As a store owner, you’re more than likely aware of how little time you have to capture a user’s attention.
If you’re lucky enough to have consumers reach your site and pique their interest, developing a unique strategy to guide users through that customer journey can be tricky.
Within the eCommerce space, there are a number of tools (many of which we’ve already explored) that can be added to your store to improve on-site conversion, like email marketing and recommendation tools. But what about leveraging functionalities that already exist in your store, like its search engine?
All eCommerce stores provide basic search engine functionality out-of-box to filter through products, articles and pages.
As a store’s catalog begins to expand on non-product content, the need to filter out certain results and deliver search results quickly and efficiently becomes necessary.
Not to mention the need to analyze searches and make better business decisions.
Oh yeah, and the need to make sure there is never a blank “no results” page on your site (I mean, can you imagine someone searches for a product, doesn’t find anything and then leaves? That is a “marketing crime.”)
This is where a third-party search tool can minimize friction and ultimately increase on-site conversion.
To help you make a fast and effortless decision, we’ve put together a list of the best site search tools for eCommerce stores, both small and large.
Why Should You Invest in a Search Tool?
Up to 30% of eCommerce visitors use internal site search, and site searchers are 2-3x more likely to convert. This is a very “hot traffic” stage of the funnel, and optimizing it is a great way to win big.
For stores doing any search volume, even as low as 200 searches a month, you’re likely leaving big money on the table if you’re using the generic site search - Shopify or Google site search just isn’t enough.
Think about it: a user arrives on your site and misspells a product within your search box. With a basic search functionality, the customer will more than likely receive a “no results” return, causing them to become frustrated and quickly bounce your store.
The simple truth is that consumers have little attention spans; optimizing your in-search engine to provide simple functions like typo tolerance, autocomplete, spell check and synonym search can drastically lower bounce rates and improve the overall shopping experience.
Another way to improve the shopping experience with on-site search? Offer a personalized experience.
What is Search Personalization?
With online stores, it isn’t easy to sell products and engage with consumers when you can’t physically see them (and in some cases) or talk to them. In order to mimic that in-store personalized experience, eCommerce stores collect personal data such as browsing behavior, purchase history, and demographics to deliver dynamic, personalized content and product recommendations.
Personalization can be offered across various channels and through different tools, but search personalization is quickly becoming a common practice.
With these search personalization tools, you can:
- Personalize search suggestions
- Provide search autocomplete
- Deliver product recommendations on typos
- Upsell and cross-sell
- Deliver live price, in-stock status and product reviews
By providing simple and personalized search functionality, businesses can drastically simplify the purchasing process, allowing users to find what they want quickly and effortlessly.
While many site search tools are scalable, I want to highlight a selection for both small and large stores. As such, we’ve divided this article into three sections:
Small eCommerce Stores
- Searchanise
- Doofinder
Mid-Market to Enterprise eCommerce Stores
- Algolia
- Searchspring
The Best Site Search Tools for Small eCommerce Stores
For stores just starting out or requiring up to 10,000 search requests per month, various tools can help leverage advanced search with little investment. Many of these apps are also scalable, allowing stores to implement new and advanced functionalities as they grow.
Although there are many options, small stores should focus on on-site search tools that provide:
- Autocomplete suggestions
- Spell check, auto-correction, typo tolerance and synonym search
- Product recommendations
- Advanced filters
- Personalized search results
Let’s take a look at four starting tools that will save you time and come in at the low end of the market (keeping your costs low):
- Searchanise
- Doofinder
Searchanise
Site Search, Navigation and Merchandising App
Built specifically for eCommerce stores, Searchanise offers a full suite of solutions for improving customer experience. Along with search auto-complete, the app also offers smart filters, up-sells, and cross-sells. This allows merchants to effectively cross-promote their products directly within search results to drive up average order value.
The app currently integrates with several leading eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and CS-Cart.
