Unlocking Strategic Advantage With Custom Site Search in Ecommerce

What is an Ecommerce Site Search?

An ecommerce site search is a built-in tool that allows users to quickly find products, services, or information within an online store.

By entering keywords or phrases into a search bar, customers can navigate through large inventories and narrow their options to find what they are looking for.

This functionality is essential to improving the user experience, as it saves time and reduces the effort required to find specific items.

Effective site search engines can also drive sales by guiding customers directly to the products they want, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

In essence, a well-implemented site search acts as a bridge between customer intent and the vast array of offerings an ecommerce site can provide.

There Are Two Main Types of Visitors

In ecommerce, visitors generally fall into two distinct categories: browsers and searchers.

Each group interacts with the site in different ways, and the site’s search engine plays a critical role in meeting their needs.

• The Browser: Browsers are visitors who may not have a specific product in mind. They often enjoy exploring different categories, scrolling through various options, and discovering new products. For these users, the ecommerce site search engine enhances their experience by providing relevant suggestions, popular categories, and personalized recommendations based on their browsing history. This allows browsers to easily navigate the site and stumble upon items that might capture their interest, potentially leading to impulse purchases.
• The Searcher: Searchers are typically more focused and intentional in their visits. They have a clear idea of what they want and use the search bar to quickly locate specific products or information. The ecommerce site search engine serves them by delivering precise and accurate results, often with filters and sorting options to further refine their search. For searchers, a fast and reliable search function is crucial, as it directly influences their satisfaction and likelihood of completing a purchase.

A good ecommerce search engine should balance personalization with clear navigation to effectively serve both browsers and searchers.

It should offer tailored recommendations based on user preferences to guide browsers, while providing clear categories that adhere to popular search queries and intuitive navigation to help searchers quickly find specific products.

By combining these features, the search engine can improve the user experience and make it easier for all visitors to find what they need.

Importance of Search In Ecommerce: Numbers Don’t Lie

Site search is a critical element that can make or break an ecommerce site.

When implemented effectively, it not only enhances the user experience, but also drives significant business results.

For example, search users are 7-10 times more likely to convert than regular visitors, and in some categories this number can be even higher.

Up to 30% of visitors rely on search, and when they find relevant results, conversion rates can be up to 50% higher than average. This functionality isn’t just about convenience; it’s a key factor in retaining customers and increasing revenue.

Sites that fail to deliver an effective search experience risk losing up to 68% of potential customers who are unlikely to return after a poor search experience.

In addition, optimizing search capabilities can lead to significant revenue gains, with some companies reporting conversion rate increases of up to 43%.

These statistics make it clear that site search is not just an add-on, but a fundamental driver of ecommerce success.

Do you want to unlock the same benefits in your business?

Get your own custom search engine!

Lessons From Amazon

Amazon has set the gold standard for ecommerce search engines, achieving remarkable effectiveness that far exceeds industry norms.

While the average on-site conversion rate hovers around 3%, Amazon’s conversion rate is five times higher, especially among its Prime members.

This success is largely due to Amazon’s relentless focus on search, with over 1,500 dedicated employees refining and optimizing the search experience.

What does this mean for the average e-commerce manager?

It underscores the critical importance of investing in a robust and user-friendly search engine. Amazon’s success shows that a well-optimized search function can significantly increase conversion rates and convert casual visitors into paying customers.

But you don’t need a team of hundreds of developers to build such a system.

A small team of experienced developers skilled in building high-performance, scalable search engines can deliver impressive results.

By focusing on search accuracy, relevance, and personalization, even smaller online retailers can improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.

Why Does Site Search Matter in Ecommerce?

In 2024, for an online entrepreneur having a good site search isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s absolutely essential.

Site search plays a critical role in shaping the overall experience on your site.

Done right, it can keep customers engaged, drive sales, and provide valuable insights that help you run your business more effectively.

Enhanced User Experience

First and foremost, a well-implemented site search functionality is critical to creating a seamless and efficient user experience on an ecommerce website.

It allows customers to easily navigate large product catalogs and cut through the noise to find exactly what they’re looking for.

Instead of scrolling through endless pages or clicking through multiple categories, users can simply type a keyword into the search bar and receive instant, relevant results.

Modern search engines go beyond providing users with small features to improve the overall user experience.

With features like autocomplete, filters, and relevant suggestions, users spend less time searching and more time buying.

Autocomplete helps guide users to the most relevant search terms, even when they’re not sure exactly what they want.

Filters allow them to refine their search results based on specific criteria, such as price range, brand or color, making it easier to find the perfect item.

