This New AI-Powered Search Tool Is Helping Brands to Boost the Product Discovery Experience

There are many opportunities for cart abandonment during the e-commerce shopping experience – but sometimes the consumer doesn’t get as far as adding an item in the first place. Online merchants are still building out their discovery and search systems to better help shoppers find what they’re looking for. Today, a new AI-powered provider called Klevu launched to address this need for improved search functionality.

Unlike in brick-and-mortar, the online browsing experience is more clearly signposted, most popularly by the search bar function. Yet shoppers aren’t always being shown the most relevant results for their searches. This can sometimes be due to inconsistent tagging of item details, or due to limited filters that overload the searcher with too many results.

More from Footwear News

• Cara Delevingne Accents Her Gym Look With a Key Spring 2021 Color and Understated Puma Sneakers

• Dua Lipa Brings a Sporty Edge in a Beaded Bikini, Fishnet Tights & Unreleased Puma Sneakers

• J. Cole and Puma Are Releasing a Shoe That Wasn't Supposed to Ever Drop -- and It May Never Return

“Search and discovery remains the most overlooked aspect of the e-commerce experience and more than 30% of online shoppers will ‘bounce,’ or leave a site quickly, if they can’t find what they want,” said Nilay Oza, CEO and Co-founder of Klevu.

The process of search does not just occur in the designated box, but also through a consumer’s selection of product categories or curated edits. While this can complicate a brand’s search experience strategy, it also provides additional opportunities to engage with the shopper and suggest the right product. In order to best serve the customer, brands need to be able to reach them at all parts of the discovery journey.

With Klevu, data is collected on all demonstrated shopper intent as they navigate a digital commerce channel – not just through their search bar entries. This data is then leveraged by AI technology to inform personalized search results or product suggestions. These might take the form of similar products, trending products for you or promotional offers, depending on the consumer’s behavior.

“Search isn’t limited to just the search box; it encompasses every part of an online shopper’s experience, from using filters and navigation tools to receiving product recommendations and even chat—all of those touchpoints are part of search,” said Oza. “Our Discovery Suite is a holistic solution that enables brands to personalize the entire search and discovery experience to drive sales and relevancy, while also gaining data insights that can inform merchandising and product development decisions.”

The data collected from these customer journeys can also be deployed elsewhere in a brand’s retail strategy, such as in marketing efforts or in-store ad campaigns. If a brand can identify which customers shop a certain size or style, it can target this group when it has extra inventory in that market; product that is popular across segments might be the most impactful on store billboards.

Current customers of the newly launched platform include athletic brand Puma, which has reported an average increase of 52% in search-led conversion following its integration of Klevu. By enabling shoppers to find the right product more quickly, brands can eliminate any friction in the customer journey and reduce the risk of them closing out before making a purchase.

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.