endeca: developing a best practice search experience
DESCRIPTION
Search and browse pages are where customers decide whether your site can meet their needs. The best sites quickly guide customers to the best products and information that match those needs. But which user experience elements are most effective in pushing customers to a purchase? Learn best practices for developing a search experience that converts more visitors into customers.Rob Swint, Director of Product Marketing, eBusiness solutions, EndecaTRANSCRIPT
Developing A Best Practice Search Experience
Rob Swint Director of Product Marketing Endeca Technologies
Oct. 13, 2010
Who is Endeca?
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Leader in search technology
45 of the top 100 Internet Retailers use Endeca today
Increases traffic and converts more visitors into customers
Continuing to grow with hybris and mobile commerce
Agenda
Why does search matter?
Guiding customers to a conversion event
Merchandising within the search experience
Innovative site example
Q&A
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User experience | Importance of Search
Transaction Pages
Product Detail Pages
A Sample Customer Path
1. Enter via the Home Page
2. Search for “Camera”
3. Refine by Price
4. Refine by Brand
5. Sort by Top Rated
6. Refine by Color “pink”
7. Click Desired Product
8. View Product Detail
9. Add to Shopping Cart 10. Transact
> 60% of the user
experience is the facet-
driven dialog
1. Enter via Google
Home Page
Search Results Pages Nav Refinement
Pages Dynamic Topic Pages Category
Pages
Facet-Driven Pages
Each page is unique, each page an opportunity
“Camera”
Price
Brand
Top Rated
“pink”
Agenda
Why does search matter?
Guiding customers to a conversion event
Merchandising within the search experience
Innovative site examples
Q&A
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Search
Search look-ahead: Prompt for valid next step, taking out the guess work
Spell-correction: Present valid alternatives, keeping shoppers on the right path
Relevance Controls: Give users the ability to control relevance and presentation, sorting by what’s most important to shopper
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Relevance: Guide customers to best entry point
Facets
Product data
Refinement counts: Evaluate the tradeoffs and possibilities
Multi-select: Select multiple options, graying out as configured.
Inventive Refinements: Visualizations to help evaluate options
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Refinements: Help customers visualize next steps
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Refinements: Innovative Visualizations
t
3rd Party Content
Expert Content Buying Guides
Articles and FAQs
Video
Peer Content Top sellers
Top rated
Review content
Profile content (“customers like you”)
Shoppers want expert advice in the context of their path to feel confident that they are making the best purchase.
Shoppers want to filter by reviews and ratings from people like them to identify the best product among seemingly similar choices.
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Confidence: Value of 3rd party opinion
Mobile
Access point for research Customers are increasingly relying on mobile devices to research and make purchases
Consistency Basic actions should return like results, regardless of channel – search results, categories, etc.
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Consistent: Similar experience regardless of method
Agenda
Why does search matter?
Guiding customers to a conversion event
Merchandising within the search experience
Innovative site examples
Q&A
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What types of personalization are available?
Profile-based (Behavioral) – Marketing creates segmentation – Based on behavioral profile, recent actions – Each segment delivered content as determined by marketing
Algorithmic (Behavioral) – Algorithm automatically creates “micro-segments” – Based on behavioral profile, recent actions (click stream, actions, etc.) – Each person delivered content based “similar customers”
Contextual – Each visitor indicates their intent – Based on a actions at that moment – Each person delivered content based on rule triggered against content
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Types of merchandising
Merchandising in search: Explicit vs. implied interest
Search: “iPod” Filter: 16 GB
Abandoned cart containing docking station
Big spender, loves ponies, books about Greece
Explicit interest
Implied interest
Implied interest
Context Recent Actions
Behavioral Profile
“Personal Promotion”
Search: “iPod” Filter: 16 GB
Abandoned cart containing docking station
Big spender, loves ponies, books about Greece
Which one is the most relevant promotion by itself?
Promote most popular 16 GB
iPod
Promote discount on
docking station
Promote most popular item with big spending,
Greek pony lovers (answer = Bose headset)
Context Recent Actions
Behavioral Profile
Personal Promotion?
Merchandising in search: Explicit vs. implied interest
OR OR
Context Recent Actions
Behavioral Profile
Personal Promotion
Search: “iPod” Filter: 16 GB
Abandoned cart containing docking station
Big spender, loves ponies, books about Greece
Context informs the best content to deliver
Promote most popular 16 GB
iPod
Promote bundle of 16 GB iPod +
docking station
Promote most popular 16 GB iPod with big spending, Greek pony
lovers
Merchandising in search: Don’t ignore context
Agenda
Why does search matter?
Guiding customers to a conversion event
Merchandising within the search experience
Innovative site examples
Q&A
Copyright ©2009 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential. Page 17