{"id":22631,"date":"2024-01-03T13:27:15","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T21:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/library\/how-to-compare-all-the-ecommerce-site-search-solutions-on-the-market"},"modified":"2024-11-12T15:54:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T15:54:38","slug":"evaluating-the-best-e-commerce-site-search-solutions","status":"publish","type":"library","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/evaluating-the-best-e-commerce-site-search-solutions","title":{"rendered":"How To Compare All the Ecommerce Site Search Solutions on the Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only 10% of US online adults disagree that they rely on the search function on a retailer or brand website to find the product or type of product they want to buy, according to Forrester<\/u><\/a>. But if so many customers rely on site search<\/u><\/a>, why do brands continue to fall short? <\/p>\n

In many cases, the issue stems from a lack of investment in a site search tool. Companies often focus on other ecommerce priorities, like digital marketing, fulfillment and shipping, and data storage and improvements \u2014 all of which are undoubtedly important. Unfortunately, as a result, shoppers are left feeling frustrated by irrelevant search results and a lack of understanding of their needs.<\/p>\n

\"Ecommerce<\/p>\n

To bridge the gap between a mere visit and a successful purchase on your ecommerce website, businesses must prioritize an intelligent site search solution. But doing so is no easy task and often requires the help of a trusted search vendor<\/u><\/a> to assist your team with the multitude of facets that make up ecommerce search, like optimizing search relevance<\/a>, for example. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at how to choose the best site search solution that maximizes your online sales and provides a rich and satisfying customer experience.<\/p>\n

What Is Site Search in Ecommerce? <\/h2>\n

Site search in ecommerce refers to the functionality that allows customers to search for specific products, services, or information in an online store. It involves a search bar where users can type in keywords or phrases related to their query with the hopes of getting relevant, personalized results.<\/p>\n

A well-designed site search feature is crucial for ecommerce businesses. It helps customers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily \u2014 and even find additional purchases \u2014 with features such as autocomplete, synonym recognition, faceted search, and recall and ranking algorithms. <\/p>\n

To do all this effectively, site search also needs to use AI, like natural language processing (NLP)<\/u><\/a>, to enable the search engine to understand complex phrases or conversational<\/a> language. Then, it should use machine learning to digest these learnings over time. A combination of all of the above will lead to increased conversion rates, revenue per visitor (RPV), and average order value (AOV). <\/p>\n

Why Is It Important To Choose the Right Ecommerce Search Engine? <\/h2>\n

Choosing the right ecommerce search engine is crucial for the success of your business, as we\u2019ve seen from the many cautionary tales of businesses failing to adopt any sort of ecommerce strategy<\/a> and closing their doors as a result. Luckily, site search continues to be one of the most important, low-hanging fruit investments you can make when it comes to ecommerce technology. <\/p>\n

And research shows that customers are still feeling underwhelmed by the majority of ecommerce search experiences<\/a>. According to the Baymard Institute<\/u><\/a>, 42% of site search is still performing below standard. That\u2019s because the site search tools (or lack thereof) beneath the search bar are inflexible, too manual, or have questionable AI. <\/p>\n

\"Statistic<\/p>\n

Since site search directly impacts the user experience and helps customers quickly locate relevant products<\/a> or services, you\u2019ll need an ecommerce search engine<\/u><\/a> that can analyze search data and trends to identify valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. Aside from customer data, it should also help you identify popular products, emerging demands, and potential gaps in product offerings. This information enables businesses to further optimize search, product and category pages, and product recommendations to better cater to their target customers. <\/p>\n

The Challenges of Ecommerce Search <\/h2>\n

Ecommerce site search faces challenges that can impact the shopping experience and, in turn, a business\u2019s success. More often than not, these obstacles include irrelevant results, manual processes for merchandisers, a lack of customization for businesses, and the absence of context in search queries. Even if you\u2019ve run into one (or all) of these obstacles already, we\u2019ve set aside some time to explore their intricacies before delving into what you should be looking for in a solution. <\/p>\n

