Tips for Search Box Optimization & Best Practices You Need to Know

Introduction

Do you feel like you’ve done everything you could to improve the search box on your website? And nothing works as it should? No worry. We’ve got some great tips and best practices for search box optimization.

It is common for website owners to underestimate the power of optimizing their search boxes. But you don’t want to miss out on a revenue-boosting opportunity right in front of you and gain a competitive edge over your rivals, do you?

Before we jump into the details, let’s go through the basics.

Why optimize a search box?

According to a Forrester Research study on essential e-commerce features, shoppers who use the site search are 2-3 times more likely to purchase an item than those who use navigation.

However, it is not easy to provide accurate results to website visitors with a random tool you picked up on the internet.

If you want to be sure that:

• It’s easy for visitors to use the search box
• They get the relevant product searches right away
• Customers want to continue shopping with you

The key is to put some effort into polishing your tool or choose the one that works.

Apart from that, would you stay on a website that provides an unintuitive search bar that does not show any of the results you’re interested in? Or even worse, you try to find something but see zero results?

Most likely not. According to our research, 30% of shoppers leave the online store immediately if the search returns no results.

The world is a hectic place, and people have little time for repeatedly shopping or correcting their queries.

So, they would probably just leave the website and search for products or services on another website. Sometimes, even competitive prices might not save the day when such things (0-results page, for example) happen. Visitors want the buying process to be as simple as possible.

That is why you need to pay some extra attention, put effort into your search box, and check if it’s well-optimized. 👉🏻 All to keep your valuable visitors and customers on your website and deliver them what they deserve – a fantastic user experience.

Best practices for search box optimization

We’ve provided a handful of practices to help you get the most out of your search box. Optimize it with these tips. ⬇️

1. Display the search box at the top of the website

When you enter a website and want to type search queries, you don’t look for the search bar at the bottom of the page, right? Placing it below the fold is like trying to find your car keys in the morning before your coffee kicks in – not fun.

Display it at the top to make it intuitive and easy to find. It is the place where navigation bars usually are, and visitors’ instant reaction will probably be looking for them at the top.

As a result, search users will be able to locate content more easily – especially in the case of content-heavy websites. It’ll increase your website engagement, too!

📰 Check out more e-commerce metrics that are worth tracking.

2. Make it the right size

A small search bar may easily be missed among all the great content you have on your website. If the visitors cannot find it because it is too small and unnoticeable, it does not help at all.

Again, it would be kind of sad to let this detail ruin delivering outstanding content that people want to keep up with.

As in the case of placing the bar in a not standard place, it loses its primary purpose. The goal of the search tool is to make people find the product they love in no time. So make sure it is big enough. And it does not blend with the website. What’s more, people with poor eyesight will be super thankful.

A good starting point is to reevaluate the search bar design and size to make it stand out more.

3. Include the text to encourage people to type

Placeholder text in the search bar is indeed an excellent idea! It will likely encourage people to type in their search terms and clarify what the little box is for. It appears in the search field before the user types anything. Very often accompanied by a search icon.

Don’t know what placeholder text you want? Take a look at your website and decide whether you want something fun or maybe classic. Be sure that the text resonates with your brand’s philosophy.

If you feel like it, let your imagination run off the rails and create something that grabs visitors’ attention. For example, “Search for shoes you will love” or “Search [Your Website Name].”

The text should be concise and clear and give visitors a hint of what type of information they can find on your website.

4. Have an autocomplete

The search box makes shopping (or looking for relevant content) quicker and easier. But if it autocompletes search queries, it speeds things up even more.

Having an autocomplete solution is very convenient for people using mobile devices. They save time and effort by letting the search engine predict what they’re trying to find. It makes search suggestions as well.

Want to streamline your search experience, but you haven’t implemented an autocomplete yet? It’s a great starting point!

However, according to Baymard’s research, only 19% of e-commerce sites get all the implementation details right. For more about Autocomplete, have a look at our dedicated blog.

5. Optimize for mobile devices

As mentioned earlier, autocomplete is mobile-friendly, and visitors using tablets, smartphones, or others, will appreciate it. Here is what you can do to optimize it even more for your mobile users.

• Check if it’s big enough to click the search bar quickly.
• Test it. Mobile devices take different sizes. Make sure it works correctly across all of them.
• Position the bar at the top. In the same way as when viewing a website through a browser.

Did you know in 2022, 63% of online purchases were made on mobile devices? That’s quite a number. For better conversion rates, mobile-optimized search bars are a must.

