How to optimise internal search for an e-commerce company: 10 best practices

Your e-commerce site’s internal search function is a valuable tool to help customers find and buy what they need from you. While customers may arrive at your site through various channels, the search bar often plays a pivotal role in their journey toward a purchase.

Want to know how to optimise internal search for your e-commerce company? Here are DHL Express’ top 10 best practices to enhance search optimisation.

What does the internal site search do?

The internal site search is a mini search engine within your e-commerce website. It lets customers quickly find specific products by typing in keywords or phrases. The search function then scours your product catalogue, matching these keywords to relevant product pages, descriptions, and tags.  

Think of it as your website's own Google, helping customers navigate your offerings quickly and precisely. A well-optimised search functionality in e-com

Why is the internal search function important?

The internal search function plays a vital role in enhancing the e-commerce experience, offering several key benefits:

• Improved user experience: A well-functioning search bar helps customers quickly find what they need, creating a positive and efficient shopping experience.

• Reduced bounce rates: An effective search function helps keep customers on your site longer, reducing the likelihood of them leaving without making a purchase.

• Increased sales: When customers can easily find products, they are more likely to make a purchase, leading to increased sales and revenue.

• Valuable customer insights: By tracking search queries, you gain valuable insights into what your customers are looking for, allowing you to tailor your product offerings and marketing strategies accordingly.

• Enhanced customer loyalty: A positive search experience contributes to overall customer satisfaction, fostering loyalty and repeat business.

• Competitive advantage: In a competitive e-commerce landscape, a superior search function can set you apart from the competition and attract more customers.

DHL’s top 10 internal site search best practices

1. Design the search bar for usability

The size, colour, positioning, design, and wording of your search box affect the way it’s used. Therefore, a bootstrap search box (or bootstrap search bar) can be as effective as an expensively-designed solution – you just need to get it right.

The search box should be big enough to accommodate the answers to most queries on your site so that users can see different products that might start with the same letters. To make it stand out, position it in a prominent place towards the top of the page and consider giving the border a different colour. Additionally, putting text inside the box, such as ‘Enter Keyword’ or ‘What are you looking for?’, will make its purpose clear. However, make sure that the text disappears automatically when people start typing.

2. Favour search over navigation on mobile

Search is crucial to e-commerce, and even more so on mobile devices. Research suggests that most users (69%) head straight to the search bar when shopping on e-commerce sites, but a staggering 80% leave due to a poor experience (Nosto, 2023)1. 

On mobile, where screen space is limited, search becomes all the more important. After all, it’s much easier to enter text into a box than to negotiate your way around complex dropdown menus on a smaller screen. As mobile shopping is projected to account for 44.2% of all online sales by 2025, a robust mobile strategy will be critical for e-commerce success (Shopify, 2023)2. As such, it’s best to adopt best practices to optimise the user interface (UI) of your site’s search bar from the get-go.

3. Use filters

Filters are a vital feature that enable your customers to quickly narrow down their searches and find exactly what they need. In fact, 41% of consumers cite irrelevant search results as one of the most frustrating aspects of online shopping (Nosto, 2023)3. To address this, you can include filters for users to sort search results by price range, size, brand, type, colour, and average ratings, to name a few. Relevant filtering options such as these can guide customers towards the products they desire, reducing frustration and increasing the likelihood of a purchase. Remember, a smooth and efficient search experience translates to happier customers and improved sales.

4. Use autocomplete search with error tolerance

Sometimes called autosuggest or type-ahead, autocomplete is another must-have feature to improve your customers’ search experience. As users type, suitable products are suggested, guiding users in constructing their queries. In fact, smart versions of autocomplete will even analyse previous search data to suggest the most likely products first. 

With that said, keep in mind that 26% of consumers cite a lack of error tolerance as a top source of frustration in e-commerce searches (Nosto, 2023)4. This situation refers to when an internal site search fails to interpret queries with synonyms or misspelled words. 

