Why guided product discovery is your unfair conversion advantage that will help you accelerate sales

Picture this. John, a potential customer, visits your website to find the perfect TV for his home. He knows what he wants—screen size, resolution, features—but needs help figuring out which model would best fit.

John tries utilizing your website’s search and advanced filters to narrow the options. But as he scrolls through several product pages, he needs more clarification and help with the vast array of choices. Frustrated, John leaves your website without making a purchase, wishing he had a live salesperson to ask the right questions and guide him to the ideal product.

Does this scenario sound familiar? It emphasizes the value of offering a smooth, enjoyable user experience (UX) in ecommerce, particularly when potential customers navigate a wide range of products.

The power of good UX and effective search functionality

As an ecommerce seller, you may already know the importance of a seamless user experience. However, you may not be fully aware of the significant influence that poor UX can have on your business.

When users need help identifying products, especially in categories with multiple options (e.g., televisions, board games, beauty products), poor UX becomes a silent killer. Decision paralysis — a common pitfall where customers are overwhelmed by choices and struggle to decide — drives potential buyers away. So a vast product catalog alone can never guarantee success; you must also pay attention to your website’s search functionality.

And you might be shocked to learn that search abandonment, caused by users struggling to find what they need, led to retailers losing over $300 billion in sales in the U.S. alone last year. The same study reveals that 90% of U.S. consumers consider a good search function very important or absolutely essential, and 97% agree that their favorite retail websites are the ones where they can quickly find what they seek.

Overlooking UX and search functionality issues on your ecommerce website can negatively affect your business — impacting its performance, brand reputation, and customer retention. You could miss out on potential customers who may never return, potentially driving them to your competitors. Here are some of the major consequences:

• Low conversions: Difficulty finding products results in fewer purchases, lower conversion rates, and reduced revenue.
• High bounce rates: Poor search functionality often leads to higher bounce rates, negatively affecting your website’s search engine rankings and making it harder for new customers to discover your site.
• Lost customer insights: Without proper analytics or tools to track customer behavior and preferences, ecommerce sellers lose valuable data for making informed decisions about product offerings, marketing strategies, and website improvements.
• Scaling challenges: Ecommerce sellers with poor website search functionality may doubt the effectiveness of scaling their business through advertising, as achieving a return on investment (ROI) from ad spend becomes more difficult.

Improving your ecommerce website’s search functionality and overall UX can significantly increase your chances of converting visitors into buyers and fostering loyal customers who return for future purchases. This is where Sellesta Engage comes into play.

How Sellesta Engage works

Sellesta Engage is a user-friendly tool designed to help ecommerce businesses overcome the challenges associated with poor UX and search functionality. It aims to enhance the overall shopping experience and boost conversion rates by guiding potential customers through a tailored product discovery journey. The process includes an ad hoc questionnaire that adjusts to real-time information from customers, making the search experience both personalized and efficient.

As a small widget that easily integrates with your ecommerce website, Sellesta Engage’s primary goal is to help customers find the products they need efficiently, even if they don’t have a clear idea of what they’re looking for or when faced with multiple options in a single category. Hence, customers spend more time on product pages and less time searching.

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When visitors land on your website, Sellesta Engage uses a series of customized questions to understand their preferences, needs, and requirements. Based on the answers provided, the tool analyzes the responses and recommends the most suitable product options for each individual user. Users can receive tailored product recommendations within 20-30 seconds.

It is worth noting that typically, 30% to 60% of website visitors use the on-site search feature and are 2-4 times more likely to convert than those who do not use it, making Sellesta Engage an even more valuable addition to your website.

By guiding customers through this streamlined product discovery process, Sellesta Engage can effectively transform casual visitors into satisfied buyers. The benefits are easy to see:

• Streamlined product search: Sellesta Engage simplifies the search by asking targeted questions. This helps customers quickly find products that match their needs and preferences, leading to a better user experience, increased conversions, and customer satisfaction. Irving Hernandez, the founding partner at Eurojuegos, believes that Sellesta Engage serves as the perfect assistant, similar to someone asking, “How can I help you?” in a physical store. [add link]
• Non-invasive, tailored recommendations: Sellesta Engage uses a non-invasive approach to fostering trust and building a positive relationship between the potential customer and the seller. El Duende, a Mexican company selling modern board games, saw great results after implementing Sellesta Engage. Approximately 40% of their customers used the widget. Of those who use it, 60% make it all the way to the last question, and half of them end up making a purchase. [add link]
• Valuable customer insights: Sellesta Engage allows ecommerce sellers to gather essential information about potential customers, helping them better align their product offerings and marketing strategies.
• Easy integration and fast launch: Compatible with any website and content management system, Sellesta Engage is simple to integrate and ensures seamless functionality across various platforms.

Revisiting John’s shopping experience

Remember John, the potential customer who felt searching for the perfect TV was like finding a needle in a haystack.

This time, John’s search becomes a breeze with Sellesta Engage installed on your website. As he begins his search, Sellesta Engage asks tailored questions to understand his preferences and needs, recommending models that align with his criteria. 

Feeling as if a knowledgeable salesperson is personally assisting him, John confidently selects the TV he’s been searching for. Impressed by the personalized experience, he eagerly bookmarks your website for future shopping. This demonstrates the undeniable power of guided product discovery in action.

By adopting Sellesta Engage, ecommerce sellers can boost their online store’s performance and maximize their chances of success, all while keeping customers engaged. Request a demo today and start optimizing your website for a better user experience that’ll leave your customers smiling.