This increased efficiency is critical, as 94% of users expect to find products within two minutes of landing on a site.

Increased Conversion Rates

From a business perspective, increasing conversion rates is arguably the most important benefit of effective site search.

The impact of a well-functioning search engine on sales is significant, with search users typically accounting for 40% to 80% of an ecommerce site’s online revenue.

This is because customers who use search are often more intentional shoppers who arrive with a clear idea of what they want. By guiding them quickly and efficiently to the products they’re looking for, a robust search engine helps turn interest into action.

In addition, data shows that conversion rates for users who engage with a site’s search function are up to 50% higher than those who rely solely on browsing.

This significant difference underscores the power of search to drive sales. When customers can easily find exactly what they’re looking for, they’re more likely to complete a purchase.

This means that by optimizing the search experience, ecommerce sites can directly impact their bottom line by converting casual visitors into paying customers at a higher rate.

Personalized Shopping Journey

By 2024, personalization has become a cornerstone of successful ecommerce, and a powerful search engine is key to delivering a tailored shopping experience.

Today’s consumers expect more than just a generic browsing experience; they want interactions that feel personal and relevant to their individual needs.

A well-optimized search function can achieve this by using data such as past purchases, browsing history, and demographic information to deliver personalized search results.

Statistics show the importance of personalization in e-commerce: over 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences, and companies that excel at personalization can see sales increase by up to 15%.

When a search engine can predict what a user is looking for and suggest products that match their preferences, it creates a more engaging and efficient shopping journey.

Online businesses should take advantage of this opportunity and incorporate personalized features into their search engines to further optimize their online operations and revenue potential.

Data-Driven Insights

A robust ecommerce site search engine can also provide valuable data-driven insights that can improve business strategy.

Every time a customer uses the search function, they generate data that can be analyzed to uncover trends, preferences, and potential gaps in your inventory.

These insights are incredibly powerful, giving ecommerce managers a deeper understanding of what their customers want and how they behave on the site.

For example, by analyzing search queries, you can determine which products are most frequently searched for, which terms users commonly use, and whether there are products that customers are looking for but not finding.

This information can guide inventory decisions, helping you stock more of what’s in demand and potentially introduce new products that align with emerging trends. It can also inform marketing strategies, allowing you to tailor promotions and advertising to the products and categories that resonate most with your audience.

In addition, search data can reveal seasonal patterns or shifts in consumer behavior, allowing you to anticipate changes in demand and adjust your offerings accordingly.

For example, if you see a spike in searches for outdoor gear as summer approaches, you can increase inventory and marketing efforts in that category ahead of time.

Improved Product Discovery

Finally, a well-optimized search engine greatly enhances product discovery, helping customers not only find what they’re looking for, but also discover new items they may not have considered.

This aspect of search is critical, especially for large ecommerce sites with extensive inventory, where browsing alone can be overwhelming.

Statistics show that 43% of shoppers go directly to the search bar, bypassing categories and navigation menus. This makes the search bar one of the most important touchpoints for guiding customers through the shopping journey.

For example, if a customer is searching for a specific smartphone, the search engine can also display accessories such as cases, chargers, or screen protectors.

This not only helps customers find everything they need in one place, but also increases the average order value. In fact, searchers often account for up to 40% of total sales on some e-commerce sites, underscoring the importance of effective product discovery in driving sales.

[Read also: How Can Your Business Make Use of Search Engine? Exploring Custom Solutions]

Five Ecommerce Site Search Solutions

When it comes to implementing an effective search function on your ecommerce site, choosing the right solution is critical.

Different platforms offer different capabilities, from basic keyword search to advanced AI-driven personalization, so it’s important to choose one that aligns with your business needs and goals.

The right search solution can be a game changer, improving the user experience, driving conversions and providing valuable insights.

Here are five search solutions and approaches for ecommerce sites, from the more customized to the more streamlined and off-the-shelf:

Custom Stratoflow Solution

Stratoflow‘s custom search engine is designed for organizations that require a highly customized and performance-driven solution that goes far beyond what out-of-the-box search engines can offer.

Unlike out-of-the-box solutions that often force companies to adapt to their limitations, Stratoflow’s custom approach delivers an unparalleled level of customization and software performance, ensuring that the search engine is perfectly tailored to the unique needs and challenges of your business.

Whether you’re dealing with complex data sets, high traffic volumes, or the need for real-time calculations, our custom search engines are built to handle it all with precision and speed.

One of the key benefits of choosing a custom search engine is its ability to scale and perform under the most demanding conditions.