Irrelevant Results <\/h3>\n

Nothing is worse than feeling misunderstood, and irrelevant results will make your customers feel just that. When customers encounter irrelevant search results, it signals a deeper issue \u2014 a disconnect between what the customer is looking for and what the brand perceives they’re seeking. It’s not just about a single frustrating shopping experience<\/u><\/a>; it’s symptomatic of a broader misalignment that could be permeating through your entire online strategy. This can lead to a ripple effect of negative impacts, from reduced site engagement and lower conversion rates to a decline in repeat visits.<\/p>\n

Moreover, these frustrations aren’t isolated incidents. They can quickly become conversations in broader social circles, saying that your brand fails to provide relevant search results. In the digital age, word-of-mouth travels fast, and a few negative experiences can rapidly snowball into a widespread perception of your brand as being difficult to navigate or out of touch with customer needs. Such reputational damage can be far-reaching and long-lasting, making it even harder to win over hesitant prospects or win back dissatisfied customers.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Too Manual<\/h3>\n

With the popularity of AI<\/u><\/a> spreading like wildfire, more and more companies are looking into different aspects of their business processes to see what they can automate. Site search is no exception. Although it\u2019s not often discussed, a highly manual ecommerce search engine can cause significant challenges for both your merchandisers and your customers<\/em>. <\/p>\n

First, search engines that lack advanced features lead to customers sifting through a long list of search results or product category pages to find exactly what they\u2019re seeking, which only causes frustration with your brand. For merchandisers, it creates unnecessary workloads, where they\u2019re boosting or burying products, creating synonyms, or optimizing product grids when they could be focusing on more strategic tasks to move the needle on your business.<\/p>\n

Not Tailored to Your Business<\/h3>\n

When investing in any technology solution, most businesses are (reasonably) worried that the solution won\u2019t understand their business the same way their most trusted team members do. In other words, an ecommerce search solution that\u2019s not tailored to a specific business may fail to address the unique needs of a particular company, industry \u2014 grocers<\/u><\/a> have different needs than B2B distributors, for example \u2014 or business use cases. <\/p>\n

A generic search engine might lack the necessary features and customization options to effectively showcase products or services, which will lead to suboptimal search results, lower conversion rates, and less return on investment (ROI). But the harm goes beyond just disappointing metrics. Again, a search engine<\/a> devoid of customization and sophistication can also create a frustrating user experience that reflects poorly on your brand. This negative user experience can erode customer trust and loyalty, making it more difficult to retain existing customers and attract new ones. <\/p>\n

\"Frustrated<\/p>\n

No Context <\/h3>\n

Although we wish that search queries held the same context as human-to-human conversations (and maybe, with the rise of technologies like ChatGPT<\/u><\/a>, they\u2019ll get there eventually), there can still be a lack of understanding between what a shopper types into a search engine and the search results returned to the user. When a search engine lacks contextual understanding, it can\u2019t provide the most appropriate product recommendations, resulting in customers having to spend more time and effort sifting through unrelated items. <\/p>\n

Those looking to invest in their ecommerce site search initiative should look for a solution that accounts for factors such as a shopper\u2019s demographic information, behavioral data, and transactional data. For example, if a customer searches for a \u201cdenim jacket,\u201d your search engine should use data points \u2014 like age, gender, location, add to carts, and past purchases \u2014 to suggest products best suited for them with the end goal of boosting RPV and AOV.<\/p>\n

The Capabilities Your Site Search Solution Needs<\/h2>\n

To ensure that your ecommerce site search investment is up to modern standards, there are several key capabilities that it should have. In this section, we\u2019ll explore these essential components and why they\u2019re integral to the success of your online store, in both the short and long term.<\/p>\n

Algorithms Optimized for Revenue <\/h3>\n

Your ecommerce site search needs algorithms optimized for revenue generation. These algorithms should be designed to display the most relevant and high-converting products in response to a shopper\u2019s query. By prioritizing products that speak to your customer\u2019s needs at that given moment, you can ensure that your site search maximizes your revenue potential and increases those all-too-important ecommerce metrics like RPV, AOV, and ROI. Not to mention, these algorithms should be able to adapt and learn from customer behavior, continuously improving their performance over time.<\/p>\n

