Convenient and efficient search on your online store website

The effectiveness of an online store website is not only about selling, but also about gathering information that will help you to better advertise and promote your products. In addition, the site should be as convenient as possible for the potential buyer. One of the most important components of the work of the online resource and the comfort of its visitors is the correct setting of the search. Specialists from Arabesco sideral unipessoal lda told us about the important points to consider when organising a search on the site.

People who come to an online shop usually already know what they want to buy. Therefore, they do not want to spend time browsing through the entire product range and want to find the product they want in a few clicks.

The proportion of site visitors using search varies by product niche. In the fashion category, for example, it is around 5-10%. At the same time, on sites selling home appliances, electronics and books, the proportion of those using search can be as high as 50%.

It is important to understand that a person using the search box is specifically looking for a product. Your website must find it. Otherwise, a potential or real customer will leave. They may even forget about your site forever. If the search works correctly and effectively, the likelihood of a purchase will increase significantly.

What to search for

1. A website visitor should be able to find the search box easily. A person does not want to have to scroll several times to find the field to enter their query. Put it in a prominent place. This is usually at the top of the page - in the header of the page, next to the menu.

2. The search box should be large enough to fit the query. You may want to specify that the search box appears or enlarges when clicked. You can also set the cursor to go straight to the beginning of the search box when you click on it. Make the button that needs to be clicked to start the search visible. Don't forget to give the visitor the option of starting the search by pressing the Enter key.

3. To make the search work effectively, it is necessary to study the behaviour of visitors to the site. To do this, use analytics tools, in particular Google Analytics and Google Search Console. You will be able to analyse queries and understand what information a person enters in the search box: brand name, product type, item, features, etc. This data is essential for search optimisation.

4. Use hints and automatic additions. The visitor starts typing the name of the product and is immediately offered several options or categories in the drop-down window. A picture, price and brief information about important features can be added to the names. Clicking on the tooltip takes the user directly to the page with the products they are interested in. If a customer has already visited your store and searched for something, use this information: by clicking on the search bar, they can see previous searches, recently viewed products and personalised recommendations. You can also use the tips to promote individual products by placing them at the top of the search results.

5. Allow the user to make a purchase directly from the drop-down tooltips. This will shorten the customer's path to the desired product and save them time.

6. On the full search results page, offer sorting by popularity, price and specific features. In addition, teach your search to take into account the personal information the user has previously entered. For example, it could be a shoe or clothing size, car brand, smartphone or watch brand. When a user searches for something in these categories, you want the items that match these characteristics to appear above the rest on the search results page.

7. Consider free-form queries where the user does not clearly specify the product name and characteristics. Add these words to the product cards so that the customer can find them in free-form searches. Your search should also understand slang words, abbreviations, acronyms, queries with errors and typos.

8. Include the ability to search by item or model. For example, such a search will be effective on a pharmacy or car parts site.

Analyse search queries: the information you can get

Be sure to analyse search data because it can give you important information about your customers and their behaviour on your site:

• Gender, age, marital status;

• Income level;

• Individual information such as clothing or shoe size, car or pet ownership;

• What products people search for most often;

• What phrases and words are used in searches;

• Which products sell better

• What products people wanted to find but were not on the site.

By analysing search queries, you can adjust marketing strategies, create special and personalised offers and offer the most popular products. The quality of the search has a significant impact on the conversion rate, so it is worth paying special attention to it.

Arabesco sideral helps you to analyse and evaluate the usability of your website for customers. Our company has developed and successfully applied its own methodology for the effective management of customer and product data. Careful systematisation and segmentation saves time and resources, increasing sales and customer loyalty. Our mission is to grow business in Portugal with modern and advanced solutions. It is based on a specific system of values in which the customer and the quality of service always come first.