Over the years, we’ve encountered many businesses who want to increase transaction conversion rate. However, very few of those companies use or are aware of the benefits on site search can offer. Our benchmarking shows visitors who interact with site search are 3-5x more likely to become customers. Of those orders, average order value (AOV) is 25-50% higher than normal.
With such a captive audience, it’s essential to make sure you remove any friction in the buying process. By doing so, you create a faster path to purchase and encourage repeat buying habits. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started with on site search, we’ve outlined a few tried and true tips to point you in the right direction.
What is On Site Search?
On site search refers to the tools and strategies used to index and display results within a single website. Businesses can use a variety of different technologies to implement on site search, including Google and Search Spring. To learn how to leverage on site search for your business, we recommend exploring our comprehensive eCommerce Site Search guide.
Tips to Get Started
1. Choose a Site Search Provider
On site search providers can vary significantly in terms of cost and features. When you’re getting started, we recommend first deciding whether you will use a paid provider or a free solution. The strongest site search providers require an ongoing fee, but the investment may be worth it in order to get a larger return. In fact, we almost always recommend that our clients use a paid on site search tool because they directly contribute to revenue growth in the long run.
Paid on site search providers offer robust features to help businesses accomplish specific goals for their websites. For example, tools like universal and filtered search have a significant impact on user experience. Does your search focus on products, or does it display all aspects of the site including things like blog posts? Nuances in the way results show can dramatically influence visitor likelihood to purchase.
Also keep in mind that not all paid providers are created equal. Businesses should evaluate tracking and reporting features, including popular searches, search revenue, exporting data and more. It’s easy to overlook small features during the evaluation process, so make sure you have a wish list of your needs before you sign on the dotted line.
2. Activate Reporting
Once you’ve chosen an on site search tool, make sure your tracking and reporting is accurate. For our clients, this often begins with activating the Site Search Report in Google Analytics. Businesses can use the Search Terms report to display the top 100 keyword searches on your site.
Although these insights may display directly within your site search tool, we recommend adding them in Google Analytics because it is one of the strongest measurement and tracking tools available. As a result, keeping your insights in a central place can help you create a more-unified picture of how each tactic affects your business.
3. Implement & Experiment
When you use a paid on site search tool, you gain access to a variety of features that can enhance your overall website experience and improve eCommerce site search. We recommend taking the time to customize these tools to meet your business needs. We often recommend SearchSpring to our clients because of its depth and breadth of functionality. Among it’s basic search functionality, SearchSpring allows brands to implement the following:
Product Awareness
Natural Language Processing
Search Preview
Search Suggestions
Product Suggestions
Predictive Visual Autocomplete
Synonyms
Redirects
Business Rules
Did You Mean Suggestions
Customizable No Results Page
Definable Search Fields
Query Replacements/Ignore Terms
IntelliSuggest Elevations
Stemming
Typo Tolerance
Boosting Rules
When implemented together, these features create a seamless eCommerce search experience that helps customers quickly find and purchase the products they are looking for. With the advent of these new features and functionality, businesses have tremendous opportunity to explore new ways to improve and test what works for their customers.
We recommend regularly monitoring your site search queries and adjusting over time. For example, revenue tracking from site search can help businesses uncover in-demand products. You can use these insights to create specific tailored promotions, move products higher in your listings and more. The possibilities are truly endless and it’s an exciting landscape that every eCommerce business should explore.
How to Make Your BigCommerce Site Search Scream “Profit!”
Use the Right Data
In order for site search to fulfill its promises, you have to take full advantage of its data. I strongly suggest spending a good amount of time with your Top 100 Searches report.
To do this, view the Search Terms report to see the top 100 keyword searches on your site. You can also do this for total searches. Then, move to the eCommerce tab and review reports by total revenue. Export those reports into Excel and type these searches into your site exactly as entered. Ask yourself:
Do you like what you see?
Are you showing too many products? Too few?
Are your priority products showing?
Are your top selling products at the top of the results?
Bigcommerce also offers three critical reports within its native site search tool:
Keywords Without Results Description
This report provides you with a list of terms customers searched for that did not give them any results.
Benefit
This report will tell you if you need to add important keywords to your product descriptions, if customers are looking for a discontinued item, or if you need to carry a product that is currently not in your inventory.
