Improving site search boosts conversions by 30% - 40% at Fabric.com
A switch to on-demand site search functionality from Mercado Software has helped improve conversion rates by 30% to 40% at Fabric.com since the feature was implemented on the site in September to replace an internally developed site search function, the online retailer reports. Laurie Eady, director of marketing at Fabric.com, also says the average individual order size has increased during the same time.
“I am sure that as we continue to tweak, add rules, and clean our data, this will only get better,” Eady adds. Among other improvements, the new search function gives shoppers more options in refining their search; for example, allowing them to narrow results of a search for fabric by attributes including fabric width, category, color family, designer, price and other choices.
The merchandising capability attached to the new search product also has made it easier for Fabric.com’s marketing and merchandising teams to manage campaigns directly and to create special landing pages to promote seasonal and special items. It supports business rules written by the teams that serve up different promotions right on the search results page based on the keywords entered in a site search.
A search for Halloween fabric, for instance, can generate a banner across the search results page that displays a special offer on Halloween fabrics. And while the Mercado implementation at Fabric.com does not specifically recognize when individual visitors are new to the site, the marketing and merchandising teams have written rules into the software that generate banners with special offers for first-time customers in results for keyword searches that suggest a visitor might be new.
That’s proven to be an effective strategy, according to Eady. “Since we went live with Mercado, we have seen big improvements. By implementing special first-time customer promotions like special shipping offers, we are now getting about 25% more new customers every day,” she says.
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