The golden rule of e-commerce: first, get found – more specifically, get your store found, such as in a Google search. And the second is: let customers find your products, that is, first of all, optimize the store so that everything in it is user-friendly. In this article, I will focus on the essence of a search engine in an online store. Despite being such a common and indeed necessary element, it is often neglected and underestimated by online store owners. And that’s a shame! Read on to learn why you need to fine-tune your web store search engine. I also provide a checklist with which you can check that everything works as it should. You are invited!
Why should you optimize your online store’s search engine?
If you have a large store with hundreds of products, even if it is very intuitively structured and has a logical product structure – without a good search engine, you may have many problems. First of all, related to low conversion. There are estimates that say that 30% of online store users, use product search engines. That’s why you should optimize your search engine and give yourself a chance to generate more sales.
Efficient store search engine – checklist for e-commerce
- Does the home page include a visible search box? (should be located at the top of the site, on the right side)
- Does the search box contain a magnifying glass symbol – suggestive to users?
- Is the search field sufficient to accommodate typical queries? (standard should be 27 characters)
- Does the search box give results both when the mouse is clicked and when the Enter key is selected?
- Does the search have an autocomplete option?
- Does the search engine support automatic spell checking, as well as plural and synonym searches?
- Does the search engine suggest searching by categories and products?
- Are the search results clear to read – ranked, useful in terms of relevance?
- Does the search engine return empty results? Does it offer options to improve the query or results for close queries?
- Does the search results page allow you to easily edit your query and resubmit it?
The above chcecklist indicates the elements that are absolutely essential in a store search engine. Certainly, there will be and it will be useful to find a whole range of additional options to refine specifically for your store – if you need support in this area, feel free to contact me.
Ready to grow?
Why should you optimize your e-commerce search engine?
Throughout the process of optimizing an online store, it is worth remembering why we are taking any action. A well-functioning store search engine is of great importance to the success of a business based on online sales. It brings results in the form of:
- higher engagement from store users
- lower rejection rate
- higher conversion
- better UX.
A search engine from your own store should also be an invaluable source of information about what steps customers take in your online store, what they search for and how they act after receiving search results. Based on the data obtained, for example, through the appropriate configuration of Google Analytics statistics, you will be able to change and expand the store’s assortment or take marketing actions based on key phrases resulting from searches used in your search engine. It’s a mine of knowledge and motivation.
Search engine in an online store – summary
You can easily make the search engine in your online store your support in the area of gaining customer favor, and thus also in increasing sales. This is one of the simpler options for higher conversion that it would be a shame not to use. You will get the best results by combining a flawlessly functioning online store with analytics and observation of user behavior. Not sure how to start selling more? If necessary, benefit from my experience.
