The products that rank in search results directly impacts your online business sales. If a visitor can’t find a product, then he or she can’t buy the product. Therefore, it is necessary for any business to make their products visible to the potential customers through the search bar. When users make a search on your eCommerce website, they are close to get converted into customers. According to a study carried out by Volusion, an eCommerce and shopping cart software, nearly 60% of the items bought are first being searched. This information shows how crucial it is to integrate a robust search feature that retrieves exact responses to the customer queries. Here, we have outlined the 3 major benefits of having a search box for forward-thinking brands.
#1 Visitors who use search feature are more likely to buy
Visitors who use search feature to find their desired products are more likely to make a purchase than others who don’t. They are probably in the final stage of buying the product as the information gathering has completed. They just want to view the products, check prices, read specifications and other charges before confirming their purchase. They know where to buy from, and the search box will further help them with the relevant results. The expected result is a smooth journey to the checkout page.
It is important to make sure that the search is highly data driven. It works flawlessly only when it has been tested regularly. Whenever you make even a little change in your website, it needs to be tested well before making it live to ensure no prospects are lost.
#2 Having user-friendly search experience can convert more users
On-site search is a key tool for customers as well as businesses that decide whether the visitor will convert into a customer or not. When customers can’t find the product or information they are looking for, they easily tend to leave the website being disappointed. By offering personalized site search experience, customers can easily find the items they are looking for in a more systematic way. When they see the products they have been looking for, they are certainly going to buy them. They are likely to come back for more purchases if you are conveniently showing them what they are looking for.
The key idea to hold the customers on the home page is to optimize it by making it more user-friendly. Remove any high-end videos or photos that may bog down your website. Make sure you place the search bar in the center and make it easily visible throughout your website.
#3 Site search auto-complete can help boost up the process
Some search tools also support auto-complete, which provides word or product suggestions when users enter a few characters. It is especially helpful when the users don’t know the exact name of the product. Auto-complete feature helps users to complete the search, avoid misspellings and return the desired results. Furthermore, they speed up the entire search process, making it easy for customers to complete the order. Returning customers are likely to be dependent on the auto-correct and auto-suggest because it has proven to save a lot of time and efforts.
If your site search doesn’t provide a good experience to your users, they will immediately go to your competitors and leave your website. So, make sure you provide the best experience the very first time they visit. Using predictive search and thumbnail images have proven to improve sales dramatically.
Thus, identifying the key search terms, monitoring how your products appear in the search, and optimizing the search bar is extremely essential to strengthen the user’s digital path towards making a purchase.
