3 Ways to Improve the Search Function on Your Ecommerce Website

The ecommerce industry is one of the fastest growing areas of business, and there’s never been a better time to start your own.

A well-designed website is important for any ecommerce business because, even if you can drive a lot of traffic to the site, you won’t make many sales if your website is difficult to navigate. Consider the design and the menu layout so customers can easily find the products they’re looking for.

Many people will prefer to go straight to the search bar. A poor search function will frustrate your potential customers and cause them to leave your website.

Here are 3 ways to improve the search function on your ecommerce website.

Put It in the Right Place 

Search bars make life easier for your customers, so display it front and center on your site in a place that’s easily recognizable. 

Most people look at everything above the fold (on the first page before scrolling down), and they’ll expect to see the search bar right at the top.

There are a number of different eye movement patterns your customers may follow when viewing your website. The F-shaped pattern is common and can help you with your search bar placement. First, a user will scan across the top of the page, then move down and scan horizontally again. Finally, they will scan vertically down the left side of the page, completing the F-shape.

Your search bar is most likely to be seen in the top right or left hand corner when the user is doing their first horizontal scan of the page. You could put it down the left hand column so they see it when scanning vertically.

Make It Easy to Use 

Some search bars are more difficult to use when the search button isn’t in an obvious place or the website is trying to use a quirky design that makes it confusing.

Of course, you want your website to be engaging and make it look attractive, but don’t alter the search bar too much. It’s a functional tool that’s universally recognizable, and your customers want a search bar that they immediately know how to use.

Offer a Personalized Search

Your customers expect an experience that’s tailored to them, and you might email them specific offers that relate to their previous purchases or browsing history. Even using their name in an email instead of sending a generic one makes a big difference.

You can use ecommerce personalization tools with your search bar, such as when returning customers visit your site and make a search, all of the data from previous visits will be used to provide results that best match what they’re looking for. 

The more accurate you can make the search results, the more likely your customers are to make a purchase. Implementing personalized search tools can have a significant positive impact on sales. 

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