In the aspect of user experience (UX), ease of search on your e-commerce website is an important priority area. Complex elements like items on B2B websites tend to confuse buyers, who may not have the luxury of time to explore every nook and cranny of your website for the products they want.
Here are practical steps for improving ease of navigation on your B2B or B2C e-commerce site.
When looking for products on e-commerce websites, buyers usually do the following:
(1) Keyword search – The buyer inputs keywords on your site’s search bar to find a specific product. Keywords could be brand names, the number of items the user wishes to purchase or related descriptions – mostly generic terms the user keys in to generate results.
(2) Faceted search – This kind of search involves the use of filters so users can streamline their choices. By using price or review filters, for instance, it is easier to zoom in on products that match a buyer’s preference.
(3) Category browsing – In this type of search, users focus on product categories and sub-categories to find the items they are looking for.
How to Improve User Search Experience
Though there are various ways you can enhance users search experience on your e-commerce site, experts suggest you focus on these 6 areas:
Use synonyms and alternative terms. There are different ways a user will search for items. For instance, instead of a pair of trousers, users may search for “work trousers,” “denim trousers,” or “pink pants.”
Use industry terminologies. Pay attention to jargon or industry-specific terms or phrases. Industry slangs tend to generate zero results despite the fact that the product is available on-site.
Be tolerant of misspelt words. It is normal for users to misspell words especially when they type so fast. If you want your e-commerce site to cover as much ground as possible, you may want to tolerate misspellings in the name of UX. Take advantage of the “Edit distance” feature, which determines the number of letters in a word that can be replaced by other letters. Discuss this with your website developer.
Add a type-ahead feature. This basically anticipates the keywords or phrases you’re typing into a search box. Not only does it reduce your typing time, but site owners can also assess which keywords users regularly search for.
Organise using product taxonomy. Classify and organise items on your e-commerce site using this method. Caveat: the difficulty of organising may depend on the number of products on your site. Examples of a product taxonomy: breadcrumbs or products categories/sub-categories.
Add a predictive search feature. The system itself will suggest related products based on your search history. This can be time-saving for users who may not want to get stuck on the same page for a long time.
Final Thoughts
Buyers are the lifeblood of your business. By enhancing their search experience and ensuring that they find what you need on your site without spending too much energy, you set the bar high for e-commerce websites.
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