\"Ecommerce<\/p>\n

Personalization Capabilities <\/h3>\n

Personalization is a subject that\u2019s been discussed so much over the past decade that it\u2019s likely lost its meaning for some. Despite your feelings around the word, personalization is crucial to any site search engine<\/u><\/a>. It all comes back to the issue of \u201cno context\u201d \u2014 if your site search engine doesn\u2019t have important context regarding your different audience segments (e.g., gender, location, or transactional data), your site search bar can\u2019t make the proper recommendations based on their queries. As a result, your business can\u2019t target them properly, decreasing the likelihood of a conversion and future customer loyalty.<\/p>\n

Semantic Understanding <\/h3>\n

Strong semantic understanding<\/u><\/a> is another important site search solution capability. Simply put, your site search should comprehend and interpret the true intent behind a user’s search query, even if it includes synonyms, misspellings, or colloquial language. AI, like NLP, can help separate products from attributes, such as color, size, or brand name, to dissect their meaning. By accurately understanding the meaning behind each search query (instead of keyword matching), your site search can provide more accurate results, reducing the likelihood of customers leaving due to frustration with the product discovery process.<\/p>\n

Synonym Library<\/h3>\n

Any worthy search solution should have a comprehensive synonym library, which allows your search bar to recognize and understand synonyms, alternative terms, and even industry- or location-specific jargon that shoppers might use while searching for products or other information on your website. By associating related terms with one another, your search engine won\u2019t be limited by terminology. So, if a customer is looking for slacks but types \u201ctrousers\u201d into the search bar, your synonym library is populated correctly and can return relevant results.<\/p>\n

\"Search<\/p>\n

Drag-and-Drop Visual Editor<\/h3>\n

Making changes without IT? It\u2019s not wishful thinking \u2014 so long as the ecommerce site search solution you evaluate has a drag-and-drop visual editor. Even though it seems like a standard feature, don\u2019t downplay its importance. An easy-to-use interface can help merchandising teams<\/u><\/a> more easily customize and configure your search results and category pages without any extensive coding knowledge. It can also ensure that your product discovery strategy aligns with your brand’s strategic focuses, all while encouraging your customers to explore your website further.<\/p>\n

Actionable Analytics Dashboard<\/h3>\n

Finally, your site search solution should include an actionable analytics dashboard that provides valuable insights into search behavior and trends. This search analytics dashboard should offer data on popular search terms, search result click-through rates<\/a>, and user engagement with search features (i.e., filters and sorting options). By analyzing this data, you can identify areas for improvement in your site search strategy and capitalize on the positive traction you\u2019re seeing. While a data dashboard seems customary, you need a dashboard that\u2019s built to empower your team and improve customer experiences and relationships. <\/p>\n

The Types of Site Search Solutions Available <\/h2>\n

Navigating the diverse landscape of ecommerce site search solutions<\/u><\/a> can be daunting, especially when trying to identify the most suitable option for your brand’s specific requirements and objectives. To help you make a well-informed decision, we\u2019ll take a look at the two categories of solutions available on the market today. <\/p>\n

\"OOTB<\/p>\n

Out-of-the-Box Search Solutions <\/h3>\n

Out-of-the-box (OOTB) search solutions provide businesses with a foundation for implementing search functionality on their ecommerce websites. These solutions \u2014 like Solr, Elasticsearch, Salesforce Einstein, and Google Retail Search \u2014 offer a range of features and can be customized to varying degrees, depending on the specific requirements of each business. <\/p>\n

However, one of the main challenges with OOTB search solutions<\/u><\/a> is the level of technical expertise and resources required for customization, maintenance, and scaling. While these solutions offer flexibility, they often demand a dedicated team of developers to ensure smooth integration, updates, and continuous optimization. Bloomreach estimates that most companies spend around 30 months building foundational capabilities (i.e., synonyms, filters\/facets, intent, ranking, etc.) within an OOTB solution. This can lead to increased costs for your company and \u2014 even worse \u2014 slow ROI, which may not be suitable for smaller businesses or ones seeking rapid results.<\/p>\n

Before selecting an OOTB search solution, businesses should carefully consider their unique requirements for ecommerce search<\/a>, as well as their available resources and long-term goals. Ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n