Tool 2: Search optimisation - Helping shoppers find the product they want

Walking into a physical store, you’re faced with clearly arranged rails in clearly defined departments, and it should be just as clear when you shop online. If a site is difficult to navigate, shoppers will leave your store and click over to a competitor’s. Instead, it’s necessary to allow shoppers to quickly and easily search your site for the type of product they’re looking for.

What is search optimisation?

We've all heard of search engine optimisation, but how about optimising the search engine that lives on your own site? Site search enables shoppers to quickly and easily locate the exact products they are searching for through a typical search bar experience. This can be a great way to immediately improve your online customer experience since it provides a smoother navigation, and a quick way to meet your customer’s immediate needs. This is especially important when we think about customers on-the-go who are time strapped and constantly distracted. Having a tool that can take customers directly to what they are looking for, and then straight to the checkout is essential for all involved.

Site search is a powerful tool that is often overlooked, but taking steps to improve this function can significantly improve your conversion rates; it can lead to happier shoppers who come back to order again and who their share their experience with others.

How will search optimisation help improve your checkout conversions?

Search optimisation tools from companies such as Nextopia include fast and accurate search results and search refinements; fuzzy matching capabilities to reduce the risk of the “No Results Found” page; and being able to search by dynamic filters like colour, brand, size or ratings.

By reducing search time and making the shopping experience as simple as possible for visitors, product search tools optimise the user experience and lead to higher conversion rates. It’s simple; if your visitors can’t find what they are looking for on your site, they will give up and go to one of your competitors.

Though search may seem like a small part of the overall checkout experience, it can have a huge impact on your bottom line, so it pays to get it right.