Floating Search Box Increases Search Usage and Website KPIs

As we’ve discussed in our Big Book of Site Search Tips and in our blogs, site search users are responsible for a proportionally larger share of revenue and conversions – so if you can increase the number of visitors who use the search box, the better your business performance. It makes sense for eRetailers to encourage visitors to use site search more often by making the search box more prominent or easier to find.

Increasing the size of the search box, or testing for optimum placement, are tips we’ve talked about in the past. In this newsletter, we’d like to share a new tip, which was suggested by one of our customers, American Bridal. In a bid to increase site search usage by their visitors, the company came up with the idea for a “floating search box,” which floats or hovers over the content even as the site visitor scrolls down a webpage. This means the search box is always visible and available. American Bridal generously shared this great idea with us.

You can see how the floating search box works on American Bridal’s website. When visitors arrive on the homepage, they see the search box near the top of the screen:

As shoppers click through to different pages and scroll down, the search box remains at the top of the page:

American Bridal’s search box toolbar also includes codes for order discounts, giving the company an additional way to promote special deals and increase conversions.

Test the floating search box on your own site, and see if it helps your visitors take advantage of site search more often.

Got “no results”? Give customers an alternative

When someone searches your site only to get a “no results” page, their visit will likely come to an end – whether you’re an e-commerce site, publisher, or otherwise. When you don’t give visitors other options, they’re likely to give up on the search and leave. Here are some tips for avoiding “no results” pages and how to offer alternate suggestions for visitors.

Reduce the number of “no results” pages:

• Use Auto Complete to offer suggested search terms as soon as visitors start typing in the search box. The suggested search terms will always deliver results.
• Pull reports on search terms that have no results. Often “no results” pages occur because your visitors are using different language than you use on your site – for instance, alternate spellings, or synonyms for product names. You can fix this by incorporating the alternate spelling or language into your search. Reports on “no results” search terms can also tell you about products or information that your visitors expect you to have, but that you don’t carry. You can use this information to help expand your offerings.

Offer more options on “no results” pages:

• Show spelling suggestions using the “Did you mean …” phrase. You can pull these suggestions from the language you use on your website.
• Show popular searches  and popular products
• Display keyword-specific banners. For example, if a visitor searches for a product that you no longer stock, then a banner may be a good way of saying, “We no longer carry this product – but here are some alternatives.”
• Display your phone number and invite the customer to call you, or ask you questions via live chat.