We’ve all experienced the frustration of searching for something on a website and coming up empty-handed.
As native digital users, we often expect a search experience as seamless and intuitive as Google’s. But for many websites, search functionality is basic, leading to user frustration and lost opportunities.
Poor search functionality can lead to higher bounce rates, lost sales, and annoyed users who will give up rather than sift through a list of irrelevant results.
A better search experience makes users happier by helping them find what they need faster, engage more with your content, and have a better overall experience with your brand.
If your current search function is simply scanning keywords without understanding context or intent, it might be time for an upgrade.
We're excited to introduce Algolia, a smarter way to power your website's search experience. Algolia offers advanced features that make finding content faster while remaining cost-effective compared to other high-performing solutions.
Why Algolia.
Algolia is a third-party search engine designed to improve search accuracy and the user experience. Algolia goes beyond basic keyword matching to provide a smarter, more refined search experience. It offers a range of powerful features, including:
Typo Tolerance. Users don’t always type perfectly. Algolia automatically detects and corrects typos, ensuring relevant results still appear.
Synonym Matching. Configure synonyms to improve search accuracy and serve better results based on user intent.
Special Character Handling. Smart recognition of special characters ensures that searches aren’t thrown off by formatting variations.
Phrase Search. Allows users to search for exact phrases, improving the relevance of results.
Priority Search Fields. Prioritise certain fields over others, such as showing results with the keyword in the title before those in the body content.
Analytics and Insights. Gain visibility into search patterns to continuously optimise and refine the system.
Advanced Configuration Options. Fine-tune search results with extensive settings tailored to your content needs.
Hidden Search Fields. Enhance discoverability by adding hidden metadata, such as descriptions for PDFs, that inform search results.
Algolia is a paid search solution but offers a generous free tier, making it a great option for businesses looking to enhance search functionality without a large ongoing investment. The first 10,000 searches per month are free, after that for every 1000 search requests you are looking at an additional $0.50 (US).
Search is one of the most critical yet often overlooked aspects of a website’s user experience. By improving your site’s search function with smart technology like Algolia, you can ensure users find what they’re looking for faster and with less frustration. A win-win.
Talk to us today about how we can get your search up to speed.
