With an intelligent search you provide orientation in the online shop and reduce the bounce rate

epoq Search

Startseite » Personalization » Intelligent Search

Did you know that…

95%

of shop customers leave the online shop if the search does not deliver the desired result? (Source: E-Commerce-Leitfade)

80%

of shop customers exclusively use the search function to find the right product? (Source: E-Commerce-Leitfaden)

30%

of shop customers leave the online shop after an unsuccessful search, even though the product is available? (Quelle: E-Commerce-Leitfaden)

90%

of search users are frustrated by long search times? (Quelle: E-Commerce-Leitfaden)

The intelligent search shows your
customers quickly and easily
the way to the desired product

An intelligent search provides orientation for product research in your online shop and helps your customers to find the desired product directly. Search results are calculated in milliseconds and displayed in a personalised manner. In addition, an intelligent algorithm recognises errors in the entry of search terms and corrects them, makes suggestions for the search entry and also enables the entry of product features. An intelligent search in the online shop can also be easily adapted to company-specific processes and enables an efficient entry into the purchasing process as well as a faster completion of the purchase. This is exactly what epoq Search offers.

Connect

Connect with your customers and build customer trust. Your customers visit your online shop regularly, so let them hear from you too. Send personalised emails on different occasions, such as birthday, lifecycle, transactions, etc. Learn more

Stream

Also provide entertainment and thus ensure constant customer loyalty. Customers like to browse through their own product and brand world to discover new things. Start here with a personalised shopping area and keep your customers coming back to your online shop every day. Learn more

Inspire

Inspire your customers as soon as they show a willingness to buy. They are now open to further buying impulses that complement or supplement their selected product. Relevant recommendations are particularly suitable for this. Learn more

Advise

Provide your customers with advice on product selection. Your customers have a need, but need help choosing the right item from the product range. An intuitive product advisor can help. Learn more

Search

Offer your customers orientation in their product research. This way, they can quickly and easily get to the desired product detail page and find out more about a product. If you want to personalise this customer touchpoint, check out our intelligent search.

Personalisation plays an important
role for relevant search results

The intelligent search is part of our personalisation platform, which is powered by an AI engine. It uses artificial intelligence methods to calculate relevant search results for each individual customer. This allows it to quickly and easily guide your shop customers to the desired product and enable them to enter the shopping process without any detours. This is because the search results list displays exactly those products that correspond to the personal preferences of your shop customer at that moment. For example, after a customer has entered trousers in the intelligent search, the trousers of the brand “Tom Tailor” in size 40 are displayed first. Why? Because the intelligent search has detected that your shop customer has already searched for the brand “Tom Tailor”, for example, via the facet navigation of a category.

20% more turnover via the intelligent search in the online shop

“With the help of epoq, search results can be improved much more easily and quickly. This has allowed us to significantly increase sales”

Dr. Marc Wagner | Data Mining Manager | Villeroy & Boch AG

The personalisation of
the intelligent search can
take place in stages

Before you start personalising, you must first make sure that your search returns the right results for a keyword or keyword combination. Only then you can start with personalisation. In the first stages, i.e. in smart search, you can already control the results. You want to push certain brands? No problem. In the second stage, you have the option of displaying the search results appropriately for certain customer segments, and in the third stage, you can implement a complete 1:1 personalisation. You can define a personalisation strategy for your entire online shop or carry out customer targeting within the framework of campaigns. Our AI technology makes it possible.

The most popular use cases
of the intelligent search

Avoid zero-hit pages

Don’t let negative emotions arise and keep your customers in the online shop

Enable keyword combinations

Enable your shop customers to enter product properties in the search field

Consider language use

Ensure the right results list for each search term

Set redirects to content pages

Make it easier for your customers to make a purchase

Show content pages in the result list

Highlight your expertise in the results list

Highlight campaigns and actions

Make your shop customers aware of interesting actions

Enable item number search

Offer several ways to the desired product

Offer narrowing of search results

Make the product search easier for your shop customers

Enable product sorting

Offer your shop customers a way to integrate their preferences
Avoid zero-hit pages

Zero-hit pages lead to negative emotions that can cause customers to leave the online shop. Often there are typing errors behind it and the searcher is in the dark. By automatically recognising input errors and opening a preview window, the visitor is efficiently guided through an intelligent search and usability is improved at the same time.

  • Negative emotions are avoided
  • User experience is improved
  • Features in use: Fault Tolerance and Autosuggest
Enable keyword combinations

If an online shopper searches for “bag evening blue small, this is a keyword combination that includes properties in the search field. The intelligent search captures the meaning of the keyword combination, also called semantics, and displays the correct search results.