Worst Performing Keywords
This report provides you with a list of terms customers searched for that did return results; however, customers did not click on any of the results.
Benefit
To get the most out of this report, review the keywords listed for any that provide you with an idea of what the customer was looking for when using that term. Then, perform a search using that term to see which products are returned. You can then add that keyword to any products you would like returned if a client searches for that term.
Search Term Corrections
This report provides you with a list of search terms which customers entered that caused them to receive a “Did you mean: ?” suggestion, which they then clicked.
Benefits
Check this report to see if there are common typos or errors that customers make when searching for a particular item. For example, customers may commonly misspell “vacuum” as “vacuum.” In this case, you would want to add “vacuum” to the keyword list for your vacuums.
If you want to take your analytics to new heights, I suggest investing in SearchSpring, which you can find through Bigcommerce’s robust Apps Marketplace.
SearchSpring offers advanced analytics tools and pairs them up with Google Analytics for you so you can view all your analytics in one place, allowing you to make better data-driven adjustments in a shorter timeframe.
Let the People Filter
Not all filtering tools are created equal. Customers want to be able to filter products by several different specs at the same time.
Consider Charlie. Charlie is looking for a new pair of boots. He knows he wants a pair of black or grey boots made by RedWing or Clark’s in size 11 or 11 1/2. By using multi-select, customizable filters (such as those provided by SearchSpring), Charlie is able to filter out all the site search results for “men’s boots” to only those boots he knows he is likely to purchase. This not only improves Charlie’s experience with your site (improving retention), but also improves the likelihood of a purchase.
An added benefit of SearchSpring’s multi-select filters are the customizable formats for different specs, which add visual appeal and make it easy for Charlie to select his parameters.
Give Them a Rich Experience
Consumers today are accustomed to Google completing their sentences. What Google doesn’t do, but your site can, is offer a rich auto-complete experience where your customers see live product result suggestions complete with product images and pricing. And as we all know, pictures sell product.
According to SearchSpring, one-third of customers will click on an image suggestion offered during auto-complete. And once the customer has clicked through to the product page, they’ve been shown to have a conversion rate as much as four times higher than non-site search users.
By listening to your analytics, making proper adjustments, and adding elements to improve the user experience, you will be well on your way to hearing the sweet sounds of “cha-ching!” coming from your site search.
Still have questions? We’d love to hear from you and learn more about your business. Feel free to reach out through the form below and we’ll be in touch.
Over the years, we’ve encountered many businesses who want to increase transaction conversion rate. However, very few of those companies use or are aware of the benefits on site search can offer. Our benchmarking shows visitors who interact with site search are 3-5x more likely to become customers. Of those orders, average order value (AOV) is 25-50% higher than normal.
Amazon’s Impact on Global Supply Chains and Logistics
Amazon, the global e-commerce behemoth, has transformed not only the way consumers shop but also the intricacies of global supply chains and logistics. Since its inception in 1994, Amazon has grown from a small online bookstore to a trillion-dollar enterprise that has disrupted industries across the globe. Its influence extends far beyond retail, profoundly impacting supply chains, logistics, and even the environment. This article explores Amazon’s multifaceted impact on global supply chains and logistics, examining how the company has reshaped these industries and what this means for the future.
The Evolution of Amazon’s Supply Chain
Amazon’s supply chain is one of the most sophisticated in the world, characterized by its efficiency, speed, and scale. The company has invested heavily in technology and infrastructure to build a supply chain that can deliver millions of products to customers in a matter of hours or days. This rapid delivery is made possible by a vast network of fulfillment centers, sophisticated inventory management systems, and a logistics arm that rivals traditional carriers like FedEx and UPS.
One of the key innovations Amazon has introduced is its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service. FBA allows third-party sellers to store their products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, with Amazon handling the picking, packing, and shipping of these products. This service has not only made it easier for small businesses to reach a global audience but has also significantly increased the volume of goods flowing through Amazon’s supply chain. As a result, Amazon has become a central hub in the global supply chain, connecting manufacturers, suppliers, and customers across the world.
Disruption of Traditional Logistics
Amazon’s influence on logistics is equally profound. The company’s relentless focus on speed and efficiency has forced traditional logistics providers to rethink their strategies. In many cases, Amazon has bypassed traditional logistics networks entirely by building its own. Amazon Logistics, the company’s delivery arm, has grown rapidly in recent years, with a fleet of planes, trucks, and delivery vans that allow the company to control every aspect of the delivery process.
