Each year, ecommerce brands invest time and resources in trying and testing different strategies to increase everything from conversion rates to customer loyalty. However, it’s increasingly challenging to make meaningful headway in these key results.
That’s because today’s shoppers crave a highly personalized shopping experience tailored to their preferences, especially during the product discovery phase, which is often their first impression of your brand.
Imagine this: A shopper searches for “XXL t-shirt,” but the results show models wearing standard sizes — or worse, the product isn’t even available in XXL.
Or, they search for “black sectional sofa,” only to see a mix of random sofas, many in the wrong color, sorted in the same generic order as every other search.
This can lead to frustration.
Now, imagine a better experience.
Shoppers searching for “XXL t-shirt” see their results tailored to their needs — with products like XXL graphic t-shirts or XXL hoodies — because the search bar understands size relevance and similar product categories. A customer searching “black sectional sofa” isn’t met with options that don’t make sense. Instead, they see black sectional sofas first because AI understands search intent and ranks the most relevant products first based on attributes like color and product type.
This is what intelligent product discovery delivers, turning search, categories, and recommendations into an intuitive experience that builds trust with every interaction.
In this guide, we’ll show you how top-notch product discovery lays the foundation for long-term customer loyalty.
The Loyalty-Discovery Connection
First impressions in commerce matter. Within seconds, customers decide whether to stay engaged with your brand or move on.
A smooth, personalized experience at this stage builds trust, making customers more likely to return to your business — whether they’re shopping on your site, browsing a mobile app, or engaging with your brand elsewhere.
For example, imagine a customer visiting your online store for the first time. They go to the “Running Shoes” category. They click on a Nike shoe, browse more Nike products, or even apply a Nike filter.
Your product discovery software picks up on this preference and dynamically adjusts their experience across touchpoints:
- When they search for “black running shoes,” Nike products appear first
- As they browse sports gear, Nike backpacks and apparel take priority
- If they later search for athletic wear, Nike options surface alongside other relevant brands
By recognizing intent and refining product discovery across search, browsing, and recommendations, your brand creates a cohesive experience that fosters loyalty from the very first interaction.
Anticipate Customer Needs To Deliver a Personalized Experience
To deliver a personalized experience, you need to understand what your customers want — even before they ask.
But how can you do this, especially during the discovery phase when you have little data to work with?
- Interpret customer intent: AI can easily understand what customers are searching for, even if their search isn’t specific. For instance, a search for “hiking boots” signals that the customer might be planning an outdoor adventure. AI can prioritize durable, lightweight boots while also suggesting complementary products like waterproof jackets or trekking poles.
- Analyze clicks and patterns: AI tracks what customers click on, how they navigate your site, and their browsing behavior to identify their interests and preferences.
- Leverage multiple affinities: AI doesn’t rely on just one factor (like brand preference or color). Instead, it learns from multiple affinities (price range, style, categories, etc.) collected from catalog and session data.
Think of every interaction as a clue:
- If a customer searches for “winter coats,” AI sees this as a signal of seasonal intent and may recommend matching accessories like gloves or scarves
- If they’ve clicked on specific styles or colors, AI adjusts the recommendations to prioritize these preferences in future searches
- If a customer frequently clicks on products from the same brand, AI highlights more items from that brand
Creating Emotional Connections Through Product Discovery
The discovery phase is more than just helping customers find what they need — it’s about making them feel seen. Customers expect more than just a transaction; they want a relationship with brands that recognize their tastes, anticipate their needs, and reflect their preferences back to them.
When product discovery is done right, it feels like a conversation rather than a search query. It’s a thoughtful curation that signals, We know what you like, and we’re here to help you find more of it.
This two-way dynamic — where customers engage and brands respond in a way that feels personal — builds trust. When customers feel understood at this level, casual shoppers become loyal customers and return to your brand for the experience of being recognized.
Sur La Table Connects With Its Customers Using Product Discovery
Sur La Table, a big US cookware brand, faced challenges with its site search bar and merchandising capabilities, making it difficult to provide a personalized shopping experience to its loyal customers.
Its previous search and recommendation system relied on out-of-the-box solutions that lacked customization and transparency, often failing to surface relevant products.
This led to inefficiencies and missed opportunities, as the team couldn’t easily fine-tune merchandising strategies or create a personalized product discovery experience that matched the brand’s reputation in the market.
With Bloomreach’s Loomi AI, Sur La Table transformed its approach to search and merchandising and experienced:
- Smarter search results: Using natural language processing and AI-powered ranking, the search engine better understood customer intent and delivered more relevant and personalized results
- Streamlined merchandising workflows: The team automated promotions, created strategic redirects, and improved category navigation to reduce manual workload and improve efficiency
- Enhanced product recommendations: Sur La Table implemented “Similar Items” and “You May Also Like” widgets that helped customers discover relevant products and increased basket size
Invest in AI-Powered Personalization To Improve Customer Loyalty
Shoppers expect brands to understand their needs, anticipate their preferences, and create experiences that feel effortless.
Done right, personalization in the product discovery experience can cut customer acquisition costs by 50% and drive higher conversion, retention, and advocacy.
With Bloomreach Discovery, you can turn every search, recommendation, and shopping journey into an opportunity to build loyalty and increase revenue with the perfect mix of AI and merchandiser intuition. Get started with our brand-new playbook — all about customer loyalty.
