Search Engine: Key Component of your eCommerce
According to data from Ebolution 60% of e-commerce businesses lose customers due to not optimizing their search engines.
Las empresas suelen estar siempre en un ciclo de optimización de su eCommerce. Sin embargo, normalmente dejan de lado la búsqueda dentro de sus sitios, que es clave para que los usuarios encuentren exactamente el producto que necesitan.
Cuando los usuarios no encuentran el producto que buscaban en la primera o segunda búsqueda que realizan, abandonan el sitio. De tal forma que una mala experiencia de búsqueda puede hacerte perder clientes potenciales.
Normalmente los negocios digitales usan el buscador interno que tienen sus plataformas de eCommerce. Lo cual es un buen inicio para abrir tu comercio electrónico. Sin embargo, estos buscadores al ser soluciones no especializadas, tienen varias limitaciones que pueden afectar a la experiencia que le entregas a tus clientes.
Por lo que es importante que las empresas busquen nuevas tecnologías que les ayuden a mejorar la experiencia de búsqueda de sus clientes.
What is a search engine and why is it important in your e-commerce?
A search engine is the tool that allows your customers to search for products within your online store.
As mentioned in the introduction, e-commerce leaders usually work on various aspects of their e-commerce before considering the search engine. They redesign the site interface, seek to expand payment methods, streamline shipping processes, and improve site security. However, it seems that optimizing search results is never considered in their list of improvements for their e-commerce.
However, what the data tells us is that search is one of the most important parts of an e-commerce and should be a priority for any digital business.
To understand why the search engine is so important in your e-commerce, we just need to look at the following statistics:
43% of users immediately use the search bar when entering an e-commerce site.
Users who use the search bar are 2.4 times more likely to make a purchase.
Therefore, we can conclude that by improving the search experience in your e-commerce, you can increase sales.
Search engines in e-commerce platforms
The default search engines in e-commerce platforms often provide a limited experience for your customers.
The reality is that it is very challenging for a platform provider to offer all the necessary tools to deliver an exceptional user experience to your customers. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for e-commerce specialists to explore new technologies that could enhance the performance of their online stores.
Here are some of the issues commonly observed in most search engines within e-commerce platforms.
They don´t recognize spelling mistakes
Most default search engines in e-commerce platforms don't understand when a user makes a spelling mistake and instead return a page with no results. This can be frustrating for your customers.
A good search engine would recognize that the user made a typo when entering the search words and would display results based on what they intended to write.
They don´t recognize synonyms
Sometimes a user may use uncommon words in their search. For example, instead of searching for "shoes," they use the word "sneakers." A regular search engine would look for the word "sneakers" in the product catalog and, not finding an exact match, return a search with no results.
Your e-commerce search engine should understand that "sneakers" and "shoes" are synonyms, so it could bring back results of products registered under the name "shoes."
They don't show search options
Sometimes the user is not sure which words to enter to perform a search that will show products related to their interests. If a user is looking for a television, they might make more specific searches like "smart TV 40 inches" instead of just searching for "television."
Therefore, it is important for the search engine to display various search options to help customers find the best products for them.
They don't allow customizing the ranking of results
Let's say you want to promote a specific product within your e-commerce store. A good search engine would allow you to decide which products you want to show first to customers in certain search terms.
For example, if you want to promote a new blue running shoe in your online store, you could configure your search so that when a customer searches for "shoes," this new product appears first in the results.
Or suppose you want to prioritize products that generate higher profit margins for your company.
Imagine the following scenario: you have a lipstick in your online store that you know brings in better profits than any other similar product. A high-tech search engine would allow you to show this product first when someone searches for "lipstick."
They don't personalize the results
To make a sale, you need to show the right product to the right customer. This can be a significant challenge if the search engine is not intelligent enough.
Today, there are several search technologies on the market that, through artificial intelligence algorithms, can understand which products are more likely to be purchased by specific users.
These algorithms analyze users' past behavior, such as searches, purchase history, demographics, and personal information, to then show each customer the products most relevant to their interests.
A high-tech search engine is capable of analyzing the behavior of your users and showing each one products that are more relevant to their own interests.
When you show each customer the best products for them, you increase your conversion rate to sales.
Benefits of improving your e-commerce search
In addition to providing a better experience for your customers, a good search engine helps improve key metrics for your online store.
Reduces bounce rate
It's frustrating for users to perform a search and find that the system either returns no results or shows results that have nothing to do with what they were originally looking for. This often leads many users to abandon your site when they can't find what they were searching for.
By improving the search function in your e-commerce, your customers will stay on the site longer, have more interaction with your brand, and form a positive perception of your company.
Increases the use of the search engine
When users find exactly the products they were looking for, they will continue to use the search engine consistently.
Boasts sales
When customers quickly and easily find exactly what they are looking for, there is a higher probability that they will complete their purchase process.
How can I improve the search engine of my e-commerce?
The quickest and easiest way to improve the search engine of your online store is to use the technology provided by a specialized search provider.
There are several search engine options available in the market, such as Doofinder, Addsearch, or Celebros. However, at Gluo, we believe that the best search engine for online stores is Algolia.
What sets Algolia apart from other search engines is its focus on delivering a better user experience to your customers. Unlike other search engines, Algolia is capable of understanding when a user makes a spelling mistake, detecting synonyms in search terms, providing instant search results in milliseconds, and predicting what the user wants to type to display search options.
If you are currently looking to improve the search experience of your e-commerce, at Gluo, we can assist you in selecting the best technologies available in the market and help you implement them.
