Comments on: Tweaking Internal Site-Searches into Buying Opportunities http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/ Marketing blog focused on marketing optimization, improving website conversion rates, search engine marketing, web analytics, word of mouth, etc. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:26:31 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Can I help you, sir? (from Business Marketing Online) http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1095588 Can I help you, sir? (from Business Marketing Online) Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:08:56 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1095588 [...] assume you’re happy with your website’s search box. Now it’s time to read Tweaking Internal Site-Searches into Buying Opportunities on the Conversion Rate Experts blog, which says that “There are many ways that search result [...] [...] assume you’re happy with your website’s search box. Now it’s time to read Tweaking Internal Site-Searches into Buying Opportunities on the Conversion Rate Experts blog, which says that “There are many ways that search result [...]

]]> By: MBA Depot http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1089284 MBA Depot Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:03:29 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1089284 <strong>Tweaking Internal Site-Searches into Buying Opportunities...</strong> Your visitors expectations of your site’s search is that it will perform as well as the search they are used to from their favorite search engine. There are many ways that search result pages can be optimized to provide visitors with an easy means... Tweaking Internal Site-Searches into Buying Opportunities…

Your visitors expectations of your site’s search is that it will perform as well as the search they are used to from their favorite search engine.

There are many ways that search result pages can be optimized to provide visitors with an easy means…

]]> By: Dan McGuigan http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084853 Dan McGuigan Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:36:41 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084853 Maurizio, I agree that their needs to be more than just the error explanation alone. Providing visitors with ways back into the buying process is crucial at this point. In the example of circuit city does this buy listing out all of their categories on the results page. The main reason I like this is because the results page gives a visitors an entry point into all of the categories on circuitcitys site. So a visitors should be able to find what they were searching for if they took the time to read through all of the categories. Adding the "Best Offers" is a great idea also, because this will give faster paced visitors who are just browsing around some quick options. I think having some featured items directly below the error message while having all of the categories listed out below the featured or best offer items would probably be the best way to do it. BetterRetail, Nice find, I really like what Backcountry is doing or was doing. Even if they don't have exactly what the visitor is looking for visitor will be much more likely to make an order with the 10$ off. I'm interested in finding out how that worked out for them. They also use really great customer focused language in the error message. It is important not to make it sound like the visitor who made the query was at fault when giving them the message. Maurizio,
I agree that their needs to be more than just the error explanation alone. Providing visitors with ways back into the buying process is crucial at this point. In the example of circuit city does this buy listing out all of their categories on the results page. The main reason I like this is because the results page gives a visitors an entry point into all of the categories on circuitcitys site. So a visitors should be able to find what they were searching for if they took the time to read through all of the categories. Adding the “Best Offers” is a great idea also, because this will give faster paced visitors who are just browsing around some quick options. I think having some featured items directly below the error message while having all of the categories listed out below the featured or best offer items would probably be the best way to do it.

BetterRetail,
Nice find, I really like what Backcountry is doing or was doing. Even if they don’t have exactly what the visitor is looking for visitor will be much more likely to make an order with the 10$ off. I’m interested in finding out how that worked out for them. They also use really great customer focused language in the error message. It is important not to make it sound like the visitor who made the query was at fault when giving them the message.

]]> By: BetterRetail http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084750 BetterRetail Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:53:25 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084750 I agree @Maurizio. @Dan: Another creative approach is used by backcountry.com. When they encounter customers searching for something they cannot help find they incentivize the customer to call them: http://betterretail.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/backcountry.JPG I agree @Maurizio.

@Dan: Another creative approach is used by backcountry.com. When they encounter customers searching for something they cannot help find they incentivize the customer to call them:

http://betterretail.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/backcountry.JPG

]]> By: Maurizio Petrone SEO http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084729 Maurizio Petrone SEO Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:35:05 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084729 Sure we may pre-fill a search input with "Enter search term" or use that as a label, anyway we'll always encounter (less) users that just click Search without typing any query. If we look at the major search engines, they just do nothing whenever they get a search without a valid input. But here we assume that a user knows what a search engine site (like Google) is about and -hopefully- how to use it. My take is that we shouldn't do the same on our store sites, because the user may then conclude that our search function just doesn't work (a negative reinforcement, because he already may be thinking that the site overall doesn't "work", "for her"), and leave. CircuitCity certainly does a great job in this case, providing a clear explaination of the error. But what about presenting a list of the site functionalities and best offers, at that point, further than the error explaination alone? BetterRetail, I too believe search data to be a goldmine full of unvaluable information for those who can read it! Sure we may pre-fill a search input with “Enter search term” or use that as a label, anyway we’ll always encounter (less) users that just click Search without typing any query.