  • Customers can enter product properties for the search term
  • The semantics of the search term combination are recorded
  • The matching search results are displayed
Consider language use

There are different names for certain products. Customers can search for a laptop and enter notebook in the search function. Both terms should lead to a list of results. Therefore, it is important to define synonyms for search terms, for example. However, it may also be that there is a different understanding of a search term. Therefore, it is equally important that the result list allows alternatives, for example. In our example, notebooks would also be displayed in the results list for the search query notebook, since notebook is also considered a notebook in everyday language. An intelligent search makes this possible.

  • Make synonyms searchable
  • Extend result list with alternatives
  • Exclude certain search terms
  • Feature in use: Thesaurus
Set redirects to content pages

In addition to product information, content pages such as imprint, payment and delivery conditions play an important role in the purchase process. Using an intelligent search, you can navigate customers to important content pages that finally convince them to buy.

  • Content pages can be made findable in addition to product information
  • Customers receive important information beyond the product
  • Features in use: Link Finder
Show content pages in the result list

If an online shopper is looking for a specific product, e.g. tool bag, an intelligent search can be used to display content pages, such as blog articles, in addition to the list of results with the products. These can provide additional information about the product that is relevant for the purchase decision and show the expertise, e.g. description of the most important features of tool bags. This is made possible by the content display in the search results list. This content display is particularly advantageous in the B2B sector, so that dealers can obtain comprehensive information about products from the manufacturer.

  • Shop customers receive additional information in the results list
  • Your expertise is highlighted in suitable content articles
Highlight campaigns and actions

Using the intelligent search above the list of results, actions can be highlighted in the form of banners. The banner can, for example, highlight certain brands to boost sales or point out discounts. In addition, banners can also be displayed in the preview window and navigate customers to the right product before the result list is played out.

  • Visualisation of campaigns and actions
  • Sales promotion of specific brands or products
  • Use via results lists and in the preview window
  • Features in use: Banner Management
Enable item number search

In the B2B area, article numbers are often searched for. The intelligent search can be designed for this and recognise and correct input errors in the area of article numbers. This way, customers find exactly the products they are looking for.

  • Extension of the search function to include article numbers
  • Recognition of input errors
Offer narrowing of search results

After the list of results for a product search has been displayed, it can be narrowed down click by click. For example, by selecting the colour, size, brand, etc. in the facet filter. In this way, an online shopper is only shown the products that include the selected characteristics. The facet filter can also be positioned and customised as desired.

  • Narrowing down the search results click by click
  • Various product characteristics can be offered for this purpose
  • Only products with the respective characteristics are displayed
  • Features in use: Facet Navigation
Enable product sorting

After the list of results has been displayed and the facet filter has been used, an online shopper has the option of sorting the list of results according to his or her wishes, e.g. by relevance, by descending or ascending price or by sale products. This makes it possible to find the right product more quickly.

  • Sorting according to own preferences
  • Various parameters can be defined
  • Faster finding of the desired product

The AI engine of our
personalisation platform
makes it possible

Before the intelligent search is used, we first generate a knowledge base for your online shop with our AI engine. To do this, our AI engine uses your product catalogue, the click and purchase behaviour of your shop customers and our and your expert knowledge. It links the data to knowledge and thus calculates the relevant search results for your shop customers and plays them out. Since the intelligent search is located on our personalisation platform, which is designed for the personalisation of the entire customer journey of your shop customers, you have the option of activating further touchpoints in your online shop and using the knowledge already generated by the intelligent search for this (modular structure) and further enriching the knowledge base for your online shop. Would you like to learn more about the AI engine? Then go to the AI technology.

A intelligent search should
include these elements

Fault Tolerance

Consideration of spelling mistakes and integrated “Did you mean” function.

Thesaurus

Language usage and colloquial terms are taken into account.

Autosuggest

Intelligent product and content suggestions for search entry via preview window.

Facet Navigation

Filter options let customers narrow down the products and make the search easier.

Semantics

Search word combinations with properties in the search field are made possible.

Results Management

Individual products can be pushed or hidden in the results list.

Discover the latest insights
on intelligent search

Press

epoq Presents Control Desk Release 6.0

06. Apr 2022

With Control Desk Release 6.0, epoq improves the user experience of its monitoring and control tool.

Learn more Press

ReboPharm improves the user experience of search function for veterinarians with epoq

13. Jul 2021

ReboPharm and epoq improve the intuitive user experience of the search function on ReboPharm24.de with the personalisation aspect.

Learn more Press

epoq Provides Orientation and Reduces Effort For Online Shop Administration Through Intelligent Search at VAN GRAAF

21. Sep 2020

The integration of the intelligent search minimises the effort required for online shop administration in VAN GRAAF’s online shops.

