As most web users know, today's websites are more complex than ever before and are getting more robust every day. Many websites contain an immense amount of information and features. Before a visitor to your site can purchase your product or contact you for more information, they need to be able to verify that you have what they are looking for. This may be difficult on a site that is loaded with information, data and special features. Large sites may overwhelm and even intimidate some users. Including an internal search function on your site can assist visitors in finding the information they seek and help them determine that your site is where they need to be.
Internal site search provides numerous benefits that help site visitors and can also assist in your marketing efforts. Outlined below are a few of the benefits and advantages of adding internal site search to your website.
Help visitors find exactly what they need more quickly.
Internal site search is one of the best ways to make it easy for visitors to find exactly what they need. Some users will get overwhelmed with complicated and large websites. This may cause them to quickly leave your site to find another more simplistic and easier to navigate website. Offering internal search will give users a way to find what they came for quickly and easily.
Most web users are already familiar with "searching".
It is common knowledge that Google is used around the globe to find information, research products and much more. People have grown accustomed to searching for what they need on the Internet. Internal site search is an extension of this searching behavior. Users feel comfortable using search. Offering search on your own site offers users a way to find what they need in a way they are used to and comfortable with.
Internal site search caters to the "I want it now" attitude.
Web users expect, and even demand, quick and fast results. If they can't find what they need on your site, they will go to another. Websites need to cater to the many different types of users. These types of users may include: information seekers, prospective customers, long time/loyal clients, etc. Site search helps knowledge and product seekers find what they need, period. And this is the first step in turning a visitor into a customer.
Site search helps your marketing team gain valuable knowledge.
Analysis of internal site search data can provide valuable insight into how visitors use and navigate your website. This data can reveal insights into visitor intent and behavior. This data can include: what type of information was searched for, what pages were found, which searches were successful, which failed and what searches intrigued the user to stay on the site.
Site search can reveal new and important keywords.
The keywords and phrases that users type into your internal site search tool can provide insight into the keywords that should be used in your optimization strategy. These keywords can be used to improve the optimization of your site's pages and further improve and refine your content. These keywords can also be added to a search engine marketing program to widen the reach of the campaign and provide more opportunities for traffic.
Site search can open the door to new products and services.
If users are constantly searching your site for a product and/or service that you don't currently offer, this could be a sign that you should be offering this product or service. If users to your site expect your company to offer certain products/services, this could be an opportunity to expand your offering and increase the amount of users that become customers.
Sites with an internal site search function offer users a quick, easy and effective way to navigate your site and find what they need. The main goal of any website is to turn a visitor into a customer. The first step in converting visitors into customers is verifying for the user that they are at the right place. If they are looking for a specific product, they need to be able to find it easily. If they seek information, this information should be readily available. Internal site search is one of the best ways to help visitors find what they want, make your site easy to use and keep people coming back regularly.
