{"id":22857,"date":"2023-12-28T10:33:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T23:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/library\/what-does-personalization-mean-in-ecommerce-search"},"modified":"2024-09-17T10:18:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T10:18:13","slug":"what-does-personalization-mean-in-e-commerce-search","status":"publish","type":"library","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/what-does-personalization-mean-in-e-commerce-search","title":{"rendered":"What Does Personalization Mean in Ecommerce Search?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Too many brands are taking their ecommerce site search for granted. After all, in 2022, there were a total of 268 million digital shoppers<\/u><\/a> in the US alone, and many of those shoppers will turn to your site\u2019s search bar first. These days, it\u2019s not even enough to serve up relevant search results (a bar that many brands still can\u2019t meet, no pun intended) \u2014 customers want personalized<\/em> results tailored to their preferences.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s easier said than done. In this piece, we\u2019ll explain why personalized search<\/a> results matter, as well as how to implement personalized search for your site.<\/p>\n

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

First, let\u2019s back up a bit and explain what ecommerce search is in the first place. There\u2019s more to search than just having a search box on your website. Just like how typical web content search engines (such as Google search) will surface relevant results for your query, ecommerce site search bars<\/u><\/a> are all about findability and how quickly you can get customers to the products and services they\u2019re looking for to increase revenue.<\/p>\n

However, not all search engines are created equal<\/u><\/a>. Does your search engine return irrelevant results? Or worse, no results when there isn\u2019t an exact match?<\/p>\n

With thousands (or even millions) of products in your catalog, your ecommerce search needs to have sophisticated algorithms, huge amounts of data, and a cloud-based infrastructure. Above all, it needs these capabilities working in sync to personalize the experience for your customers.<\/p>\n

Why Does Personalized Search Matter?<\/h2>\n

You may be wondering whether adding personalization to your site\u2019s search engine is worth the time and effort. The short answer is: absolutely!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because ultimately, your goal for your business is to drive revenue, and personalized search<\/u><\/a> is a great way to accomplish that. Here are some of the key benefits you get by adding personalized search to your site.<\/p>\n

\"Boost<\/p>\n

An Improved User Experience<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve ever had a bad site search experience \u2014 and really, who hasn\u2019t<\/em>? \u2014 then you\u2019ll know how frustrating it can be to see irrelevant (or zero) search results.<\/p>\n

And that frustration can lead to customers leaving your site. 69% of consumers<\/u><\/a> listed not having enough information or details about a product was enough to cause them to leave a site. Now imagine how many more people will leave if you aren\u2019t personalizing search results.<\/p>\n

People come to your site to find something, which means helping them discover the exact products or services they\u2019re looking for should be your top priority. Personalized search results, in combination with a great product taxonomy<\/u><\/a>, will help you deliver a site experience that\u2019s easy to navigate.<\/p>\n

Higher Customer Engagement<\/h3>\n

Customer retention is a challenge many businesses face, especially with readily accessible competition online. But customers aren\u2019t simply leaving your site for no reason \u2014 they want to feel like your business understands them and their needs. This is when you can use the power of zero- and first-party data<\/u><\/a>, in combination with a customer\u2019s past searches and purchases, to personalize search results for them.<\/p>\n

For instance, if a customer consistently searches for oat milk, you can infer that they might not prefer dairy in milk products. When they search for other products that may contain dairy, you can use search personalization to show non-dairy alternatives first. The customer will be more likely to purchase products that are relevant, and will also feel heard and understood.<\/p>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

By delivering personalized product recommendations<\/u><\/a>, you\u2019ll inspire more site visits, build more brand loyalty, and get more customer interaction with your brand.<\/p>\n

More Revenue<\/h3>\n

If you show results that your customers are actually interested in, it stands to reason that they\u2019ll be more likely to purchase those products. But it goes beyond purchasing what they were searching for.<\/p>\n

With search result personalization in place, you\u2019ll also get the opportunity to spotlight relevant cross-sell and upsell products that can greatly boost revenue and average order value (AOV). For example, if you know a customer prefers digital watches over analog ones, you can surface your own branded digital watches first to encourage them to purchase high-margin items<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the right product discovery tool<\/u><\/a> in place, you can also implement personalized search on your site more easily and effectively, leading to faster ROI<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

How To Add Personalization to Your Search Results<\/h2>\n

Of course, it\u2019s one thing to know what the benefits of personalized search are, but it\u2019s a whole other story when it comes to implementing it. Here\u2019s what you need to know to get started:<\/p>\n

Prioritize Semantic Search<\/h3>\n

Personalized search isn\u2019t possible without first understanding a customer\u2019s search intent. That\u2019s where semantic search<\/u><\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n

Semantic search is a data-searching technique that combines machine learning (ML) and natural language processing<\/u><\/a>\u00a0(NLP) to break down all the parts of a search query and apply context, user intent, and more to serve up accurate results<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

If someone searches for \u201cchocolate milk,\u201d they\u2019re looking for something different than \u201cmilk chocolate.\u201d However, a conventional ecommerce search engine will serve results from both products with the same query. That\u2019s because it simply matches the keywords \u201cchocolate\u201d and \u201cmilk\u201d to various products and shows everything that contains those keywords, without accounting for word order or context.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why semantic search is so important to personalized search \u2014 with a search algorithm that understands customer intent, you can deliver greater search relevance<\/u><\/a>, which will in turn boost conversions and revenue.<\/p>\n

Use Your Search Data<\/h3>\n

Even with something as powerful as semantic search in place, you\u2019ll still need to do some more tweaking to ensure your search results are optimized for both the customer experience and your business goals.<\/p>\n

The good news is, if you already have a search engine in place, you likely have a treasure trove of valuable search data<\/u><\/a> you can use.<\/p>\n

By looking at a user\u2019s search query (along with their past search history), you can refine the way your search works. Say you have a \u201cwomen\u2019s dresses\u201d category on your site, and the top search within that category is \u201ccocktail dress,\u201d then you can try bumping up that specific style in search results to see if it\u2019ll positively affect conversions.<\/p>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

Your search history data is a great way to inform and bolster your search personalization strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do More With Self-learning AI<\/h3>\n

While semantic search also falls under self-learning AI<\/u><\/a>, you can do even more with this technology. One of the problems with keyword-based search engines is null results \u2014 if a search query doesn\u2019t exactly match what\u2019s in the system, then nothing shows up. This results in a poor customer experience and can easily lead to a site exit.<\/p>\n

With self-learning AI, you can have your search results automatically account for synonyms and typos. Let\u2019s say someone\u2019s searching for a \u201cturquoise cushion,\u201d but you don\u2019t have anything with \u201cturquoise\u201d in the product description. AI can learn over time that \u201cteal\u201d and \u201caqua\u201d are synonyms for \u201cturquoise,\u201d and then, your search engine pulls up the appropriate products to match.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You can also use self-learning AI for recommendations<\/u><\/a> on product pages, category pages, or even within the shopping cart, so you never miss an opportunity to boost AOV.<\/p>\n

Let Merchandisers Focus on the Most Important Tasks<\/h3>\n

Merchandisers bring a crucial human touch to improve personalized search<\/a> and make the site experience really resonate with searching users, but they\u2019re often responsible for wearing too many hats in their department. Once you\u2019ve automated your search with AI and smart product discovery technology, you can give your merchandisers the time to focus on the 20% of tasks that require their undivided attention<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a closer look at the 20% of tasks your merchandisers should be concentrating on:<\/p>\n