile On-Site Search
Mobile search presents challenges such as limited screen space and varying device performance. It’s crucial to balance the complexity of the search function with speed and ease of use.
The Future of Mobile Search
Mobile search will continue to evolve with new technologies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are expected to play a major role in delivering more accurate and personalized search results by understanding user behavior.
Emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) could transform how users interact with search results. For example, AR may allow users to visualize products, such as seeing how a piece of furniture would look in their home before buying it.
Ready to boost your mobile on-site search success?
Mobile on-site search is crucial for improving user satisfaction and increasing conversions.
By making the search experience simple, fast, and relevant, businesses can better meet customer needs and drive more sales.
Luckily, it’s easy to achieve all this with LupaSearch - an on-site search that seamlessly adapts to mobile devices and boosts conversion rates.
Request a free product demo at LupaSearch, and stay ahead in the competitive mobile landscape.
References:
Nozaki, Y., Watanabe, F., & Satoh, T. (2018). Analysis of Item Selection Behavior in Online Shopping. Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Information Integration and Web-based Applications & Services. https://doi.org/10.1145/3282373.3282849.
Wang, Y., Wang, B., & Huang, Y. (2020). Comprehensive Analysis and Mining Big Data on Smart E-commerce User Behavior. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1616. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1616/1/012016.
Attenberg, J., Pandey, S., & Suel, T. (2009). Modeling and Predicting User Behavior in Sponsored Search. ACM SIGKDD Conference, 1067-1076. https://doi.org/10.1145/1557019.1557135.
Lux, M., & Rinderle-Ma, S. (2019). Analyzing User Behavior in Search Process Models. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Process Mining, 182-193. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21297-1_16.