6. Locate it on every page

Next, make sure your website has a search bar on every page. Navigating through multiple pages to find it would be a bit frustrating and could drive visitors away.

Besides, locating a search bar on every page might work when looking for ways of reducing bounce rates.

If you run an e-shop, consider implementing a product recommender, too. An intuitive search box and product recommendations might be a killer combination for boosting revenue!

7. Incorporate voice search

Voice search is one of the most useful functions when having one’s hands full or having other difficulties that prevent him from typing. It lets finding things on the phone (and not only) without typing anything. Instead, your visitors can use their voice to give a command, and the search tool does the rest.

It is easy to use, and what’s equally valuable – it’s faster than typing because the voice function picks the most relevant search for us. It’s a great solution – no need for scrolling through a bunch of search results.

Are you scratching your head and wondering how to improve user experience? Well, then, give this search option a try.

8. Track customers’ intent

To optimize your search bar in the best way possible, it’s good to get a bigger picture of what your visitors are searching for. Keep an eye on the statistics. The data collected from tracking customer intent provides insight into customer behavior, pain points, and opportunities to enhance customer service.

It’s the mine of valuable information. You may find it particularly useful when:

• Creating personalized recommendations for your customers,
• Determining their preferences,
• Tailoring your marketing campaigns.

And it all entails more sales and increased customer loyalty.

9. Ensure it has search filters

Searching through all the information and content to find this one thing may be overwhelming. And this is where filter results come to the rescue.

Filters enable users to refine their search and limit the results to those that are most relevant to their interests. No time to waste – implement filters and make the search process smooth.

Let your visitors sort search results by various criteria, such as date, location, popularity, price, or whatever you think it’s handy.

10. Check if the search box is typo-tolerant

Typos happen. We all make them. And unfortunately, when your search box is not typo-tolerant, a user will see a “no results” page. Then, it is very probable that they will just leave your website and find a product or service somewhere else.

What if, instead of a “no results” page, users saw the related products to the previous searches? Or products that they might like? It is much better, isn’t it?

11. Show relevant results in a drop-down menu

A drop-down search bar combines a text input field with a drop-down menu on your website. Users can type in search queries and choose from a list of suggested options – all at once. The drop-down typically displays a list of popular search terms based on the user’s input.

It reduces users’ effort and time looking for the products – they often find their relevant products before clicking the search button.

Are you afraid of having complex navigation structures or a vast amount of amazing content? In this case, the drop-down menu will be handy.

12. Keep an eye on the search results and search box performance

It’s not only the user intent that needs to be tracked. Monitor the metrics important for your business to be up-to-date with the trends on your website.

Knowing the top-performing search results will give a better idea of what people like. Take a look at those outcomes and use them in your advertising. For instance, offer discounts for popular products when you see the conversion rate suffers.

13. Optimize search results for different languages

Do you have an e-shop in multiple languages? Getting a solution that can properly process languages other than English is not that easy. Luckily, with Luigi’s Box, your search is super-smart in 27 countries and works perfectly.

Use Luigi’s Box for a better-optimized search box

It is a solution that brings user experience to the next level with intelligent search options and not only that. So check out the search functions and advantages that will save your customers time and boost your conversions.

• Autocomplete

Thanks to this advanced functionality, internet users see the relevant results before they finish typing. It is definitely more user-friendly to look for content with Luigi’s Box and additional features like autocomplete.

• Easy setup

You are only a few steps away from launching it on a website. You create an account, insert the script you get into your e-shop’s header, or use Google Tag Manager. And it’s ready to go. Now you can start improving and exploring ways to serve your customers better.

• Voice search

This type of searching is useful for those busy, for example, while cooking, having hands from food or dough, or just needing some support to find information. Don’t underestimate the power of voice search – it’s becoming popular every day!

• Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning

Luigi’s Box uses AI and ML for product recommendations and optimizing search functions. It constantly learns your customers’ behavior – all to provide them with better results, maximize conversion rates, and decrease churn rates.

• Faceted filters

It’s a search functionality that significantly reduces search results and makes picking the best one a snap. Customers are not confused by irrelevant filters because Luigi’s Box algorithms know which filters are needed for each product category.

But the list of advanced search options does not end here. Discover other tools from Luigi’s Box.

To wrap it up

Optimize your search box with our tips and tricks today! Make some tweaks here and there to ensure that the visitors find their favorite items instantly.

And speaking of excellent solutions, have you checked up on Luigi’s Box? With their fantastic search features, such as autocomplete, voice search, and intuitiveness, you’ll deliver a positive user experience.

Frequently asked questions