Customer Service
Most shoppers want a better search experience
August 14, 2023
Six of 10 online shoppers want a better product search experience and think the online search function on retail websites needs an upgrade.
That's a prime finding from Constructor's State of Ecommerce Product Search and Discovery report that also highlights the potential for ChatGPT in e-commerce.
The report is based on an online survey of more than 460 U.S. shoppers conducted this year in which consumers were asked about various aspects of their online shopping experiences, according to a press release.
Additional findings include:
- Nearly one in three shoppers (30%) said it takes at least three minutes to locate the item they need when using the search function on retail websites. Only 28% call their experiences finding products "quick."
- In reference to their most recent e-commerce search experience, a third of shoppers (33%) said that although the results displayed were technically relevant to their query (e.g., they searched for "shirts" and saw shirts), the selection wasn't appealing to them or what they'd hoped to see.
- When consumers shop with their favorite retailer, more than one in three (34%) said the site treats them like a total stranger each time they visit: presenting items that, in no way, reflect their preferences, prior purchases or history with the brand.
- Less than three in 10 shoppers (29%) would describe their most recent experience finding products on a retail website as "enjoyable."
"Good product discovery experiences breed good results: they're a win-win for the shopper and retailer alike," Courtney Austermehle, Constructor CMO, said in the release. "Our data also shows that nearly nine in 10 shoppers are spending the same — or more — time and money on online shopping, compared to a year ago. It's a wake up call for brands: By making even small and incremental improvements to product search and discovery functionality, they can gain valuable mindshare and wallet share too, and measurably improve customer experiences."
Shoppers said they'd be interested in retailers using personalization (65%), ChatGPT (29%) and other AI that can tailor results based on shopper preferences (25%) to improve online search experiences.
Nearly three in 10 consumers (29%) have already used ChatGPT in their work and/or personal lives, citing uses ranging from "playing around" to "homework" to "cover letter" to "generating code" and more, and 42% of shoppers said they would be "very" or "somewhat comfortable" using ChatGPT on a retail site to help find the right products for them (48% among shoppers ages 18-44; 35% among shoppers ages 45+). Twenty two percent of shoppers overall said they'd be "somewhat" or "very" uncomfortable using it in this way, with the rest feeling neutral.