For example, in our work with a travel industry client, we developed a highly scalable search engine capable of real-time price and availability calculations across millions of options

This system was designed with near-linear scalability, meaning it could grow with the client’s business without compromising speed or reliability.

Choosing a custom search engine from Stratoflow means investing in a solution that fits your business like no other product on the market.

It’s built from the ground up to meet your exact needs, ensuring that every aspect of the search experience is optimized for your users and your business goals.

Contact us to discuss your ecommerce search needs

Advantages of Stratoflow’s Custom Search Engine:

• Unmatched Customizability: Tailored to fit the unique needs of your business, with no compromises on features or functionality.
• Superior Software Performance: Engineered for high performance, handling complex queries and large data sets with ease.
• Scalability: Designed to grow with your business, offering near-linear scalability to manage increasing traffic and data without losing speed.
• Real-Time Capabilities: Supports real-time calculations and data processing, perfect for industries like travel where up-to-the-minute accuracy is crucial.
• AI-Driven Personalization: Integrates advanced AI features for delivering personalized search results and recommendations tailored to each user.
• Bespoke Integration: Seamlessly integrates with your existing systems and processes, ensuring a smooth operation without disruption.
• Future-Proof Solution: Built to evolve with your business, ensuring that your search engine remains cutting-edge and relevant as your needs change.

Searchanise

Searchanise is a popular search solution for ecommerce websites, known for its ease of integration and powerful features tailored to improve the user experience and increase conversion rates.

Designed to work seamlessly with major ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento, Searchanise offers a highly customizable search and product discovery experience.

It uses a combination of fast, responsive search capabilities and advanced filtering options to help customers find products quickly and efficiently.

The solution also includes robust analytics, allowing businesses to track search performance and gain insight into customer behavior.

Advantages of Searchanise:

• Easy Integration: Compatible with major ecommerce platforms, allowing for quick and seamless setup.
• Real-Time Search Results: Provides instant, relevant results as users type, reducing search time.
• Advanced Filtering: Helps users refine their searches with various filters, making it easier to find specific products.
• Synonym Recognition: Ensures that customers find relevant products even if they use different terminology.
• Personalized Search Experience: Tailors search results based on individual customer behavior and preferences.

Algolia

Algolia is a powerful and flexible ecommerce site search solution designed for businesses looking for highly customizable and powerful search functionality.

Known for its speed and reliability, Algolia is preferred by companies that require a robust search engine capable of handling large volumes of data and delivering instant, relevant results.

Algolia’s search-as-a-service model allows organizations to tailor the search experience to their specific needs, offering a wide range of functionality from basic keyword searches to complex, multi-faceted filtering.

One of Algolia’s key strengths is its ability to deliver search results in a relatively short period of time, providing users with a seamless and efficient shopping experience.

Advantages of Algolia:

• Fast Search: Delivers search results in milliseconds, enhancing user experience with quick and responsive searches.
• Highly Customizable: Offers extensive APIs and developer tools, allowing businesses to tailor the search experience to their specific needs.
• AI-Powered Relevance: Ensures accurate and relevant search results by considering user intent, product popularity, and personalization.
• Typo Tolerance: Helps users find products even if they make errors in their search queries.
• Advanced Filtering Options: Provides detailed filtering capabilities to help users refine their searches and find exactly what they need.
• Scalable and Reliable: Built to handle large volumes of data and traffic, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Coveo

Coveo is a sophisticated website search box solution designed for organizations that value AI-driven personalization and a comprehensive, unified search experience across multiple platforms.

Coveo excels at delivering highly relevant search results by leveraging machine learning and AI to understand user behavior, preferences, and intent.

This makes it particularly well-suited for ecommerce sites that want to deliver a deeply personalized and intelligent shopping experience.

Coveo integrates seamlessly with a wide range of ecommerce platforms and enterprise systems, making it a versatile choice for companies looking to unify their search capabilities across channels.

Advantages of Coveo:

• AI-Driven Personalization: Offers a highly personalized search experience that adapts to each user’s behavior and preferences.
• Unified Search Experience: Integrates with various platforms and systems, providing a consistent search experience across multiple channels.
• Machine Learning Capabilities: Continuously improves search relevance by learning from user interactions over time.
• Comprehensive Analytics: Provides deep insights into search performance and user behavior, helping businesses optimize their search experience.
• Versatile Integration: Compatible with a wide range of ecommerce platforms and enterprise systems, making it a flexible choice for complex environments.

