Integrating a Search Bar for Your E-commerce Site

When setting up your online store, the primary objective is to make it easy for customers to find and purchase products. However, if your website is difficult to navigate or customers struggle to locate what they need, it could lead to frustration and potentially lost sales. To enhance the shopping experience and increase conversions, incorporating a search bar into your store is essential. This tool will simplify product searches, reduce friction, and boost product visibility.

Tip: Before proceeding with this guide, make sure your site is configured as an e-commerce store. If it's not set up yet, refer to our guide, "How to Set Up an E-commerce Store," to activate the necessary settings.

Adding a Search Bar: Two Methods

You can add a search bar to your store in one of two ways: as a standalone element or integrated into your navigation bar. Embedding it in the navigation bar offers a streamlined layout, while using a separate search bar element gives you more customization options. You can also choose to implement both if needed.

Integrating into the Navigation Bar

To integrate the search bar into your navigation bar, start by selecting or adding a Navigation Bar element to your site.

1. After adding the element, go to the General settings.

2. Scroll down and switch on the option labeled Show Searchbar. The search bar will now appear on the right-hand side of the navigation bar.

3. You can customize the search icon (magnifying glass) by adjusting its color to better fit your site’s design.

Adding a Standalone Search Bar

If you prefer to have more control over the search bar’s design and functionality, you can add it as a standalone element. Here’s how:

1. Click the plus sign to add an element.

2. Scroll to the Store section, then drag and drop the Search Bar element to the desired location on your page.

3. Once added, you can customize the appearance and behavior of the search bar through the following settings:

• General:

• Element Name: Assign a unique name to identify different search bars.
• Color Options: Modify the background, text, and icon colors to match your site’s theme.
• Font Options: Adjust the font size, weight, or choose a different font style altogether.
• Text Options: Customize the placeholder text within the search bar.

• Advanced:

• Borders & Corners: Modify the search box's borders and corner styles. You can also customize the appearance of the search results box.
• Custom Class: Add specific product classes to the search bar for better organization.
• Visibility Settings: Control whether the search bar is visible on mobile or desktop devices.

Important Considerations:

• Search Suggestions: Results will be based on product names.

• Search Results: After hitting the search button, users will be directed to a product list page, where search results will reflect matches found in product titles and descriptions.

• If the search bar element doesn’t appear, ensure that your site is correctly set up as a store. You can refer to our "How to Set Up an E-commerce Store" guide if necessary.