Best practices in B2B search

B2B ecommerce is becoming more complex and sophisticated than ever, with a growing number of companies offering their products and services online. 

However, one of the biggest challenges in B2B ecommerce is delivering a great search experience. The products and services being searched for are often highly technical and specialized, which means that search engines must be able to understand complex queries and return relevant results. In this blog post, we will explore the role of search performance in B2B ecommerce and provide five best practices for implementing an effective search strategy.

From understanding complex queries to delivering relevant results, we'll explore the role of search performance and provide five best practices for taking your search engine to the next level. 

The role of search performance in B2B ecommerce 

In B2B commerce, the buying journey is often different from B2C commerce. In many cases, B2B purchases are made based on technical specifications, industry standards, and regulations. 

This means that the search experience needs to be optimized to provide results that meet the specific needs of B2B buyers. With a well-optimized search experience, B2B buyers can quickly find the products and services they need, leading to increased conversion rates and revenue for your business.

5 best practices to implement on your B2B ecommerce site search 

1. Understand search intent and deliver relevant results

To provide an effective search experience for your B2B customers, it's crucial to understand what they are searching for and why. By contextualizing searches, you can deliver relevant results that match their needs without them having to explicitly specify what they are looking for.

By using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), you can track changes in customer behavior over time to anticipate their needs. These powerful search technologies can analyze patterns in search queries, identifying commonly searched for terms and phrases. 

You can also track the success rates of certain searches and use that data to improve the relevance of results. These advanced capabilities allow AI to sort search results based on what is most likely to be relevant to the customer.

Moreover, AI can identify trending keywords and phrases that may not have been considered before. This can help businesses stay ahead of the competition by offering products or services that customers are searching for. AI can also identify synonyms and related terms, further expanding the scope of the search and improving its accuracy.

Here are some tips to make the best of advanced search features - 

• Study past search queries: Use search analytics to identify the most frequently searched terms on your site. By analyzing this data, you can identify patterns and trends that can inform your search strategy.
• Gather feedback from customer service: Speak to your customer service team to get feedback on the types of queries they are receiving from customers. This information can help you identify common pain points and improve your search functionality accordingly.
  

2. Evaluate and learn from search data

Evaluating search data is critical to understanding how your search engine is performing. By analyzing search queries, you can identify areas for improvement, such as missing or irrelevant results. This data can also be used to identify new product offerings, opportunities or optimize your marketing strategy.

With the right approach, you can gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately enhance the user experience. Here are some tips on how to effectively evaluate and learn from search data:

• Track user behavior: Use analytics tools to track user behavior, such as search terms, click-through rates, reviews and conversion rates. This can help you identify popular products, keywords, and phrases, as well as areas where users may be dropping off or not finding what they need.
• Identify trends: Look for trends in search behavior, such as seasonal fluctuations, changes in search terms or preferences, or shifts in popular product categories. This can help you stay ahead of the curve and offer products and services that align with customer needs.
• Leverage NLP and ML: Take advantage of NLP and machine learning algorithms to continually improve your search performance by analyzing search data and identifying patterns and trends. This can help you understand user intent and preferences and improve the relevance of search results.
• Test and refine: Experiment with different search strategies and features, such as filters, facets, and auto-complete, and track their impact on user behavior and conversion rates. Use A/B testing and other techniques to refine your approach and optimize search performance.
• Continuously monitor and adapt: Search trends and user behavior can change quickly, so it's important to continuously monitor and adapt your search strategy. Regularly review search data and metrics, and adjust your approach as needed to stay ahead of the curve.
  

3. Augment search functionality with features like filters, facets, autocomplete, and auto-correct

Adding features like filters, facets, autocomplete, and auto-correct can help improve the search experience by making it faster and easier for users to find what they are looking for. Here are some tips to do just that -

• Implement filters and facets to help users narrow down their search results according to specific attributes or criteria. This can be especially useful for technical or specialized products, where users may be searching for specific features or specifications.
• Incorporate autocomplete functionality to help users find what they are looking for quickly and easily. By suggesting search terms based on what the user has already typed, you can streamline the search process and make it more efficient.
• Use auto-correct to help eliminate common spelling mistakes and suggest alternative search terms that may be more relevant. This can significantly reduce the frustration of failed searches and help to keep users engaged.
  

4. Boost products to drive sales

Another benefit of AI-powered search algorithms is their ability to dynamically re-rank and boost products to drive sales. By analyzing user behavior and purchasing history, the algorithm can identify which products are most likely to be of interest to the customer. This can help increase the visibility of your products and drive more sales. Here are some tips - 

• Set up rules to automatically promote products that meet certain criteria, such as high customer ratings or frequent purchases
• Consider integrating your search engine insights with your customer relationship management (CRM) system to gain even deeper insights into user behavior and preferences
  
  

5. Optimize search performance across channels

In the ever-evolving world of B2B ecommerce, it's essential to stay ahead of the game and optimize your search performance across all available channels. From search engines to marketplaces and social media, it's crucial to ensure that your products and services are visible to potential buyers.

It's important to adopt a consistent approach to search optimization. Start by conducting keyword research to understand what your target audience is searching for and align your content accordingly. Optimize your website and product descriptions with the relevant keywords to increase the chances of your products showing up in search results.

In addition, building quality links to your website can boost your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site. This can be achieved by reaching out to industry influencers, guest blogging, or participating in online forums and discussions.

Finally, mobile search, visual search, and voice search are all crucial aspects of your business’ search performance and optimizing for these can go a long way in winning customer loyalty through seamless online experiences. 

Conclusion

A well-optimized search engine is essential in the ever-evolving world of B2B ecommerce. It can help you understand what your users are searching for and provide relevant results that match their needs, ultimately leading to increased conversions and customer satisfaction.By following the best practices outlined in this blog post, you can improve your search performance and stay ahead of the competition.

One of the ways you can accomplish this is by using AI-driven search solutions like Zevi. Zevi’s advanced search technology delivers accurate and relevant results for every type of query, from basic keyword searches to complex structured queries. This means your customers can quickly and easily find what they're looking for, while you can maximize your sales potential. 

Schedule a free demo today.