Therefore, the best practice is to ensure your autocomplete system can determine what people actually mean, even with synonyms or typos. Insisting that the customer learns to spell ‘sandals’ correctly is not an option, so you should plan for variations such as sandels, sandles, sandalls, sanderls… you get the picture. By accommodating these common errors, you create a more user-friendly experience and prevent customers from abandoning their search due to minor spelling mistakes.

5. Use searchandising

The merchandising aspect of the search box, also known as searchandising, is often overlooked. The term refers to a method of optimising search results based on factors beyond the search term. Examples of these factors are the customer’s profile and location, semantic analysis, and the time of the year. 

Imagine a customer in Dublin searching for "winter boots."  Searchandising will allow you to prioritise boots that are in stock at your Dublin warehouse or even suggest waterproof boots based on the city's typical weather.

A search box with a suggestions dropdown menu can be a handy tool for implementing searchandising, offering relevant product recommendations and guiding customers towards a purchase.

6. Make ‘no results’ work for you

If there are no results for a customer’s e-commerce site search, that shouldn’t signal the end of their visit. Instead of a cold ‘no results’ message, which can be frustrating for users, use the opportunity to redirect them to your other offerings. You can suggest best sellers or deals of the week or even serve up results that are best related to their search terms. Another good practice is to learn from what people are expecting to find on your website to see whether it’s something you could consider stocking.

7. Make it easy for people to search (almost) whenever they want

If people have a positive experience with your search box, they’re more likely to use it again during the same visit. So, make sure the search box is on every page. The only exception might be the checkout page, where you want people to stay focused on completing their purchase.

8. Speed is everything

As customers become seasoned online shoppers, speed becomes a basic standard, not a nice-to-have. Customers today expect instant results, and a slow internal site search function can lead to frustration and lost e-commerce sales. According to Cloudflare, more users stay on fast-loading sites, converting at higher rates compared to slower sites5. For instance, technology company Mobify found that decreasing homepage load time by a 100 milliseconds resulted in a 1.11% increase in session-based conversions6. 

As the slightest delay in page load time can significantly impact your conversion rates, ensure your site search is optimised for speed and can deliver results in a flash. By doing so, you can improve user experience and achieve better search engine rankings and increased site traffic.

9. Provide a quick view option

A quick view function lets users see a thumbnail image of the product page, giving them the chance to ‘add to basket’ without having to load the page. The fewer clicks it takes your customers to purchase, the more likely they are to do so – so make sure there’s nothing that can get in their way.

10. Find out what people are looking for on your site

Utilise tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) site search tracking or Google Tag Manager (GTM) to uncover the search terms people use on your site. These insights provide valuable information about what your customers are looking for, allowing you to identify popular products and potential content development opportunities for optimised search functionality.  

For example, if you notice a high volume of searches for "organic cotton t-shirts," you can prioritise showcasing these products or even create a dedicated landing page to satisfy this demand. By aligning your offerings with your customers' search behaviour, you can improve e-commerce sales performance and enhance customer satisfaction.

Ready to improve your internal e-commerce site search? Start optimising today!

A well-optimised internal site search is crucial for any e-commerce company looking to thrive in the competitive online marketplace. By implementing the best practices covered in this blog, you can enhance the search experience for your customers, improve sales performance, and gain a competitive edge.  

As you secure e-commerce sales, it's equally crucial to ensure timely and efficient deliveries to meet customer expectations and avoid any negative impact on your brand reputation. This is where a reliable logistics partner, such as DHL Express, becomes essential. 

With its extensive experience in international shipping, DHL Express can support your e-commerce business with efficient and reliable delivery solutions. Furthermore, its valuable guidance on related topics, such as how to utilise sustainable packaging and e-commerce trends, make it a trusted resource for businesses navigating the complexities of online commerce.  

Open a business account with DHL Express today to ensure a seamless shipping experience for your e-commerce business and achieve greater business continuity.