Should your website use a site search? In most cases, the answer will be yes, but it really depends on the size of your site and what your company’s goals are. If you have an e-commerce website, a site search is a must-have. Likewise, if your website depends on advertising and has voluminous amounts of content you want users to be able to find what they are looking for quickly. If your company has a one- or two-page website, then a search function is not needed. Here are some additional ways your company can benefit from a site search.
Site Searches Drive Sales
Site search functionality is one of the crucial things that if it is not on your company’s site, will cause users to bounce and head seek out one of your competitors. Conversely, not many websites include site search, which could give your company an edge. Many e-commerce sites don’t take advantage of optimization for a site search. Amazingly, over 40% of e-commerce companies don’t have a search function at all.
If you have a detailed, expansive content on your company’s website, you want visitors to be able to quickly find what they are looking for instead of spending half an hour of scrolling and clicking. In reality, if the customer has to take more than a few seconds to find what they are looking for, they will leave. However, if the visitor can quickly find what they want, they are almost certain to convert into a paying customer who will return in the future.
Why is this? Visitors who use site search are looking for a specific good or service, which is different from a visitor who is just checking out your company’s website to see what it is all about. Another benefit of site searches is that it makes the visitor feel they are in control of the experience on your site. There is the fringe benefit of improving your organic search rankings. Search engines will take notice of the time users spend on your site, the reduced bounce rate, and the number of page views.
What Site Search Should be Used?
WordPress
If you are like the rest of the business community your company is using WordPress to host its website, one of the reasons for the popularity of is that it already has a built-in site search, but it can be improved upon easily. Numerous plugins can be used to enhance WordPress site searches. Some of the top plugins are SearchWP, Swiftype and of course Google Custom Search for WordPress.
HubSpot
HubSpot now has its own site search which is easy to set up and easy to use.
All the Rest
Just like plugins for WordPress, there are countless widgets that can be added to your website to allow visitors to perform a site search. Google is the King-Kong of searches. It is probably the most popular site search widget and easy to install. Fusion Bot and FreeFind are just two of the popular site search widgets available.
The bottom line is that adding a site search function to your website will give you a clear competitive edge over websites that do not have it. It will increase customer satisfaction and turn visits into sales.
Let MosierData assist with all your website needs. Give us a call at (863) 687-0000.