New Site Search Report - Companies are Increasing their Investment in Website Search to Boost Sales and Improve User Experience
A new Site Search Report, published by Econsultancy in association with Funnelback, reveals that users have only a 50% chance of finding what they're looking for from a website's search function, suggesting that there is much room for improvement.
The report also finds that the majority (57%) of firms are planning to increase their investment in this area as they appreciate the value and benefits of effective site search.
For customers who prefer not to navigate and browse through a site, perhaps because they have a clear idea of what they are looking for, effective site search is vital. Indeed, some stats have shown that conversion rates through site search can be up to 50% higher than the average.
Entering a product name or code into the search box indicates an intent to purchase, so an effective site search function which returns accurate and usable results can pay dividends.
There is also the added bonus of the data that is provided by user searches. This can provide a valuable insight into the minds of consumers which can inform improvements to site search, as well as other area of marketing, paid search strategies for one.
Site Search Budgets
The report has some excellent insights into companies' attitudes to site search and the resources which are allocated in this area.
More than a third of companies (37%) use site search technology which is free, and this number increases to 56% for companies with a turnover of less than £10 million. A third of companies (33%) say the cost of site search is included within other software fees.
Many seem to think site search technology is worth the investment, as those using specialist site search vendors are most likely to be satisfied. A quarter of these companies say they are very satisfied (25%) and a further 36% say they are "quite satisfied".
Site Search Success Rates
Users have a low tolerance of poor site search performance, and if they cannot find what they are looking for, they are likely to abandon the site and look elsewhere.
On average just 50% of site searches were successful, and 40% of responding companies were not even aware of the success rates. There is room for improvement here, as well as in the method of measurement.
It is clear from the research that many firms are simply not measuring the impact of site search. While some use analytics software to track conversions from site search, others are simply asking for customer feedback through contact forms, and many are not looking into this at all.
Use of Site Search Data
According to respondents, the most useful types of insight they get from site search are finding popular search keywords and product trends, the most frequently cited insight.
The data from customer searches is also used to improve the navigation and general usability of the site, while others feed this into future SEO and PPC campaigns.
Despite the wealth of actionable data that site search can generate, only 7% of companies are sure they are efficiently learning from site search and distributing these insights across the business. Just under half (46%) are "partially" doing this, but 47% are not learning from site search at all.
Agency respondents have a slightly different take on this, with 31% saying their clients are not using site search data, but just 8% say their clients are doing this well.
Learn More...
The report is based on a survey of more than 500 digital marketers and web professionals and is the most in-depth piece of survey-based research available on this subject.
Visit the Econsultancy website to find out more, and to download the report
A summarised version of the report is also available for free download from the Squiz website
About Funnelback
Funnelback is a global search engine technology and services company that delivers leading edge information retrieval solutions coupled with quality customer support. Its search technology allows your staff or clients to find information held on websites, intranets, databases and many other information repositories.
Funnelback delivers superior search performance with its patented technologies, refined algorithms and extensive range of features, which include Funnelback's Pattern Analyser to detect changes in search queries.
The Funnelback search engine evolved from leading edge technology developed by the CSIRO, Australia's premier scientific research agency. The company was established in December 2005 and in July 2009, Funnelback was acquired by Squiz, a leading Content Management System (CMS) company.
Funnelback clients span a broad range of market sectors and include the UK Electoral Commission, Digital UK, the London School of Economics, the Australian Federal Government, Oxfam and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
To find out more visit funnelback.com.
About Econsultancy
Econsultancy is a digital publishing and training group that is used by more than 200,000 internet professionals every month.
The company publishes practical and time-saving research to help marketers make better decisions about the digital environment, build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers.
Econsultancy has offices in New York and London, and hosts more than 100 events every year in the US and UK. Some of Econsultancy's members include: Google, Yahoo, Dell, BBC, BT, Shell, Vodafone, Virgin Atlantic, Barclays, Deloitte, T-Mobile and Estée Lauder.
To find out more visit the Econsultancy website.
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