E-commerce
Product discovery not hitting high notes with consumers
September 16, 2024
Four in 10 online shoppers are giving product discovery experiences a 'C' grade or less and are wanting more tailored search results.
That's a prime finding from a Constructor survey regarding online shopping experiences that also revealed shoppers want AI-drive features to help them find the best items.
The survey polled nearly 900 shoppers in the U.S. and U.K. and the data is part of Constructor's second annual State of Ecommerce Search and Product Discovery report, according to a press release.
The data revealed shoppers finding poor search capabilities with seven in 10 stating the search function on retail online sites need an upgrade.
Additional findings include:
- 44% of shoppers say it takes at least three minutes to wade through search results and locate the product they need.
- 41% of shoppers say they have to "frequently" or "always" reformulate search queries to get e-commerce search engines to understand what they mean. 85% do so at least "sometimes."
- For 42% of shoppers, although search results are technically relevant to their queries (e.g., they search for "shirts," and shirts get returned), the products aren't what they're hoping to see and don't reflect their preferences. This is a bigger pain point in the U.K. (48%) than U.S. (38%).
"Good product discovery experiences literally pay off," Nate Roy, strategic director of e-commerce innovation, Constructor, said in the release. "The bar for a good digital experience continues to rise, and successful retailers work to meet and exceed shopper expectations. As technology and cost barriers drop, it's even easier for retailers to make incremental changes that measurably improve both the shopper experience and business results."
