AI-assisted site search has transformed how users interact with websites and platforms they love, giving businesses a crucial tool to maximize conversions and enhance consumer loyalty.
Have you ever thought about it:
How did Google, a company that doesn’t sell anything you could pick up and put in your pocket, become one of the most valuable companies in the world?
Thought leaders in many business schools have deliberated, debated, and analyzed that question.
For the most part, the answer points to the fact that Google created some of the products the world relied on for digital engagement.
Take Google Search, the most trusted search engine in the world, for example. We’ve become so used to its history of providing relevant and accurate results that “Google it” is now part of everyday communication.
Now take that thought to the world of onsite search, the process of finding relevant information on any website. And then think of the ongoing AI revolution. It’s easy to see how native, AI-powered search can change how people interact with websites and products they love, leveling the competition landscape.
Fashion retailers can better serve their customers by having them upload images of clothing items they like, and the system will match them with similar products in the catalog.
Health and beauty shopping experiences can be more personalized by analyzing customer data and suggesting relevant products based on skin type, hair texture, or specific health concerns, with tailored recommendations for skincare, makeup, haircare, and other beauty products.
B2B eCommerce platforms can streamline procurement processes to deliver accurate search results, saving time and increasing efficiency for B2B customers.
And those are only but a few use case examples. Let’s look at 7 reasons why AI-assisted site search will change eCommerce as we know it today.
1. AI-assisted Site Search Gives Customers What Truly Need
Legacy search engines often find it challenging to match user intent to search results. That leads to high bounce rates and missed opportunities.
AI-powered site search uses advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to provide highly accurate search results.
More so, AI-powered site search helps you personalize search experiences to individual users. The system can recommend products or suggest relevant search queries, improving conversions and user satisfaction with your website.
2. Unlocks the Power of Natural Language Processing
Search engines' preference for simple queries is a thing of the past. With today’s technological advancements, longer and more complex questions are now easily understood and processed.
AI-assisted site search uses NLP techniques to understand and interpret user queries written in natural language. Your site visitors can quickly search for products using everyday language and receive accurate results, even if their search queries differ from the product catalog. NLP capabilities bridge the gap between customer intent and product discovery, leading to better search results and improved user satisfaction.
3. Gives Access to Data for Greater Customer Insight
eCommerce business is about data and analytics. Such tools give business owners valuable customer insights they cannot ordinarily have.
You can forecast demand, optimize pricing strategies, improve conversion rates and product assortments, and measure marketing performance.
HeyDay's AI-assisted site search gives valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing search data, you can identify popular products, understand user intent, and improve product offerings and marketing strategies accordingly. These uncommon insights help you make data-based decisions, increase efficiency, and achieve growth in the competitive eCommerce industry.
4. Dynamic Merchandising & Effortless Product Discoverability
Every business thrives on paying customers. You can have the best technology, product, or service, but if your prospects cannot find your offering, you do not exist.
AI-powered site search goes beyond keyword matching. By factoring in elements like synonyms, related terms, and product attributes, the system helps your site visitors discover relevant products, even if they use different terminology or have specific requirements. Such intelligent product discoverability improves your chances of making sales.
Additionally, AI-assisted site search can dynamically adjust search results based on business goals and merchandising strategies. For example, businesses can prioritize certain products, promote specific categories, or showcase trending items in search results. With that, you can insert your will into the customers' behavior, leaving them to think it was their decision all along.
5. Your Business Will Be Everywhere All at Once
Instead of being honed into a narrow, crowded space, your company can cater to customers from diverse language and cultural backgrounds with AI-assisted site search. You can provide search experiences in multiple languages, allowing customers to search for products in their preferred language.
Such omnipresence expands the customer base and opens opportunities for global eCommerce expansion.
And you can achieve all those benefits without investing a lot of time or resources in creating relevant rules or developing synonym libraries to make your content more searchable across contexts. Thus, you also free up valuable time for your team to focus on other essential aspects of operations.
6. Unique Ways for Users to Engage With Your Website
Imagine that your site visitors could search for information by typing in their symptoms, case studies, queries, or by using photos without worrying about typing mistakes or misspellings. Think about the new world of possibilities for you and your website users.
With semantic understanding, the system can discern between different word senses and accurately interpret user intent.
Unlike traditional search engines that struggle with spelling mistakes, typos, and incomplete queries, AI-assisted search reduces customer frustrations. It automatically corrects spelling errors, suggests alternative search terms, or provides relevant results even with vague questions.
More so, the system can quickly convert voice commands into text, interpret user intent, and deliver relevant search results, providing a convenient and hands-free search experience.
7. Better Conversions With Less Work
Rather than randomly trying different things and hoping one will stick, as management consultants often advise, you can use customer insights to pinpoint the issues with your website and conversion funnel.
If your website's UX or UI is letting you down, you can improve it. And if your messaging isn't connecting with your prospects, you can rework that by understanding user behavior.
With the help of AI search, website searches have become so precise and intuitive that customers feel heard and understood. Think about it. Everyone wants improved relevance and accuracy of results. And when that happens, we can't help falling in love with the platform.
Elevate your website with HeyDay's AI-powered search box.
An intuitive search tool on your website is no longer an “either or” thing. It’s central to providing higher search accuracy, personalized experiences, and obtaining higher conversion rates with advanced analytics.
It's a new world of endless possibilities at a fraction of the cost. If you're not using AI-assisted site search, your competitors are using it, which means you're already behind. Get HeyDay site search today. Implement in 15 seconds; powerful and intelligent search experience.
About the Author
Tom-Chris Emewulu is HeyDay’s Digital Evangelist. With 8+ years of digital marketing and business development experience, he crafts high-intent, high-converting, data-driven SEO articles that put brands on page 1 of Google search. Forbes, DW, Business Insider, Businessss2Community, and many other publications have featured his works. You can find him on Social Media via @tomchrisemewulu.