How online search is failing shoppers

A new survey reveals the e-commerce search experience is in need of improvement.

According to “State of E-commerce Product Search and Discovery 2023: Shoppers in Search of a Change,” a new survey of 460 U.S. consumers from Constructor, three in 10 respondents say it takes at least three minutes to locate the item they need when using the search function on retail websites. Only 28% call their experiences finding products "quick."

In reference to their most recent e-commerce search experience, one-third of respondents say that although the results displayed were technically relevant to their query (e.g., they searched for "shirts" and saw shirts), the selection wasn't appealing to them or what they had hoped to see.

When shopping with their favorite retailer, more than one in three (34%) respondents say the site treats them like a total stranger each time they visit; presenting items that don’t reflect their preferences, prior purchases or history with the brand. And fewer than three in 10 respondents (29%) would describe their most recent experience finding products on a retail website as "enjoyable."

What shoppers want from online search

• Results that more closely reflect what they're looking for (46%).
• Better filtering of search results (41%).
• More personalized results (34%).
• Autocomplete, to accurately finish their queries (30%).
• More integrated online and in-store functionalities (29%).
• The ability to type full sentences into the search bar and have it understand (23%).

AI and ChatGPT in product search

Many respondents have a positive view of retailers using artificial intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT, to aid the e-commerce search experience:

• Respondents say they would be interested in retailers using personalization (65%), ChatGPT (29%) and other AI solutions that can tailor results based on shopper preferences (25%) to improve online search experiences.
• 42% of respondents say they would be "very" or "somewhat comfortable" using ChatGPT on a retail site to help find the right products for them (48% among shoppers ages 18-44; 35% among shoppers ages 45 and older). More than one in five (22%) respondents overall say they'd be "somewhat" or "very" uncomfortable using it in this way, with the rest feeling neutral.
• When presented with specific use cases for ChatGPT, shoppers were more likely to find it valuable. For example, more than four in 10 (42%) thought it could be helpful in generating personalized buyer's guides (47% among those 18-44; 37% among those 45+), and 37% think the technology could be valuable when searching for clothes by occasion and/or location.

[Read more: Customers rate traditional chatbots vs. ChatGPT assistants]

Other notable findings

• When respondents can't easily find what they need, they will leave the e-commerce site (62%), look for/purchase the item from a different retailer (55%) — specifically Amazon (49%), feel frustrated with the experience and brand (22%), and use a different retailer for future needs as well (19%).
• When retail sites make it easy to find what they need, respondents are more likely to buy the item they're searching for (74%), return to the retailer's site in the future ( 62%), recommend the retailer and/or leave a positive review (31%), engage across the retailer's other channels (28%).
• If they were guaranteed an excellent product search and discovery experience at a given retailer, respondents would shop more there (74%), choose the retailer for related goods (52%), act as brand advocates (48%) and be willing to pay 5-10% more for items on the site (15%).