As social media and mobile device usage transform the online eCommerce landscape, retailers are keeping a close watch on how these trends change the way visitors search and navigate around their sites. Two years ago we launched our first “Big Book of Site Search Tips,” which is still one of the most frequently downloaded documents on our site. But things have changed over the past couple of years, so we’ve freshened up the content and added new tips, and now have an updated version called the “Big Book of Site Search Tips 2012 Edition,” with 100 tips retailers can benefit from to improve their conversions and end-user experience. The Big Book of Site Search Tips 2012 Edition is available for download here.
In this new Big Book, we’ve included new tips and ideas about integrating social and other non-product content into site search, and how to make search easy and successful for the growing number of people shopping on handheld devices. Other tips categories include Refinements, Merchandising, and Reporting, so no doubt you and your colleagues will find plenty of ideas for ways to rev up the search experience on your site. And with the holiday shopping season about to get underway, now is the perfect time to implement some of the ideas illustrated in this book to ensure that your online storefront is ready for gift-buying customers.
For instance, you can add social sharing buttons to your search results pages, such as “Like” buttons for Facebook users and “Pin it” buttons for Pinterest users. You can also learn more about optimizing search for mobile devices with tips such as including product ratings for site visitors who are browsing for products in your stores, or giving the search box more prominence so that it’s easy to find on mobile screens.
We’ve also rounded up many ideas for drawing more attention to the search box and making it user-friendly – for example, adding a floating search bar, which always appears at the top of the page without being obstructive. Since site search users are more likely to convert – and spend more money – you’ll want to do everything possible to encourage them to return to that search box again and again.
It’s important to keep in mind that without relevant site search results, the tips in the Big Book will only take you part way to a completely customer-friendly search experience – so a site search solution that ensures relevance is also key.
Online businesses that work with SLI’s Customer Success Managers can benefit from expert help in getting these tips implemented, and also learning about new tips that we discover throughout the year. Of course, our CSMs can also help you make sure search results are always relevant, in addition to making site search as user-friendly as possible. Start improving site search today by downloading the Big Book of Site Search Tips 2012 Edition and make sure you stay up to date on the latest tips, tricks and trends by reading our blog at http://blog.sli-systems.com and watching our video tips at http://blog.sli-systems.com/resources/video-tips on a regular basis.
