21 Must-Know eCommerce Site Search Statistics in 2024

In today's tech-driven retail landscape, eCommerce site search isn't just a feature – it's a game-changer. Where every click matters, and user experience is paramount, the role of site search cannot be overstated. For eCommerce businesses, the ability to provide a seamless and efficient search experience can be the key to unlocking customer satisfaction and boosting conversions In this blog post, we're delving into the fascinating world of eCommerce site search statistics.

How do we collect these statistics?

Research methods for gathering eCommerce site search statistics include data analysis that provides accurate and relevant data crucial for informed decisions. Some of the reliable sources are below statistics, including Segmentify, Nosto, and llcbudy.

21 eCommerce site search statistics

Let's have a look at the mentioned points that provide us with unique insights into online search behavior, on-site search experiences, and the impact on customer retention and conversion for e-commerce websites.

1. 87% of consumers start their product searches online. [Source: Segmentify]
2. When asked where they typically start their journeys, 56% of customers cited more than one answer between Amazon, a search engine, and a brand’s site. [Source: Segmentify]
3. 43% of retail customers head directly to the search bar on a website. [Source: Segmentify]
4. On average, a third of visitors will perform an on-site search. [Source: Segmentify]
5. On-site search is used more frequently than the navigation menu (49%), filter feature (37%), and homepage recommendations (30%), with 78%. [Source: Segmentify]
6. 34% of customers try to search for non-product content, such as “returns” or “order tracking”, and 39% of websites don’t support these non-product search queries. [Source: Segmentify]
7. 42% of all sites perform below acceptable on-site search UX performance across the eight eCommerce search query types. [Source: Segmentify]
8. As many as 68% of customers would not return to a site with a poor search experience. [Source: Segmentify]
9. 78% of consumers say the on-site search function on retail websites sometimes provides irrelevant items.[Source: Segmentify]
10. On-site search users who successfully found what they were looking for led to nearly doubled conversion rates. [Source: Segmentify]
11. Up to 30% of e-commerce visitors use internal site search, and we’ve all seen this one site searcher are 2 3x more likely to convert. [Source: Webinarcare]
12. 72% of sites completely fail site search expectations. [Source: Webinarcare]
13. Conversion rates through site search can be up to 50% higher than the average. [Source: Webinarcare]
14. Case studies have shown increased conversion rates of 43% from site search optimization. [Source: Webinarcare]
15. In 2018, KPIs impacted most by site search were revenue per visit (52.4%), time on site after search (51.5%), and highest bounce searches (39.8%). [Source: Webinarcare]
16. 72% of sites completely fail site search expectations. [Source: Webinarcare]
17. In the United States alone, online retailers lose $300 billion from bad online search experiences. Yet, for some reason, only 48% believe that a good search function relates to customer retention and conversion, and only 64% of website managers have a concrete plan to improve their onsite search. [Source: Nosto]
18. Since 43% of visitors to retail websites immediately utilize the search box, internal onsite search is a need for e-commerce websites. [Source: Nosto]
19. Only 13% of shops with basic site searches have set KPIs, compared to 53% of retailers with advanced search capabilities. [Source: llcbuddy]
20. 60% of organizations that provide advanced search services provide these capabilities for managing and improving site search without it. [Source: llcbuddy]
21. Internal site searches are used by up to 30% of e-commerce visitors, and as we’ve all seen, they increase conversion rates by 2-3 times. [Source: llcbuddy]

Conclusion

As we conclude, it's clear that tailoring your site search strategy to cater to the specific needs and habits of your target audience is a strategic move that shouldn't be overlooked. Whether it's implementing autocomplete suggestions, refining product categorization, or investing in advanced search algorithms, the effort you put into perfecting your eCommerce search functionality will undoubtedly pay off.