15 best practices for ecommerce on-site search | Algolia

The search bar on an ecommerce website can significantly impact a company's success. Studies show that around 40% of visitors use site search and convert nearly twice as much as non-searchers, accounting for 13% more revenue. To optimize your site's internal search, consider the following best practices: 1. Measure current revenue generated by site search to establish a benchmark. 2. Improve users' search experience by implementing search autocomplete, results layout, search functionality, product thumbnails, and product filters. 3. Increase search bar visibility for better site performance. 4. Manage typos and misspellings with typo tolerance or "did you mean?" suggestions in search result pages. 5. Present related items to encourage shoppers to add more products to their carts. 6. Use natural language processing (NLP) to analyze queries and improve search relevance. 7. Offer a wide range of filters and facets for easy product navigation. 8. Implement personalization to deliver relevant results based on individual preferences. 9. Optimize mobile-friendly site search for the increasing number of smartphone users. 10. Use synonyms in your search engine to account for different spelling variations. 11. Offer instant search with visual results and price information. 12. Allow search platforms to connect searches to ecommerce conversion rates for better results. 13. Consider implementing visual search or augmented reality (AR) features. 14. Conduct A/B tests on site search results design and data. 15. Ensure your website is accessible to users with disabilities by following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) digital standards. By implementing these best practices, you can improve the user experience of your ecommerce site's search functionality and increase conversions.