Yext

Yext is a dynamic website search box solution focused on delivering a rich and structured search experience, especially for companies that value control over their brand information and customer interactions.

Known for its strength in managing structured data, Yext is designed to ensure that users find exactly what they need, whether it’s a specific product, store location, or service information.

Yext’s search solution is particularly beneficial for companies with complex catalogs or those that operate in multiple locations, as it excels at delivering accurate, localized search results.

Advantages of Yext:

• Structured Data Management: Ensures accurate and consistent search results by integrating with Yext’s Knowledge Graph, keeping all information up-to-date.
• Localized Search Box Results: Particularly effective for businesses with multiple locations, offering precise and relevant results based on user location.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enhances search functionality by understanding and processing conversational queries, improving result relevance.
• Comprehensive Analytics: Provides detailed insights into search queries and user behavior, helping businesses refine and optimize their search experience.
• Consistency Across Touchpoints: Ensures that customers receive the same accurate information across all digital platforms, maintaining brand integrity.

[Read also: Hotel Metasearch Engines: Key Examples And Custom Solutions]

Challenges and Good Practices for Ecommerce Search

Introducing a powerful and effective search functionality to an ecommerce site can be a game-changer, but it comes with its own set of challenges.

To help entrepreneurs navigate these challenges, here are four key strategies and insights to consider when developing or selecting a search solution.

Prioritize Software Performance

One of the most critical factors in an ecommerce site’s search box is software performance.

A slow or unresponsive search engine can frustrate users, leading to abandoned searches and lost sales. To ensure optimal performance, focus on selecting a search solution that delivers fast, accurate results even under high-traffic conditions.

One effective way to do this is to use in-memory data grid platforms, which allow data to be stored and processed in memory rather than relying solely on disk-based databases.

These platforms, like the one used in our custom search engine for the travel industry, ensure that large data sets can be accessed and queried quickly, resulting in near-instantaneous search results even under heavy load.

In-memory data grid platforms like Hazelcast also support distributed processing, ensuring that the system can handle millions of searches without delay or downtime.

We also recommend using a search platform that offers caching, load balancing, and other performance-enhancing technologies.

In addition, it is important to regularly test and optimize search algorithms to reduce latency and improve response times.

By prioritizing performance, you can deliver a seamless user experience that keeps customers engaged and increases conversion rates.

Plan for System Scalability

As your ecommerce business grows, so do the demands on your search engine.

A search solution that works well for a small product catalog may struggle under the weight of a much larger inventory or increased traffic, resulting in slower performance and a poorer user experience. Therefore, planning for system scalability from the outset is critical.

One effective approach to achieving scalability is through the use of multi-tenant databases.

Multi-tenant databases allow multiple users or tenants to share a single database while keeping their data separate. This architecture is particularly beneficial for scaling because it enables efficient resource utilization and makes it easier to manage and distribute the load across multiple users or clients.

At Stratoflow, we have demonstrated the power of scalability in our custom search engine solutions.

In one of our projects, we achieved near-linear scalability, meaning that as the load on the system increased, the performance scaled almost proportionally. This was made possible by implementing a distributed architecture that allowed the system to efficiently handle millions of queries.

[Read also: Meta Search Engines: Go-To Guide for 2024]

Leverage AI for Personalization

AI-powered personalization is becoming a standard expectation in e-commerce search.

To stay competitive, it’s essential to leverage AI to deliver personalized search experiences tailored to each user’s preferences and behavior.

Implementing machine learning algorithms that analyze customer data, such as past purchases and browsing history, can help you deliver more relevant search results and product recommendations.

This not only improves the user experience, but also increases the likelihood of conversions.

Experts recommend continuously training and refining your AI models to adapt to changing customer behaviors and preferences to ensure your custom and meta search engine remains responsive and effective.

A powerful example of AI-driven personalization is Recostream, an advanced recommendation engine we developed at Stratoflow.

Recostream uses machine learning algorithms to analyze user interactions in real time, providing personalized product recommendations that adapt to each user’s unique preferences and behaviors.

Focus on User Experience Design

Beyond performance and technology, the design of your search interface plays a significant role in how users interact with your site.

A well-designed search bar should be prominently placed, easy to use, and provide intuitive features like autocomplete and predictive search.

Additionally, consider the mobile experience—ensure that the search functionality is just as effective and user-friendly on smaller screens. Experts suggest conducting user testing to identify any pain points in the search process and iterating on the design based on feedback.

By focusing on user experience, you can create a search interface that not only meets customer expectations but also enhances their overall interaction with your brand.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post!