Making conversions is the bread and butter of any marketing department. One of the best ways to transform browsers into buyers is through the eCommerce search function. Optimizing a site’s search parameters will help your customers find what they’re looking for quickly, greatly improving their shopping experience. With just a few tweaks, on-site searches can become a primary diver of conversions.
#1. Expand Keywords
Most customers begin their online shopping spree already thinking about what they want to purchase. Unfortunately, not every person understands how to use an eCommerce search tool to great effect. Shoppers may have unique ideas on how to describe your products which might not align with the keywords your marketing team has chosen. This can lead your customers down a frustrating rabbit hole that leads them to another site!
Using synonym returns can help your customers get better search results that actually point them toward the products they want. Group synonyms will link common words together in results, such as “ball” suggesting “basketball,” “playground ball” and “bouncy ball” as well. One-way synonyms work on a trigger word such as “tablet” may suggest “iPad,” “Kindle,” and “Galaxy Tab,” but a search for “Kindle” won’t result in other brands popping up.
#2. The Growth of mCommerce
Since the pandemic, eCommerce has grown to become one of the most preferred ways people shop. The trend is based around customers sitting at their home PCs, using a wired internet connection to browse for merchandise. While that was true for some time, mobile phones have risen to replace the home computer in many regards, and shopping online is at the forefront.
Businesses need to reformat their sites to work with the growing mobile-commerce, or mCommerce, marketplace. Complex and in-depth menus are great for larger PC screens, but companies focusing on mobile may wish to shift their primary navigation to the eCommerce search bar instead. Optimizing searches for mobile will also make it easier for customers to shop on your site no matter where they are, making conversions on the road as well as in the home!
#3. Analyze User Data
If you want to convert searches to sales, your best bet is to look at the customer data generated by your on-site search engine. This information provides critical insight into buying habits and searches. Understanding your audience lets you better tailor their experience on your site, a necessary step to building trust and reliability between shoppers and your brand. Some things that you can look at with eCommerce search data include:
- Zero-Result Search: Zero-result searches are ones that lead customers to a virtual dead end, which is not only frustrating but can actually turn shoppers away from your page. Identifying these searches will help you tailor parameters to avoid them in the future.
- Popular (and unpopular) Products: Analysis can help you see which products are being searched for, and which keywords promote products more effectively. This information can also help you make major decisions about which products to manufacture or what you should take off your virtual shelves.
- Finding Conversions: Analytics can also help you spot which searches are resulting in the most sales. Being able to identify how your customers successfully search will help you implement a more effective on-site marketing strategy.
- Search Locations: Knowing what page your customers initiate their search can be vital in tailoring your website to your client base. It also helps to know where in the world your customers are doing their shopping from.
Using reports provided by your eCommerce search engine can show you a lot more information to help you both craft a more effective web page and also plan better customer support and improve product design, too.
#4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
While a robot salesman may be decades into the future, AI is revolutionizing eCommerce and can help make conversions a regular occurrence on your site. These systems can aggregate data from your search engine and other sources, using it to craft personalized journeys through tour virtual marketplace. An AI looks at data from previous purchases and can suggest accessories or additional products that a customer me actually need.
Incorporating AI into searches can also help identify misspellings and other minor mistakes that can trip up a less complex search engine. Using systems designed to facilitate user access is another great step to opening your site to people who would otherwise be barred from entry. Visual and voice searches can be implemented to bring your virtual store to more customers than ever before.
Optimizing for eCommerce Search Success
Customers are the most important aspect of your business. With a sub-par search setup, shoppers are going to spend more time trying to maneuver through your site and less time buying what’s on it. Taking the time to optimize your search engine can have your page converting site scanners into promising patrons in no time!
