New site search tool increases page views 25% at eToys.com

More organized and broader shopping options presented through site search results at eToys.com have led to a 25% increase in the average number of pages viewed per search, Chris Cummings, CIO of eToys Direct Inc., tells Internet Retailer.

“Our average page views per visit have gone up two full page views, from eight to 10,” Cummings says. “That means this guided navigation is bringing people through more products and helps them find what they’re looking for. The more we interact with the customer, the more likely we’ll convert that customer to a sale.”

If a shopper searches on the term “Barbie” on eToys.com, which uses Endeca Technologies Inc.’s InFront site search and navigation tool, for instance, she’ll not only see a list of images and descriptions of products that eToys sorted either by best-seller or price, but also sections of specially promoted, related items and a navigation bar that can take her to virtually any of eToys’ 8,000 products, Cummings says.

By dynamically creating web pages based on a shopper’s search terms, the site search and navigation tool has enabled eToys to replace 80 distinct boutique sections of its site that required extensive time for managing links and content. “In the old way, we practically had to work around the clock to manually maintain boutiques, replacing links to out-of-stock products with links to replacement products,” says Brian Bass, director of product development.