How to Design Your eCommerce Website's Search Function How to Design Your eCommerce Website's Search Function

How to Design Your eCommerce Website’s Search Function

  • By John Cyril Yee
  • 26 November 2019

Making Brevo Automation

How to Design Your eCommerce Website’s Search Function

  • By John Cyril Yee
  • 26 November 2019

When it comes to site search, we can all take a page out of Google and Amazon’s book to learn how they have perfected the recipe of great search experience. It’s fast, responsive, and provides every visitor the experience they deserve.

May your eCommerce website be big or small, it’s important to have a search function that provides a satisfying search experience for users, just as how it should be easy to find a product inside a physical store.

In this article, we point out the 5 best practices in creating a good eCommerce site search experience.

5 Best Practices for eCommerce Site Search

1. Make it pop

Make your eCommerce website search function pop

According to BigCommerce, visitors that use a website’s search function are considered as the most important customers because they already know what they are looking for. As such, you must cater to that need by putting your search bar where people expect it.

Since 30% of visitors use the search bar to browse products, many eCommerce websites ensure that their search area is always strategically positioned. Often, these are situated alongside the site’s navigation bar so that users can already be familiar with how to get to the products they want. If it’s otherwise hard to find, then the site is at risk of losing the aforementioned percentage of potential customers.

How you position your search box on your site always affects a user’s buying process. Never forget to start designing a search function by making it pop, for users to quickly get to the products they want, regardless of which page they are currently browsing.

Take a look at the search bar we designed for Gaodesi Hardware. With its sheer prominence right in the middle of the navigation bar, visitors can quickly use it to start looking for the product they have in mind.

2. Implement Suggestions

Implement eCommerce Website search function Suggestions

Showing a list of product suggestions while a user types in a product greatly reduces the work of a customer. This feature not only makes it easier for a user to get where they want, but it also shows that your website has the product they’re looking for even if they haven’t clicked on ‘enter’ yet. Apart from that, it also implies that your shop has items similar to what they’re just looking for, ultimately improving their shopping experience.

To make the most out of this feature, you can have images (thumbnails) that show up as they type something that is related to a product. Not only does this provide a visual appeal on your search bar, but it will also allow them to check the products quickly.

3. Show Filters

Show filters

When a user lands on an eCommerce site’s search results page, it is highly likely that a product of a similar name or type will come up. This may result in added friction on the user’s browsing experience, as the product result should have been precisely what the visitor was looking for. By implementing filters, the user will have the power to remove unnecessary products that may surface in their search journey.

Filters assist in providing an easy and hassle-free searching experience. May it be by brand, type, price or any other category that the shop deems fit for the products they provide, it is a key tool in helping the user narrow down the options available to them for a more focused journey.

Expats Furniture Rental’s search product page lets users filter out results by the type of furniture for the dining room, bedroom, and so on for a focused search experience.

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4. Display Search History

Display eCommerce Website Site Search History

Often, the people who search for a particular item on your site are already keen on buying it. However, there are instances that they will be hesitant to seal the deal for personal reasons, and they would want to buy the product in the future instead. With a search history, it’ll be easier for them to visit the items they previously viewed. It paves the way for a faster buying process, and it will give them more time to look for other products on your website.

Like how browsers implement a History function, having one on your website is a great way to track the items that people look for on your website. Eventually, it’ll make your business privy to the most popular products which you can feature as a section or category on your homepage.

5. Ensure your search results load fast

Ensure your eCommerce website search results load fast

In the online buying process, every second count. If a user keeps on waiting for a product page to load, chances are they’ll leave your website immediately without buying anything. Once this happens too often, then your business is already losing a significant amount of sales caused by having a slow page speed. Even the eCommerce giant Amazon once reported that a second could cost them 1.6 billion dollars in sales, which is why they invest heavily in providing the best user experience for its shoppers.

When planning to have a fast loading eCommerce website, always consider having it done by a professional eCommerce web developer. Page speed, after all, comprises a variety of factors such as advertisements, image size, plugins, embedded media, widgets that can put your online shop in harm’s way. With an eCommerce solutions vendor, every part of your website will be optimised until the whole of it become hosted on a fast and reliable server.

Your search is over. For all things eCommerce, trust Verz Design.

Although it takes more than five points to create an incredible site experience, these things altogether contribute to propelling your eCommerce website to success. As a trusted eCommerce solutions vendor in Singapore, Verz Design provides hassle-free one-stop web development, making us the number 1 choice of hundreds of online businesses in the country today. Our services include:

  • 100% professional and unique designs for personalised shopping and site search experience.
  • Personal consultation with experienced copywriters to make your products sell themselves.
  • Customised Thank You Page that impresses customers.
  • Continuous support that consists of a warranty and complimentary user guide video.
  • Fully mobile responsive eCommerce website for your website to be accessible to a growing market share of people on the go.

Planning to set up an online shop in Singapore? Talk to us today! Call us at +65 6841 1680 or email us at enquiry@verzdesign.com for a free consultation!

About the Author:

Julian Wong

Specializes in creating impactful content tailored for digital strategies, blending creativity and insights to drive engagement and results.

Contributors:

  • Nancy Choo

    SEO Specialist

  • Claire Wan

    SEM Expert

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