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Posts with re-platforming Tag

Overcome the Limitations of Solr Search

Posted by Tim CallaneCommerce, Site Search, Success Stories

If you’re like the vast majority of online retailers, you will face the need to re-platform at some point. Maybe you’re in the middle of one of these initiatives now, or are about to get started. Or perhaps you recently completed a re-platform. Whatever the case, you may be less than satisfied with the merchandising, indexing and customization capabilities of the default Solr search that comes with your platform.

Thankfully, it’s a cinch to implement an advanced site search that addresses the shortcomings of Solr and integrates quickly and easily with your platform – new or old. Upgrading your search offers your customers a much better experience on your site, which leads to stronger brand loyalty and more sales. Here are a few examples:

e.l.f. Cosmetics, a well-known U.S. consumer brand, experienced disappointing results from the search that came as a default feature of its e-commerce platform. The company knew it had a problem because customers often abandoned the site after conducting a search and the customer service team was tapped out by calls from visitors who couldn’t find what they wanted. Additionally, e.l.f. had a difficult time getting visibility for non-product content like videos and blog posts.

Once e.l.f. implemented SLI Learning Search, it was able to take advantage of features like Rich Auto Complete and Learning Recommendations to get more products in front of visitors. The e.l.f. team was also able to offer detailed refinement capabilities to help customers narrow down the field of search results. Plus the new search indexed the educational content the company wanted to showcase.

As a result, e.l.f. saw a 21% increase in per-visit value on its e-commerce site. With SLI powering its mobile commerce site, e.l.f. also saw a 4x higher conversion rate on mobile for site search users.

Thompson & Morgan is one of the UK’s largest seed and plant retailers. This longstanding consumer brand recently re-platformed and decided to try the default Solr search. Unfortunately, the company soon realized that the Solr search was creating a poor user experience, as demonstrated by the negative customer feedback it received. A previous user of SLI Learning Search, the company’s e-commerce team decided a switch back to SLI was necessary to keep customers happy.

According to Clare Dixey, e-commerce manager of Thompson & Morgan, SLI’s implementation with its new platform was swift – the new search was live within six weeks. And the results are significant: the 21% of site visitors using site search now account for 47% of total site revenue, and the conversion rate for site search users is 74% higher than the site average. Plus, the negative customer feedback about the site’s search function has turned to praise.

Dixey attributes the impact on Thompson & Morgan’s business to SLI’s ability to continually improve relevancy through its learning-based approach, as well as the SLI Auto Complete feature, which helps customers with particularly difficult-to-spell product names. Additionally, rich merchandising capabilities allow Dixey’s team to create custom landing pages for specific terms.

Zachys Wine & Liquor is a specialty retailer of high-end wine and spirits. The company recently began a re-platforming initiative and found that its reliance on SLI to power its search has smoothed the transition. The company also uses SLI Rich Auto Complete and refinements to improve the search experience, and gets a traffic boost from the SEO-optimized landing pages created by SLI Site Champion.

These are just a few examples of retailers that were able to use advanced search features to create a more engaging online experience and, in some cases, ease the move to a new platform. Other retailers have even delayed the need to move to a new platform because of the site improvements they were able to achieve with advanced site search. You can read more about the possibility of extending the life of your current platform in the white paper “Site Search vs. Re-platforming.”

If your platform’s default search is causing you unneeded aggravation and lackluster results, perhaps you need an upgrade. With the ROI benefits you can expect, not only will your customers thank you, but your bottom line will, too.

Don’t Miss our Re-platforming Webinar Tomorrow

Posted by Terry CostaeCommerce

Many eCommerce companies just starting out may not have the budget or need for a large, full-service platform. Because of this, they may choose an eCommerce platform that works for them at the time. But as companies grow, the original platform they started with may not fit the needs of the company they may consider changing platforms or moving to on-demand solutions for more flexibility, reliability and cost savings. This is otherwise known as re-platforming.

There are obvious benefits to re-platforming – upgraded technology, better features or reporting may all fit the company’s current needs and help address major pain points. However, switching platforms should be carefully considered before a big decision is made.

Re-platforming requires a huge commitment not only in dollars but in time, project management, dedicated project team, staff training and overall learning curve. Additionally, a new platform may still not have all of the features that your site needs. For companies that cannot afford or choose not to re-platform, there are alternatives that can help delay or avoid it altogether.

So is it right for you? Join our webinar tomorrow, Thursday, March 7th with Fit for Commerce to learn more about their findings that they published in their recent white paper on the subject. You’ll also hear how from Brandon Finch, Director of eBusiness for Jelly Belly, how they augmented their existing platform and avoided re-platforming altogether.

Download the Fit for Commerce white paper “Site Search vs. Re-platforming: How focusing on site search can eliminate the need to re-platform your eCommerce website” here.

 

Replatforming: Is It Right For You?

Posted by Kemberly GongeCommerce, Site Search1 comment

Are you stuck between a rock and a hard spot when it comes to your eCommerce system? Does it have some features that you still like, but is missing crucial others that can make or break your business?

It could be time to change to a new platform. Or maybe, it’s time to explore ways to enhance your existing site with additional site search and merchandising features that will meet your current need while giving you breathing room to look for new solutions. In some cases, eCommerce sites have been able to completely avoid expensive, time-consuming re-platforming entirely by using site search to fill in the gaps that their platforms were not adequately providing.

If you’re at a crossroads about the best way to move forward to grow your site’s functionality efficiently and cost-effectively, you shouldn’t miss our upcoming webinar this Thursday, March 7, on Site Search vs. Re-platforming. You’ll hear from Fit For Commerce about the considerations around re-platforming, and can find out from Brandon Finch, Director of eBusiness for Jelly Belly, about the challenges Jelly Belly faced and the solution that has helped their site grow.

Enhancing the most fundamental abilities of your site’s search and navigation can help remove the pressure to re-platform immediately or entirely, because customers can still complete the most fundamental, revenue-driving actions of searching and finding a product to purchase.

When you are considering re-platforming, it’s best to ask yourself these questions:

  1. Am I completely unhappy with everything about my existing platform?
  2. Do I have 3+ months to devote to changing and implementing a new platform?
  3. Do I have a dedicated cross-functional team that can handle the change in platforms?
  4. Are the goals of all departments met by re-platforming?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, you won’t want to miss our webinar to learn more about the best available options for you. Every company’s business and growth plan is unique, and a one-size-fits-all solution is not the only option.

Also, download the Fit For Commerce white paper on Site Search vs. Re-platforming.