This vertical integration has enabled Amazon to offer services like same-day and two-hour delivery in many urban areas, setting a new standard for speed in the industry. Traditional logistics providers have struggled to keep up, leading to increased competition and innovation in the sector. For example, companies like FedEx and UPS have had to invest in new technology and infrastructure to remain competitive, while others have formed partnerships with Amazon to leverage its vast logistics network.
Amazon’s logistics network has also expanded globally, with the company establishing regional hubs and fulfillment centers in key markets around the world. This global expansion has allowed Amazon to offer faster and more reliable delivery services in regions where traditional logistics infrastructure is underdeveloped. In many cases, Amazon has played a role in building out this infrastructure, partnering with local logistics providers or investing in its own facilities.
Impact on Global Supply Chains
Amazon’s impact on global supply chains extends beyond logistics. The company’s demand for speed and efficiency has rippled through the entire supply chain, from manufacturers to suppliers to retailers. This has led to significant changes in how companies operate, with many adopting new technologies and strategies to keep up with Amazon’s pace.
One of the most significant changes is the increased reliance on automation and technology in supply chain management. Amazon has been at the forefront of this trend, investing heavily in robotics, artificial intelligence, and data analytics to optimize its supply chain operations. For example, the company’s use of robotics in its fulfillment centers has reduced the time it takes to pick and pack orders, while its AI-driven demand forecasting tools help ensure that the right products are always in stock.
This emphasis on technology has influenced other companies to follow suit, leading to a wave of digital transformation across the industry. Manufacturers and suppliers are increasingly using data analytics and AI to optimize their operations, while retailers are adopting new technologies like blockchain to improve transparency and traceability in their supply chains.
Another significant impact of Amazon on global supply chains is the shift towards a more customer-centric model. Amazon’s focus on the customer has forced companies to rethink their supply chain strategies, with many now prioritizing speed, convenience, and flexibility over cost. This has led to the adoption of new fulfillment models, such as just-in-time inventory and dropshipping, which allow companies to respond more quickly to changes in customer demand.
The globalization of Amazon’s supply chain has also had broader implications for international trade. By connecting sellers and buyers from different parts of the world, Amazon has made it easier for companies to access global markets. However, this has also led to increased competition, with companies now competing on a global scale. This has put pressure on manufacturers and suppliers to lower costs and improve efficiency, leading to changes in how goods are produced and distributed around the world.
Environmental and Social Implications
While Amazon’s impact on supply chains and logistics has been largely positive in terms of efficiency and convenience, it has also raised concerns about the environmental and social implications of its operations. The company’s emphasis on fast delivery and the constant movement of goods around the world has contributed to increased carbon emissions and environmental degradation. In response to these concerns, Amazon has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and has invested in initiatives like electric delivery vehicles and renewable energy projects.
However, critics argue that these efforts are not enough, and that Amazon’s business model is fundamentally unsustainable. The constant pressure to deliver goods faster and cheaper has led to concerns about the working conditions in Amazon’s fulfillment centers and the treatment of delivery drivers. Reports of long hours, high injury rates, and low wages have sparked protests and calls for better labor practices across the company’s global operations.
The Future of Supply Chains and Logistics
As Amazon continues to grow and evolve, its impact on global supply chains and logistics is likely to deepen. The company’s investments in technology and infrastructure will continue to set new standards for speed and efficiency, forcing other companies to innovate and adapt. At the same time, the environmental and social challenges associated with Amazon’s operations will require the company to rethink its approach to sustainability and labor practices.
In the future, we can expect to see more companies adopting Amazon-like supply chain strategies, with an emphasis on speed, technology, and customer-centricity. However, these changes will also require a greater focus on sustainability and ethical practices, as consumers and regulators increasingly demand more responsible business operations.
Conclusion
Amazon’s impact on global supply chains and logistics is undeniable. The company has reshaped the industry in its image, setting new standards for speed, efficiency, and customer service. While these changes have brought many benefits, they have also raised important questions about sustainability and labor practices. As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon will continue to play a central role in the future of global supply chains and logistics, driving innovation and change across the industry.
