Best practices for no results pages

The search bar stands tall as the most essential tool for guiding shoppers to their desired products. Despite the diligent implementation of best practices in search optimization, the dreaded "no results found" page remains an inevitable reality, lurking in the shadows of even the most well-designed online stores. But fear not, for these seemingly dead-end pages present a golden opportunity to build trust with your customers, showcase your commitment to their user experience, and ultimately, boost your conversion rates.

According to Baymard, a staggering 68% of eCommerce sites treat their "no results found" pages as an afterthought, offering little more than generic search tips and a dead-end for users. This oversight not only frustrates shoppers but also significantly increases the likelihood of them abandoning your site altogether, taking their business elsewhere. In fact, approximately 15% of eCommerce searches lead users to these dead-ends, akin to rounding a corner only to find the street closed for construction, with no detour in sight.

The key to transforming these potential pitfalls into valuable sales opportunities lies in providing users with alternative paths, guiding them to their intended destination despite the roadblocks. By consciously designing your "no results found" pages, you can keep shoppers engaged, build brand loyalty, and ultimately, drive conversions.

The Importance of "No Results Found" Pages in the eCommerce Journey

The significance of these pages cannot be overstated in the grand scheme of the eCommerce user journey. When shoppers encounter a well-designed "no results found" page, they are more likely to remain on your site, explore alternative products, and ultimately, make a purchase. Conversely, a poorly designed page can drive them straight into the arms of your competitors, resulting in lost sales and a tarnished reputation.

Shoppers often rely on the search bar to navigate your site, and this sense of control is crucial in creating a positive user experience. When they land on a "no results found" page that fails to provide alternate products or guidance, they can quickly feel lost, discouraged, and frustrated. This negative experience can have far-reaching consequences, as shoppers are likely to remember the incident and associate it with your brand.

Interestingly, shoppers may not always realize they've arrived at a "no results found" page. Conducting searches is such an integral part of our daily lives that we expect certain results within a specific structure. Information about the failed search is often placed in an area that users tend to skip over, leading to confusion when they encounter unexpected content.

To mitigate this issue, it's essential to provide tips and alternative products in a manner that captures the user's attention, keeping them engaged and motivated to continue their shopping journey.

Best Practices for Optimizing Your "No Results Found" Page

Clear and Concise Explanation

The first step in optimizing your "no results found" page is to clearly explain what happened. Address any potential confusion upfront and ensure that your message is prominently displayed where shoppers instinctively look first. A simple statement informing them that their search term yielded no results, accompanied by encouragement to continue searching, can go a long way in retaining their engagement.

Consider conducting a heat map analysis of your search results pages to determine the most effective placement for this information. By strategically positioning your message where shoppers are most likely to see it, you increase the chances of them reading and understanding the situation, rather than feeling confused or frustrated.

Take Responsibility and Apologize

Always begin your messages with an apology. Including phrases like "our bad," "sorry," or "apologies for this" can help ease the shopper's frustration and encourage them to explore the alternative routes you provide. This simple act of taking responsibility and expressing empathy can go a long way in building trust and fostering a positive relationship with your customers.

In a physical store, a skilled salesperson would naturally apologize and offer assistance when a customer can't find what they're looking for. By emulating this approach on your "no results found" page, you create a more human and relatable experience, making shoppers feel valued and understood.

Offer Search Tips and Guidance

When faced with a generic "no results found" message, shoppers may feel dismissed, as if they've received a cold response in a physical store. To avoid this, establish a dialogue with the user and guide them towards alternative options.

Consider including suggestions such as:

- "Please ensure that you have typed the search term correctly."

- "Try using more general terms to broaden your search."

- "Consider using synonyms or related terms to expand your search."

- "Explore our popular categories to discover similar products."

- "Check out our featured items for some great recommendations."

- "Need assistance finding what you're looking for? Contact our customer support for personalized help."

By offering these prompts and suggestions, you engage users in a conversation and provide them with alternative paths to explore, increasing the chances of them finding a suitable product and completing a purchase.

Provide Alternative Products and Recommendations

Showcasing alternative or similar products on your "no results found" page is a fantastic way to emulate the helpfulness of a skilled salesperson in a physical store. Leverage this opportunity to guide users towards making a purchase, even if they couldn't find the exact product they were seeking.

Some effective strategies for displaying alternative products include:

- Different models or variations of the same product: Present users with similar products from different brands, styles, or specifications, offering them a range of options to choose from.

- Bestsellers or highly-rated items: Showcase popular and well-regarded products to guide users towards items that are frequently purchased and positively reviewed by other customers.

- Sales or discounted products: Highlight products that are currently on sale or have special offers to entice users to consider these options as alternatives.

- Recently viewed or purchased products by other users: Leverage social proof by displaying products that have been recently viewed or purchased by other users, influencing the decision-making process and encouraging users to explore those options.

By tailoring the recommendations to the user's browsing history, you increase the likelihood of the user finding a suitable alternative and proceeding with a purchase.

