E-commerce: 9 important features of a good internal search engine

72% is the percentage of USA Internet users who systematically use the search bar of the e-commerce sites they consult. However, 21% of them complain about the relevance of the results  offered 

To satisfy your visitors and increase your sales, it is in your best interest to make an effective tool available to them!

But what are the essential features of a good internal search engine  ?

1. Autocomplete, a “must have” for your e-commerce
Auto-completion, a “must have” for your e-commerce
The car… what?

Autocompletion helps the Internet user in his search by suggesting the rest of the words he is typing.

Google, Amazon, and many others offer this feature to their visitors.

Its objective is threefold:

Save time for the user. No need to enter the entire request, the experience on your site is smoother and faster.

Limit the risk of typos. Your search engine will display more relevant results.

Gain the trust of visitors. Does autocompletion offer a judicious follow-up to the user's request? Bingo! You show him that you understand his expectations.

2. The typo tolerance your visitors love

Who has never made a spelling mistake?

A complicated word, a keyboard key that's a little too sensitive...

The reasons are many.

Of course, this also happens to your visitors when they enter text in the search bar.

The problem is that search tools often lack tolerance for these small errors.

Only 29% would be able to understand a query with a typo! (source Econsultancy ).

Result?

Users can't find what they need since the engine on your online store doesn't show any alternatives.

Do you want people to buy your products?

Offer them this feature to prevent them from looking at your competitors.

3. Synonym management, for a smarter search bar

You have been selling your products on the web for years.

You are an expert in your field and you may use some jargon. But this is probably not the case for Internet users.

Your search engine must therefore be able to understand the vocabulary used by your visitors to offer results that truly meet their needs.

In the example below, the smart search engine knows how to handle “fleeting” and “temporary” as synonyms.

Your client will not leave empty-handed!

4. Search suggestions, a “helping hand” feature

Always with a view to facilitating the navigation of Internet users and improving their experience on your online store, consider adding search suggestions.

Like autocompletion, this function seeks to limit errors in queries.

Second, you help the user to specify his need and therefore to find what he wants more quickly.

5. Faceted navigation, filters that perfect your search engine

Depending on the query used by the user, it can be drowned in hundreds of results.

To help him find his happiness faster (and more easily), give him the possibility of adding filters.

These must of course be relevant to the characteristics of your products:

• Brand,
• Color,
• Power,
• Price,
• Dimensions…

6. Voice search, a real trend among mobile users

In December 2022, mobile browsing accounted for more than 60% of  Internet traffic in France (source SimilarWeb ).

Mobile users particularly appreciate voice commands and 70% use them for their searches (source Webmarketing&Co'm ).

Do not deprive yourself of these users who love simplicity: offer them an internal search engine with a voice function.

7. Banners, an (unfairly) underused function

Banners correspond to a particular display in the results presented by your search engine.

They highlight elements that you have not necessarily been able to show the user simply with your product sheets.

Let's imagine that the Internet user wants to know if you have a physical store. He could then type “store” in the search bar. With a banner, you can easily answer his question.

On the same subject: How to create an effective website tree structure for SEO?

8. Personalized results from the internal search engine…

… By the merchant

Sometimes, the keyword entered by the Internet user does not really suit you. Your search engine can show it products on which you make too little margin, for example.

With a results personalization feature, you can:

Highlight the items that suit you,

hide others,

Displaying goods that the search engine would never have displayed on its own.

This last possibility is very valuable for showing equivalent proposals on items that you do not sell.

For example: if the Internet user wants a Samsung television that is not in your catalog, your search engine will show him a similar product from the LG brand.

To the customer

Here, the principle is to highlight results that are relevant to the user based on the searches he has already made.

This feature, which is based on artificial intelligence, is practical when a user has viewed products without making a purchase.

During his next search, you will highlight the articles that he liked so that he can find them easily.

9. Statistics, essential to improve the performance of your website

Last but not least: the search engine of your e-commerce must collect valuable information.

Thus, you anticipate trends and take a step ahead of the competition.

Do you notice that Internet users type queries that can be the subject of articles? This is a good source of inspiration for your professional blog.

You notice that a product is often sought by your visitors, but you do not have it in stock? Hop: a phone call to your supplier!

With these 9 features, your search bar will not disappoint your visitors. Of course, there are other levers that will allow you to optimize this tool!

 Thank you Olivier for this list of essential functions for the search engine of an online store. I allow myself to add that if the research on your site is permanently visible, your engine becomes an exceptional sales tool.

FAQ – 3 common questions about internal search tools

Why install an internal search engine?

Because it is the favorite tool of Internet users when they visit a website. For them, it is the guarantor of an improved user experience. For you, this is a sine qua noncondition for boosting your conversion rate, since your customers easily find what they want and can thus make a purchase.

Integrating a search engine into my e-commerce is complicated.

It all depends on how you go about it. If you develop your own tool, it won't be an easy task! However, you can also install a turnkey search engine: it only takes a few minutes and you don't need to be an expert in programming or HTML code. Companies that offer this type of service can usually accompany you in the installation.

How to recognize a good internal search engine?

A good internal search engine is one that provides the user with an optimal browsing experience. It allows him to simply fill in his request, understand his need, and offer relevant results. In other words, the right internal search engine is “smart”! It uses AI to help you sell more.

Infographic on the essential features of an internal search engine

Conclusion on the internal search engine

The internal search engine is the tool most widely used by Internet users wishing to find a product on your site. However, users are sometimes disappointed with the features offered or the relevance of the results. To satisfy them and make sure they find what they need, your search bar must offer them:

Search assistance features  (auto-completion, error tolerance, and understanding of synonyms);

What to refine a query  (search suggestions, faceted navigation);

A pleasant and relevant experience  (voice search, banners, personalized results).

Don't forget either that this tool can become a great help for you thanks to the proposal of personalized results by the merchant and revealing statistics of trends.

Do not neglect it: the internal search engine is one of the 10 essential keys to the success of your online store.

And you? Do you see any other essential features for a good internal search engine? Are you satisfied with the one you use on your site?

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