This document discusses best practices for search experiences on e-commerce websites. It is a presentation by Rob Swint from Endeca Technologies, a leader in search technology. The presentation covers why search matters for online retailers, how to guide customers through their path to conversion, and ways to merchandise and personalize within the search experience. Specific techniques discussed include refining search results, using facets and filters, incorporating third-party reviews and opinions, and ensuring a consistent search experience across devices. The goal is to provide customers with the information and recommendations needed to confidently find the right product to meet their needs.

1. Developing A Best Practice
Search Experience
Rob Swint
Director of Product Marketing
Endeca Technologies
Oct. 13, 2010

2. Who is Endeca?
Copyright ©2010 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 2
 Leader in search technology
 45 of the top 100 Internet
Retailers use Endeca today
 Increases traffic and converts
more visitors into customers
 Continuing to grow with hybris
and mobile commerce

3. Agenda
 Why does search matter?
 Guiding customers to a conversion event
 Merchandising within the search experience
 Innovative site example
 Q&A
Copyright ©2009 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 3

4. Page 4
User experience | Importance of Search
Transaction
Pages
Product Detail
Pages
A Sample Customer Path
1. Enter via the
Home Page
2. Search for “Camera”
3. Refine by Price
4. Refine by Brand
5. Sort by Top Rated
6. Refine by Color “pink”
7. Click Desired Product
8. View Product
Detail
9. Add to
Shopping Cart
10. Transact
> 60% of the user
experience is the facet-
driven dialog
1. Enter via
Google
Home Page
Search Results
PagesNav Refinement
PagesDynamic Topic
PagesCategory
Pages
Facet-Driven
Pages

5. Each page is unique, each page an opportunity
“Camera”
Price
Brand
Top Rated
“pink”

6. Agenda
 Why does search matter?
 Guiding customers to a conversion event
 Merchandising within the search experience
 Innovative site examples
 Q&A
Copyright ©2009 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 6

7. Search
 Search look-ahead:
Prompt for valid next
step, taking out the
guess work
 Spell-correction:
Present valid
alternatives, keeping
shoppers on the right
path
 Relevance Controls:
Give users the ability to
control relevance and
presentation, sorting by
what’s most important
to shopper
Copyright ©2010 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 7
Relevance: Guide customers to best entry point

8. Facets
 Product data
 Refinement
counts:
Evaluate the
tradeoffs and
possibilities
 Multi-select: Select
multiple options,
graying out as
configured.
 Inventive
Refinements:
Visualizations to help
evaluate options
Copyright ©2010 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 8
Refinements: Help customers visualize next steps

9. Copyright ©2010 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 9
Refinements: Innovative Visualizations

10. t
3rd Party
Content
Expert Content
 Buying Guides
 Articles and FAQs
 Video
Peer Content
 Top sellers
 Top rated
 Review content
 Profile content
(“customers like you”)
Shoppers want expert
advice in the context of
their path to feel
confident that they are
making the best
purchase.
Shoppers want to filter
by reviews and ratings
from people like them to
identify the best product
among seemingly similar
choices.
Copyright ©2010 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 10
Confidence: Value of 3rd party opinion

11. Mobile
 Access point for
research
Customers are
increasingly relying
on mobile devices to
research and make
purchases
 Consistency
Basic actions should
return like results,
regardless of
channel – search
results, categories,
etc.
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Consistent: Similar experience regardless of method

12. Agenda
 Why does search matter?
 Guiding customers to a conversion event
 Merchandising within the search experience
 Innovative site examples
 Q&A
Copyright ©2009 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 12

13. What types of personalization are available?
 Profile-based (Behavioral)
– Marketing creates segmentation
– Based on behavioral profile, recent actions
– Each segment delivered content as determined by marketing
 Algorithmic (Behavioral)
– Algorithm automatically creates “micro-segments”
– Based on behavioral profile, recent actions (click stream, actions, etc.)
– Each person delivered content based “similar customers”
 Contextual
– Each visitor indicates their intent
– Based on a actions at that moment
– Each person delivered content based on rule triggered against content
Page 13
Types of merchandising

14. Merchandising in search: Explicit vs. implied interest
Search: “iPod”
Filter: 16 GB
Abandoned cart
containing
docking station
Big spender, loves
ponies, books
about Greece
Explicit
interest
Implied
interest
Implied
interest
Context
Recent
Actions
Behavioral
Profile
“Personal
Promotion”

15. Search: “iPod”
Filter: 16 GB
Abandoned cart
containing
docking station
Big spender, loves
ponies, books
about Greece
Which one is the most
relevant promotion by itself?
Promote most
popular 16 GB
iPod
Promote
discount on
docking station
Promote most popular
item with big spending,
Greek pony lovers
(answer = Bose headset)
Context
Recent
Actions
Behavioral
Profile
Personal
Promotion?
Merchandising in search: Explicit vs. implied interest
OR OR

16. Context
Recent
Actions
Behavioral
Profile
Personal
Promotion
Search: “iPod”
Filter: 16 GB
Abandoned cart
containing
docking station
Big spender, loves
ponies, books
about Greece
Context informs the best
content to deliver
Promote most
popular 16 GB
iPod
Promote
bundle of 16
GB iPod +
docking station
Promote most popular
16 GB iPod with big
spending, Greek pony
lovers
Merchandising in search: Don’t ignore context

17. Agenda
 Why does search matter?
 Guiding customers to a conversion event
 Merchandising within the search experience
 Innovative site examples
 Q&A
Copyright ©2009 Endeca Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential.Page 17