Autocomplete is a feature within ExpertRec search designed to display suggestions as you start typing.
It can predict what the user is going to type next, available anywhere you find a search box. For any website, this is one of the most interacted features. And ExpertRec powers it out-of-box: just begin typing, and you’ll see suggestions appear. It will be easy for the user to finish entering the search page for the suggestions without typing all the words.
Autocomplete feature is widely used and seen in browsers, e-mail programs, source code editors, search engines, database query tools, word processors, command-line interpreters, mobile apps, etc.
Autocomplete suggestions change with respect to time, location, language, user interaction, etc. They are populated automatically and are auto-sorted based on popularity and the conversion rate of different suggestions.
Google autocomplete:
amazon autocomplete:
showing suggestions and suggested products:
Benefits of autocomplete search:
- Less keystrokes
- Users should not spend time in typing and keystrokes. They should be helped by showing what they mean by what they have typed earlier.
- Correcting user query and spelling errors
- While tying typos and spelling errors are possible. Instead of letting a user to type ahead as is, correction should happen and should be shown.
- Context Completion
- Suggestions can be shown based on the context of the current word or similar words. Context is more important than simple word completion. The contextual completion shows an ability to predict the next words will make more sense than simple word completion.
- user engagement tool
- An application should be user-friendly and thus the popularity or incremental usage of it. When users are assisted or helped, they will engage more. This is very important for any online website.
- Special importance in an E-commerce site
- promotion of products
- An e-commerce business can push certain products to the top of text suggestions to focus customers on high-margin products, or products that to sell quickly to remove excess stock.
- text suggestions and suggested products
- Based on a search query, suggested products(search results) can be shown directly and allow your customers to go right from typing in their search term, to a purchasable product, all with one click. It gives more confidence to the user as they see products directly.
- promotion of products
Summary:
Autocomplete search is a must-have feature for any online business. Helping the user spend less time on typing is a good thing.
Autocomplete suggestions are populated automatically based on the user’s search query.
Autocomplete suggestions help visitors use correct terminology, avoid typos and refine their search.
Suggestions shown are auto-sorted based on popularity and the conversion rate of different suggestions.
Poorly implemented or non-existant autocomplete can lead visitors on a detour, or worse yet, to completely abandon their search.