If we look at the major search engines, they just do nothing whenever they get a search without a valid input. But here we assume that a user knows what a search engine site (like Google) is about and -hopefully- how to use it.

My take is that we shouldn’t do the same on our store sites, because the user may then conclude that our search function just doesn’t work (a negative reinforcement, because he already may be thinking that the site overall doesn’t “work”, “for her”), and leave.

CircuitCity certainly does a great job in this case, providing a clear explaination of the error.

But what about presenting a list of the site functionalities and best offers, at that point, further than the error explaination alone?

BetterRetail, I too believe search data to be a goldmine full of unvaluable information for those who can read it!

]]> By: Dan McGuigan http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084654 Dan McGuigan Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:31:09 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084654 Good question Maurizio, There are 2 areas that I would look at when trying to solve that problem. First I would make sure that it is 100% clear that the area where visitors are entering the search is meant for entering text. If visitors just see a big button that says "search" they may click in just to begin “searching” with the intent of browsing through items. Many sites place some text in the search box field(such as “item # or keyword” or “Enter Search Here”) instead of leaving it empty. This gives the visitor a some direction and should decrease the amount of visitors who do not fill in the queries. Secondly if the visitor still does not enter anything, the search results page should give the visitors a polite message that lets them know they have made a mistake and then provide some options to begin shopping. Circuit City does a really good job of this, see link below- http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&searchType=user&keyword=&searchSection=All&go.x=12&go.y=9 Good question Maurizio,
There are 2 areas that I would look at when trying to solve that problem. First I would make sure that it is 100% clear that the area where visitors are entering the search is meant for entering text. If visitors just see a big button that says “search” they may click in just to begin “searching” with the intent of browsing through items. Many sites place some text in the search box field(such as “item # or keyword” or “Enter Search Here”) instead of leaving it empty. This gives the visitor a some direction and should decrease the amount of visitors who do not fill in the queries. Secondly if the visitor still does not enter anything, the search results page should give the visitors a polite message that lets them know they have made a mistake and then provide some options to begin shopping. Circuit City does a really good job of this, see link below-

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&searchType=user&keyword=&searchSection=All&go.x=12&go.y=9

]]> By: Randy http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084618 Randy Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:02:55 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084618 Good advice. Especially about making sure spelling is correct. I am always amazed at how many simple spelling errors appear on many websites. Good advice. Especially about making sure spelling is correct. I am always amazed at how many simple spelling errors appear on many websites.

]]> By: BetterRetail http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084286 BetterRetail Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:51:25 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084286 In site search is incredibly important. Here is an interesting story: "Eight years ago Zappos.com did not exist. Today, it is the largest online retailer of shoes. In the last eight years Zappos executed many brilliant strategies but there is one that succinctly illustrates the power of the online channel. Zappos monitors their site searches and noticed a disproportionate number of queries for ‘vegetarian shoes’. Being smart and nimble they quickly realized potential and created a new category for vegetarian shoe shoppers which quickly became a significant source of revenue. How did Foot Locker fail to see this trend? In a flicker of an insight Zappos rewrote the leader board. A Web site with zero stores decimated one with over 4,000." In site search is incredibly important.

Here is an interesting story: “Eight years ago Zappos.com did not exist. Today, it is the largest online retailer of shoes. In the last eight years Zappos executed many brilliant strategies but there is one that succinctly illustrates the power of the online channel. Zappos monitors their site searches and noticed a disproportionate number of queries for ‘vegetarian shoes’. Being smart and nimble they quickly realized potential and created a new category for vegetarian shoe shoppers which quickly became a significant source of revenue. How did Foot Locker fail to see this trend? In a flicker of an insight Zappos rewrote the leader board. A Web site with zero stores decimated one with over 4,000.”

]]> By: Maurizio Petrone, Search Engine Marketer http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/comment-page-1/#comment-1084264 Maurizio Petrone, Search Engine Marketer Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:32:04 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/10/13/making-the-most-of-your-internal-searches/#comment-1084264 Hi Daniel, how would you suggest to respond when the user clicks "Search" thus leaving empty the input text box? I notice many users don't fill in any query on my site's search boxes: they often just click "Search", and indeed they are expecting to find something they may had in mind. Any advice on that issue? Thanks in advance. Hi Daniel,

how would you suggest to respond when the user clicks “Search” thus leaving empty the input text box?

I notice many users don’t fill in any query on my site’s search boxes: they often just click “Search”, and indeed they are expecting to find something they may had in mind.

Any advice on that issue? Thanks in advance.

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