Reducing bounce rates | Part 1: 4 control desk tips for dealing with zero-hit pages

Tip 1: Make content posts searchable

Content pages are typically informational or trend report pages and are not usually displayed in the product catalog. As a result, they cannot be found using the search function, and related search queries end up on the "no results" page. To work around this, Epoq offers the "Link Finder" feature. This can be found in the Search section. With Link Finder, content pages can be linked and thus made searchable. Only three pieces of information are required for this:

• the desired search term
• a brief description
• the appropriate link

Additional options allow you to set the error tolerance (e.g., using the "similar" checkbox) and direct forwarding to the content page. Possible entries include:

• Contact
• shipping
• terms and conditions
• blog posts
• Themes and trends
• company pages

It may also be useful to integrate links to external sites into the search, such as a redirect to the parcel tracking service of the parcel sender.

Integrating content pages using the Epoq Link Finder

Do you know what a “Tornister” is? No? Your customers might. And they’re searching for exactly that, instead of a school backpack. The result: They end up on a page with zero results, even though there are hundreds of school backpacks in your inventory. To avoid exactly that, Epoq offers the Thesaurus feature. You can find it in the Search section. There are five different thesaurus rules to choose from: Equate, Expand, Exclude, Replace, and Zero Results. With Equate entries, the search results for both entered terms are displayed, regardless of which one is searched for. This solves the “Tornister-schoolbag” problem described above, for example. If, on the other hand, you want to exclude results for certain search terms, the Exclude rule comes in handy. For example, this allows you to exclude all products related to the term “serum” (e.g., skin creams) when searching for the alcoholic beverage “rum.” We have integrated additional examples and explanations of the Expand, Replace, and Zero-Hit rules into the Control Desk’s Thesaurus Input menu.

Thesaurus Settings in Epoq Control Desk

Tip 3: Offer service for sold-out products

Another reason why users land on the zero-hit page is that the product they are looking for is in principle available in the range but is currently sold out. A change in the shop system can help here. For example, the detail pages of sold-out items can still be displayed, but with a clearly visible note on availability in the brick-and-mortar store or renewed availability in the online shop. Combining this with a pre-order function helps visitors to still get the item they want. If you want to pursue a different strategy in this case, it is also possible to use result management for specific search queries for sold-out products. This can be found in the Search section. If, for example, the Darth Mack sweater from Naketano is sold out, other hoodies from the brand that are similar to the product being searched for can be displayed instead.

Performance Management in Epoq Control Desk

Tip 4: Display alternatives to non-guided products

The strategies discussed so far all target search queries for products or items that are generally available in the store. However, there are of course also search queries for items that are not carried in the product range, such as specific brands, seasonal items, or trends. The no-results page is designed precisely for such search queries, so redirecting users to it does not need to be avoided. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t consider the visitor lost, even if the search term doesn’t perfectly match the online store. Quite the contrary: The zero-results page can also work in the online store’s favor by being customized to the search query using Epoq. With a recommendation widget, the searcher can be offered alternatives to their query, thereby keeping them on the online store. For example, the Camp David brand is similar to the La Martina brand; Ugg boots are also available from many other brands; and carnival costumes can be represented by 1920s dresses, polka-dot skirts, and dirndls. Add a compelling explanatory text (e.g., in a banner) to this, and the customer is instantly inspired and convinced by the online store.

Alternative recommendations instead of a zero-hit page

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