Customize Product Recommendations Based on User Behavior

Take your optimization efforts a step further by customizing product recommendations based on individual user behavior, such as previous searches and already-viewed products. By tailoring recommendations to each user's specific interests and preferences, you create a more personalized and relevant shopping experience, ultimately increasing the likelihood of a successful conversion.

This level of personalization can be achieved through the implementation of advanced recommendation engines that analyze user data and behavior to deliver highly targeted product suggestions. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and real-time data analysis, these recommendation engines can continuously adapt and refine their suggestions, ensuring that users are presented with the most relevant products at every stage of their shopping journey.

Implement "Did You Mean...?" Functionality

Recognizing that users often make typing mistakes, particularly on mobile devices or when typing quickly, implementing a search engine that offers corrections can significantly enhance the user experience. When users enter a search query with errors or misspellings, the search engine should suggest corrections or alternative search terms that are more likely to yield relevant results.

By actively addressing common typing errors and suggesting corrections, you save users time and frustration, guiding them towards the products they're seeking.

Engaging Microcopy and Brand Personality

Copywriting plays a vital role in encouraging users to take specific actions on your website, and this is particularly true for short, concise text elements like buy buttons or "no results" pages, often referred to as microcopy.

The primary goal of microcopy is to engage and guide users, keeping them actively browsing and potentially making a purchase. It's an opportunity to inject personality and create a positive emotional connection with the user.

By infusing microcopy with your brand's well-known charm and personality, you capture the attention and imagination of users, keeping them engaged and motivated to continue exploring the website.

Spelling Assistance and Clickable Corrections

Actively provide tips when shoppers misspell a word. Instead of simply informing them of the misspelling, offer a clickable version of the correct spelling that immediately directs them to the results page, similar to the functionality of search engines.

This feature not only saves users the effort of retyping their search query but also demonstrates your commitment to helping them find what they're looking for. By anticipating common spelling errors and providing easy-to-use corrections, you streamline the user experience and keep shoppers engaged with your site.

Maintain Engagement and Foster Brand Loyalty

Even if shoppers can't find the specific product they're looking for, provide alternative means for them to stay engaged with your brand. Include your contact information (email, phone number, etc.), valuable content, links to your social channels, or a newsletter sign-up form that captures their email address.

The goal is to keep them connected, increasing the likelihood of their return and eventual purchase. By offering multiple touchpoints and opportunities for engagement, you foster brand loyalty and create a lasting relationship with your customers.

By providing contact options and support, you demonstrate your commitment to customer service and help build trust with shoppers.

The Power of a Smart Search Engine in Reducing "No Results Found" Pages

While the practices outlined above are crucial for optimizing "no results found" pages when they are unavoidable, implementing a powerful search engine capable of handling synonyms and typos can significantly reduce the occurrence of these pages altogether.

An advanced, intelligent search engine, such as Vantage Discovery, has the potential to decrease the number of searches resulting in a "No results found" message from 15% to a mere 1.3%. This drastic reduction can have a profound impact on the overall user experience, as shoppers are more likely to find relevant products and complete their purchases.

Smart search engines employ sophisticated algorithms and natural language processing techniques to understand the intent behind a user's search query. By analyzing factors such as context, synonyms, and semantic relationships, these search engines can deliver highly relevant results, even when the user's search terms don't precisely match the product descriptions or metadata.

Furthermore, smart search engines can learn from user behavior and continuously refine their results based on factors such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and user feedback. This self-learning capability ensures that the search experience improves over time, adapting to the evolving needs and preferences of your customers.

Investing in a smart search engine not only reduces the occurrence of "no results found" pages but also enhances the overall searchability and discoverability of your products. By making it easier for shoppers to find what they're looking for, you increase the likelihood of successful conversions and boost customer satisfaction.

Embracing the Opportunity of "No Results Found" Pages

The "no results found" page, often overlooked and underutilized, holds immense potential for enhancing the user experience and driving conversions in eCommerce. By consciously designing these pages and implementing best practices such as clear explanations, search tips, alternative product recommendations, and engaging microcopy, you can transform potential dead-ends into valuable opportunities for customer engagement and sales.

Moreover, investing in a smart search engine can significantly reduce the occurrence of "no results found" pages, further streamlining the user journey and improving overall satisfaction.

By embracing these strategies and continuously optimizing your "no results found" pages, you can set your eCommerce store apart from the competition, build trust with your customers, and ultimately boost your bottom line.

Remember, every interaction with your customers, even on a "no results found" page, is an opportunity to showcase your brand's commitment to their experience and satisfaction. By treating these pages as an integral part of your UX design and implementing the best practices outlined in this guide, you can turn potential pitfalls into powerful tools for driving conversions and fostering long-lasting customer relationships.

So, take a closer look at your "no results found" pages, and ask yourself: are they dead-ends or untapped opportunities waiting to be discovered? The answer lies in your approach, and with the right strategies in place, you can navigate the pitfalls and emerge victorious in the ever-competitive world of eCommerce.