Unleash the Power of Custom Site Search: A Guide to Better eCommerce Navigation

Jameela Ghann - Writer for Fast Simon
By Jameela Ghann
Michelle Meyer - Editor for Fast Simon
Edited by Michelle Meyer
Oli Kashti - Writer and Fact-Checker for Fast Simon
Fact-check by Oli Kashti

Updated February 26, 2024.

Woman using payment card terminal to shop online with credit card

When you run an e-commerce store, you want to provide your customers with a seamless shopping experience that keeps them coming back for more. That's where custom site search comes in to make it easier for your customers to navigate your store.

By taking advantage of custom site search, you can set your e-commerce store apart from the competition. Custom site search helps you provide a personalized and efficient search experience for your customers so you can drive sales, improve your customer experience, and boost customer loyalty.

Let's dive into how you can take advantage of custom site search on your e-commerce site.

Custom site search is a search tool that gives you advanced features beyond the basic search functionality most e-commerce platforms offer.

With custom site search, you can provide your customers with quick and easy access to the products they're looking for while delivering a smooth and personalized shopping experience.

Alora Boutique: Making It Easier to Find the Perfect Jewelry

If your customer is looking for a specific earring they saw on social media, they'll head to your e-commerce site and start searching. With a custom site search, they can type in the name of the jewelry and receive a list of all the earrings that match it.

This eliminates the need for your customer to navigate through different categories and endlessly scroll through product options, especially if you have hundreds of products on your site.

Custom site search_Alora example_What is custom site search



1. Improved Customer Experience

No matter your industry, customers want the best shopping experience possible. You can deliver on that by implementing a custom site search that offers a more visually appealing shopping experience. If your e-commerce site sells clothing, you can incorporate custom site search to display product images in the search results, making it easier for customers to identify the product they're looking for.

» Learn how to add, customize, and remove your Shopify search bar for an enhanced shopping experience

2. Relevant Search Results

Custom site search is typically powered by AI algorithms that understand the intent behind each customer's search query, delivering relevant results every time. If a customer has recently searched for a specific type of product on your site, a custom site search can remember their preferences and suggest relevant products when they come back and explore your site later in their buying journey.

Having relevant search results saves your customers time, makes it easier for them to find what they're looking for, and increases the likelihood of them making a purchase.

3. Increased Sales

By providing your customers with a fast and personalized shopping experience, custom site search can help drive sales and increase your bottom line. For example, at Alora Boutique, having search on the site has been instrumental in helping shoppers find the products they need, resulting in a higher conversion rate and average order value.

The best part about a custom site search is that you can see what products people are searching for on your site and match your product descriptions to their search intent or introduce new products that customers are looking for but you don't have.

» Improve your Magento Search capabilities with Fast Simon's plugin



Custom Site Search Features That Improve Navigation

When it comes to optimizing your site, custom site search is the way of the future. Your team can leverage advanced AI algorithms that understand the intent behind each search query, delivering relevant results every time. Custom search helps your team rest easy, knowing your customers won't have to sort through irrelevant results, saving time and reducing headaches.

For example, if a customer searches Alora Boutique for "black hoop earrings" using a custom site search, they'll receive a specific list of black hoop earrings shoes instead of all earrings in general. A good search tool can also consider factors like product popularity, categories, and product reviews to provide even more accurate results.

Custom site search_Alora example_1


This level of intelligence ensures that your customers can find what they're looking for faster and more efficiently, leading to a more enjoyable shopping experience and a higher likelihood of purchase. This can result in higher customer satisfaction and, ultimately, customer retention.

2. Personal Customized Style

Merchandising a site is painstaking, and luckily custom site searches can be tailored to match the look and feel of your brand. Doing this will ensure your customers have a consistent shopping experience.

For example, at Alora Boutique, I customized my custom site search to match the website's aesthetics, creating a seamless shopping experience for their customers.

Custom site search_Alora merchandising example


3. Full Search Result Control

With custom site search, you and your team have complete control over the displayed search results. Are you having a sale? You can prioritize certain products. Big holiday collections you need visible in Q4?

You can prioritize these collections in your search results. Doing this ensures that your customers can quickly and easily find what they're looking for, and you improve the sales of certain products.

Custom site search_Alora example_Full control over search results



Do Your Custom Site Search the Fast Way

By incorporating custom site search into your e-commerce strategy, you can provide your customers with a highly personalized and efficient shopping experience, driving sales and customer loyalty in the process. With an integrated AI platform, you can implement and maintain custom site search effortlessly.

So why wait? Unleash the power of custom site search today and take your e-commerce store to the next level!

» Have a B2B website? Here's how to optimize site search for B2B