Features
- Filter by price, color, sizing, rating, product type, tag, etc
- Recommendation blocks
- Product labels in search results
- Personalization
- Visual Editor
- Site Search Analytics
Pricing
Searchanise plans are based on the size of a store’s product catalog. The app offers a free plan for stores with up to 25 products, and then plans begin at $9USD per month for a 500-product catalog. Shopify Plus plans are also available. Each plan starts with a free 14-day trial.
Doofinder
Scalable Smart Search App
Doofinder is a scalable solution for small and large eCommerce stores running on Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, WordPress, Prestashop and Shopware.
The tool offers predictive, dynamic and intuitive smart search technology that also learns and adapts to customer behavior. Along with autocomplete functionality, Doofinder also offers personalization, promotional banners, and smart filters. The app also supports mobile and voice search, visual search, multi-index search and geolocated search.
Features
- Personalized search results
- Faceted navigation
- Promotional banners
- Synonyms
- Excluded results
- Site Search Analytics
Pricing
Stores with up to 1,000 search requests a month can sign up for a basic plan for free. For stores with up to 50,000 requests per month, Doofinder offers a plan for $50 USD per month (add $9 USD per month for mobile search). For stores with over 200,000 requests per month, contact Doofinder directly for an enterprise solution. All plans come with a 30-day free trial.
The Best On-Site Search Tools for Enterprise eCommerce Stores
As your inventory grows, so will the complexity of your customer’s needs, and your data will understandably become more complex. Opting for a new on-site search platform that makes sense of this data to offer tailored experiences and seamless discovery across multiple platforms is a smart choice.
For enterprise on-site search tools, I suggest looking for the following advanced features:
- Advanced rule building
- A/B testing
- Smart filters
- Landing pages and promotional marketing
- Advanced merchandising
- Advanced reporting
Many enterprise competitors offer the data and support for mid-market and enterprise businesses, but our top 2 are:
- Algolia
- Searchspring
Algolia
Enterprise AI-Powered Search & Discovery
Algolia offers an AI-powered search platform that allows for seamless discovery across all content platforms, including web, apps and eCommerce. Its Search API is particularly useful for larger stores that need to deliver tailored experiences.
Stores can leverage features such as typo tolerance, search rules, query suggestions, multilingual support, synonyms, and much more. Although Algolia was primarily built for larger brands, it does offer search solutions for smaller stores that need up to 10,000 search requests and records.
Features
- Advanced rule builder
- Instant search
- Search and event analytics
- Split-testing search results
- Natural language processing
- Visual Editor
Pricing
Algolia offers a free plan for small stores requiring up to 10,000 search requests and records. For stores requiring more, the app offers packaged or pay-as-you-go plans for every additional 1,000 search requests.
Searchspring
Enterprise Search, Merchandising and Recommendation App
This enhanced eCommerce search solution delivers relevant results to customers with autocomplete, custom landing pages, “did you mean” suggestions and accommodation for typos, synonyms and SKUs.
Available for Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce, Searchspring combines customized search functionality with merchandising to help customers find exactly what they’re looking for, no matter how they search.
I suggest using this app if you’re a well-established brand ready to scale or a mid-sized store looking to improve its merchandising and search features.
Features
- Semantic search, measurement detection, intelligent results
- Drag and drop merchandising
- Boost products based on reviews, conversion rate or margins
- Smart filters and popular searches
- Landing pages and promotional banners
- Product recommendations
- Search, Product and Google Analytics insights
Pricing
Plans begin at $ 499 USD per month. Contact for a customized quote.
Next Steps
As site traffic grows, so will site search. If you’re a small and growing store with $30k revenue and over 200 searches a month, I suggest implementing a site search tool immediately and watching the revenue flow in. While it’s not going to be the ultimate game-changer in your business, it is a relatively low investment (could even be free), and the search results can provide insight into what consumers are searching for, allowing you to make smarter data-driven decisions on product labeling, SEO, and even product sourcing.
For stores looking to make sense of their complex search data, it’s important to think about how these tools’ advanced features can personalize the shopping experience. By relying on AI and advanced insights and analytics, mid-market and enterprise users can discover new opportunities to optimize their search, maximize conversion and drive revenue.
