Consumer Behavior

Why e-commerce retailers need to focus on the search bar

Photo: Generated by AI. Adobe Stock.

March 24, 2025

E-commerce retailers and brands with online storefronts can't afford to ignore the power of search. Shoppers who search online sites are driving nearly half of online revenue, according to a Constructor study.

Attractive search results, which factor in shopper context, preferences and history have double the clickthrough rate of those not utilizing those elements, according to a press release on the findings.

Constructor's report, "Beyond Relevance: The Data-Backed Case for Attractiveness as the New Standard for Ecommerce Search Performance," analyzed 609 million online shopper searches — responsible for $9.8 billion in revenue — across 113 global retail sites between October and December 2024.

According to the research, on average:

• Searchers make up 24% of e-commerce visitors.
• They drive 44% of total site revenue.
• They generate 45% of sites' add-to-cart activity and 42% of conversions.
• Searchers convert at 2.5X the rate of non-searchers.

"When searchers are shown the right product, they're much more likely to buy," Constructor CEO Eli Finkelshteyn said in the release. "Retailers can — and should — capitalize on this by creating prominent, engaging and cohesive search experiences, and serving up results that are meaningful to each individual shopper."