Learn more Press

epoq Enhances the Search Functionality and Thereby Increases the Performance in the Online Shop of Peek&Cloppenburg* KG Hamburg

10. Sep 2020

By expanding the search functionality, epoq was able to significantly increase the performance of Peek&Cloppenburg Hamburg’s onsite search.

Learn more Press

epoq Identifies Shop Customer Needs and Supports Digital Development at Fackelmann

03. Jun 2020

In addition to its needs-based products, Fackelmann’s online shop is also to be geared to meet individual customer requirements.

Learn More Press

Ankerkraut Enhances the Customer Experience in E-Commerce by Personalising a Further Touchpoint

06. Apr 2020

Ankerkraut wants to further perfect its customer experience in e-commerce.

Learn More

4.23% higher click-through rate on product overview pages through self-learning ranking

“epoq’s intelligent ranking helps us to always show our customers the most relevant products despite a heterogeneous range. This was shown in particular by the significantly increased click-through rate in the test.”

Claas Hemmje | Team leader Daten- & Shopmanagement | A-Z Gartenhaus GmbH

Tailoring is a must-have
of the intelligent search

Product data

Your product catalogue is cleaned up, prepared and aggregated with regard to the desired search functionality, e.g. the colour designation is included in a separate column or missing attributes are added.

Search algorithm

An adjustment of the search algorithm is made e.g. with regard to error tolerance, field weighting and ranking, e.g. selection of the fields to be searched, determination of the field weighting and setting the sensitivity level for error tolerance.

Configuration

A functional as well as visual configuration takes place. Functional e.g. the selection of filters, sorting and autosuggest preview. Visual, e.g. the graphic preparation in the design of your online shop.

This is how the integration
of intelligent search works

01

Generation of a knowledge base

To generate a knowledge base, we need your product catalogue in XML or CSV format and the click and purchase behaviour of your shop customers. The latter is recorded via a tracking code in your online shop in compliance with data protection regulations. The shop system does not play a role here.

 02

Setup in the test system

We discuss your visual ideas together and send you the div element as a placeholder for the frontend of the intelligent search. You integrate this into your test system. Now we fine-tune the search algorithm and the required configuration.

 03

Activation in the live system

After the setup in the test system and the successful function test, the intelligent search is activated in your live system and is available to your shop customers as a guide to the desired product. If necessary, we will carry out a fine-tuning in live operation.

 04

Introduction to our backend

We introduce you to our backend, the Control Desk, and train you in the various analysis and configuration options as well as the use of features. This will enable you to monitor and control the intelligent search.

 05

Display of relevant search results

Your shop customers receive relevant search results and reach their desired product. In this way, you provide orientation during product research and reduce the bounce rate, which has a positive effect on your conversion rate and your turnover.

epoq Control Desk

Monitoring and controlling of the intelligent search

The epoq Control Desk gives you extensive options for monitoring and controlling the intelligent search.

  • Analysis

    Checking the relevance of search results for certain search terms from the customer’s point of view. Relevance here stands for the correspondence between the content of the visited page and the product or information the user is actually looking for.

  • Key figures

    Review of various smart search metrics, such as click and revenue performance.

  • Configuration

    Here you can set the current configuration and other settings of the search algorithm, e.g. error tolerance, weighting of individual search fields as well as facet filters and sorting.

  • Features

    Possibility of using and configuring various features of the intelligent search, such as Thesaurus, Link Finder and Banner Management.

More info on the Control Desk

When the use of an intelligent
search is worthwhile for you

Basic functionality

You already run an online shop or similar and have ticked off all the basic functionalities and now want to optimise your standard search.

Search queries

You have more than 5,000 search queries per month in your online shop.

Range width

Your range includes more than 500 products.

You want to navigate online shoppers to the right product without detours?

Our Intelligent Search won’t let your
online shopping bounce off easily.

Request offer now

The latest blog articles
on personalisation

Blog Post

The 4 Most Important E-commerce Trends in 2022

Consumer habits have changed drastically in 2020 and 2021, not least due to the global pandemic. In this article, we’ll show you which e-commerce trends you can’t afford to miss in the coming year if you want to keep your customers happy in the long term.

Sarah Birk: 16. Nov 2021

Learn More
Blog Post

Dynamic Pricing: Curse or Blessing for E-commerce?

Dynamic pricing has become a well-known buzzword in e-commerce, but it tends to have negative connotations. Therefore, in this blog article we want to go intowhat exactly dynamic pricing is, what advantages and disadvantages there are, how dynamic pricing can be used and what role personalisation plays in this. So finally it becomes clear what significance dynamic pricing has for e-commerce. Have fun reading!

Janina Küpferle: 07. Dec 2017 | Updated on 05. November 2020

Learn More
All articles