Transforming eCommerce Search: The Shift in Customer Behavior

Getting customers on eCommerce site is a challenge but a further challenge is conversion. Typically it is less than 1% for most eCommerce sites. There is a pivotal point in the customer journey: The shopper has refined their search, focusing on products that meet their needs, and they're browsing products with the intent to make a purchase. This is where the magic of ecommerce takes place. The design, elements, and features of your product listing page can either seal the deal or lose the sale.

So, how do you drive shoppers to your product listing page and then persuade them to buy? We've got some strategies. Here are few successful approaches, along with examples to illustrate how it's done.

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Ensure Best on class SEO for the Product Listing Page, ensure it is easy to Find

When consumers search for products online, nearly half (49%) go straight to a search engine. To make sure your products appear at the top of their search results, it's crucial to optimize your product listing page for SEO. Here's where to focus:

• Listing page headline: The headline of your product listing page is prominently displayed on search engine results pages. Include relevant keywords and be strategic by researching potential keywords, their search volume, and user intent to create a well-crafted title.
• Compelling Meta Description: This is a brief summary of your product listing page, ideally 150-160 characters. Make it punchy and persuasive, clearly explaining why your page is exactly what the shopper needs.
• SEO friendly URL: Keep your URL concise, include your main keyword, and use hyphens to separate words.

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Conversational / Image / Voice Search

The way customers search is changing rapidly, keyword based search is of past. Businesses struggled to incorporate the right keywords to continuously improve the search experience. And similarly, shoppers too tried the best to guess the right words to get the results to yield relevant results.

Conversational Search: Shoppers are becoming more accustomed to typing natural language questions into search bars and expecting robust and relevant results.?Customers can also use vernacular language to converse and if results are relevant then it creates an amazing experience for the customer

Voice & Image Search: If conversational is not enough, then customers also are using voice for convenience and image based search for accuracy. Voice is another way to search for convenience, especially when the customer is on the go. Images help customers to purchase something very similar to what they are looking for, whether it is a luxury purchase, or say furniture, the usage is across various industries

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Showcase Product Features with Engaging Videos

The majority of marketers (80+%) use embedded video to keep customers engaged, and for good reason—videos convert. In fact, 80% of consumers report that watching a video has convinced them to purchase a product or service. However, to make video content effective on your product listing page, the technical details need to be spot on. Here are some tips:

• Keep It crisp: Attention spans are limited, so your video should quickly grab attention and deliver value.
• Easy to access: Add alternative text, captions, and ensure text and controls have enough color contrast for readability. If possible, enable speech recognition features so viewers can control the video with voice commands.
• SEO friendly: Videos that load slowly can hurt your search rankings, so compress them before uploading and avoid using autoplay, which can also impact the user experience negatively.

By following these tips, you'll not only engage customers but also improve your SEO performance

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Messaging and Pricing

Not every product is an award winning one, but lot of information like reviews, rating, social buzz can increase the views and overall conversion of these products

• Social connect:?Leverage the power of social media. In fact,?90+% of consumers ?say online reviews and ratings influence their purchase decisions. You can also consider highlighting user-generated content to build trust and boost conversion rates.
• The inventory rush:?Create a sense of urgency with “limited stock” warnings for popular products. You can even tell shoppers how many items are left — an extra nudge to make sure they don’t miss out.
• Trending products:?Ensure tags like “bestseller”, “popular choice”, “new arrivals” etc. for popular products and tags like “plant based” to promote values-driven shopping, along with star ratings for each item. These badges don’t take up extra space but add lot of value on the product listing page.

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To summarize, your product listing page should make the shopping experience both easy and enjoyable. By blending visual appeal with effective marketing and merchandising strategies, you spark your customers’ desire to purchase. It doesn’t require much to add a few eye-catching photos or highlight your bestsellers. However, these straightforward techniques can help you curate your products, prices, and category pages in a way that drives conversions.