The Importance of the Search Function on eCommerce Websites

There is no such thing as the domestic economy anymore. As our world embraces more and more technological integration each and every year, the global economy only becomes more intertwined and interconnected. This was highlighted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as supply chains broke down all over the globe.

In fact, we are still feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of ways. One of the major societal shifts that we’ve seen occur over the past few years is the massive push into the digital era. This too can be somewhat contributed to the pandemic that swept the world. With so many businesses shutting down, other organizations transitioned to a more digital and remote working environment.

In turn, more and more consumers are spending the majority of their weeks at home and online. On top of that, consumers got used to shopping online during the various shutdown and stay-at-home orders that were issued at the height of the pandemic. Ultimately, all of this created an excellent and thriving digital marketplace for the eCommerce industry. Online retailers saw a massive increase in users, traffic, and sales during the peak of and following the global pandemic.

Consider online marketplaces like Amazon that saw a massive influx of consumers during the pandemic. They would not have been able to serve this consumer base, or any audience for that matter if they didn’t have a native search function on their eCommerce website. Without it, consumers would be floundering about looking for their products, until they decided to move on entirely.

The Reasoning Behind Search Functions

There are many reasons that an eCommerce website needs a search function. First and foremost an eCommerce search function makes it simple, easy, and convenient for consumers to find the products they’re looking for. Without this feature, consumers could be totally unaware of the amazing products that your eCommerce site has to offer.

This is a major issue for many eCommerce sites that don’t have a search bar. Even when organic search traffic ends up at your doorstep, if they aren’t able to quickly and easily navigate the menus on your website, you can count them in your bounce rate now.

This is especially true with modern-day consumers who have a low sense of consumer loyalty. Because so many consumers are conducting their shopping online in a supersaturated digital marketplace, they are also much more likely to bounce from one service or product provider to another. This makes delivering a top-tier consumer experience a number one priority in the digital age. By developing and delivering a high-quality customer experience with consistency, a brand can expect an improved sense of customer loyalty from its consumer base and target audiences. The search function on an eCommerce website isn’t only for the consumers, though. Ecommerce websites also rely on the search function for analytics and reporting.

Having a search function integrated into your eCommerce website allows you to see the types of queries and searches that consumers are making in your store. This can inspire ideas for marketing, product and service development, and inspire other organizational pivots as well.

Important Features for Search Functions to Include

There are a variety of common and highly effective attributes that a properly designed search feature should include. For example, spell correction and auto-complete are two of these features that elevate an eCommerce search engine to the next level by assisting consumers with easy and simplified search queries.

Offering consumers a list of recent and trending searches is also an effective feature for eCommerce search engines to include. By weaving these features into a search function, consumers can see what searches have been popular recently with other customers which can drive and influence consumer behavior.

No matter what it is you’re selling, an effective and well-developed search engine is vital for any eCommerce website in the modern digital marketplace.

Real World Examples of Popular and Effective Search Functions

There are a wide variety of readily available examples when it comes to popular and highly effective search engine functions. Especially in the realm of e-commerce websites. Amazon is one of the most popular and heavily trafficked e-commerce brands in the world. Their search engine is extremely efficient at delivering customers high-quality and relevant results.

Other search engines like Google make online shopping an absolute breeze, even if they aren’t associated with a specific single eCommerce site.

Making the Most of Your eCommerce Website

Online retailing is extremely popular right now. The digital and remote shopping environment makes it relatively easy for just about anyone to start their own brand in just about any industry. If you’re feeling inspired to take your eCommerce site to the next level, consider dedicating some time and resources to improving the search function on your site. It could be just the thing that takes your brand above and beyond even your own expectations.