If there is one thing that can be improved upon in most ecommerce sites, it’s their internal search functionality. Too often, it’s an afterthought. Having an effective, easy to use search function is a fantastic way to increase your conversions and lower your bounce rates. When a user visits your site, they want to be able to find a specific type of product instantly. The longer it takes them to find it, the more likely they are to leave your website and get what they wanted somewhere else. With that in mind here are 3 ways to improve your ecommerce site’s search function.
1: Search Filtering
Ecommerce stores can often have thousands of results for broad user searches. A huge amount of matching results can make finding the right product a chore for the user, resulting in them leaving your site and checking elsewhere. An example of a site that uses filters well is ASOS.com. I typed in a very broad phrase, “trousers”, into their search bar. They had over 3,000 matching results, but if you look at the image below you will see that they give users the option to refine the results until they are left with what they were truly looking for.
2: Display Reviews
Reviews shouldn’t just be left to the product page itself. Displaying the reviews of previous customers in your onsite search results can help users quickly determine which product to choose. Making the decision process simpler and quicker can lead to a large increase in sales. An example of someone using reviews well in their search results is Amazon.co.uk, you can see all of their products have a rating between one and five stars and it also tells you how many people have reviewed the product to help build trust in the stars themselves. Below is an example search on Amazon for lava lamps.
3: Allow Users To Sort Search Results
Different users have different preferences and you should cater to those preferences by allowing users to sort the search results. Some people may want to see the newest products or the cheapest products first to help them make a decision. Once again using our lava lamp search on Amazon.co.uk, they give users several choices for how they would like to sort their search results. This is a very handy feature for the end user, however giving too many sorting options can be a hinderance, avoid having more than a handful of options.
If you have an ecommerce site or you are thinking about creating one remember, the importance of your website’s internal search function. Allowing users to filter their searches, including reviews with your search results and allowing users to sort their search results are all incredibly useful features that add value to your website and can help drive more conversions. If you are unable to make these changes then contact us today to book your ecommerce web design consultation.