Product Overview of Nextopia (now Searchspring)
Nextopia, now operating under the name Searchspring following a merger, is a leading provider of advanced eCommerce site search, navigation, and merchandising solutions. This platform is designed to enhance the shopping experience, increase sales, and improve shopper satisfaction for online retailers.
Key Features and Functionality
Intelligent Site Search
- Nextopia offers fast, accurate, and intelligent search results, utilizing an adaptive search algorithm that ranks results based on consumer behavior. The search functionality includes autocomplete with visual product matches, partial term and SKU matching, and error-tolerant fuzzy matching to handle spelling errors and typos.
Merchandising Tools
- The platform provides robust merchandising capabilities, allowing retailers to control product promotions and prioritize products in search results through merchandising rules. These rules can be based on keywords, specific categories, SKUs, attributes, and even geographic locations (geo-merchandising). Retailers can also create customized landing pages, promotional banners, and add promotional badges to highlight products.
Navigation and Refinement
- Nextopia includes advanced navigation features such as fully customizable dynamic filters, custom sorting based on various metrics (e.g., price, color, brand, category), and the ability to narrow search results effectively. This helps shoppers quickly find what they are looking for.
Reporting and Analytics
- The platform offers reporting and analytics tools to help retailers understand shopper behavior and optimize their site. Key reports include top searches, zero results found searches, poorly performing results, and keyword discovery reports. While the analytics are helpful, they may not be as comprehensive as those offered by other tools like Google Analytics.
Personalization and Geo-Targeting
- Nextopia provides personalized 1:1 search results and product recommendations based on individual searchers’ browsing history and shopping behavior. The geo-targeting feature allows for location-based search results, messaging, campaigns, banners, and regional promotions, enhancing the shopping experience with relevant content.
Integration and Compatibility
- The solution is compatible with various eCommerce platforms, including Magento, and offers easy integration options. For instance, the Nextopia Search Connect Magento extension allows for a simple 1-click installation.
Additional Capabilities
- The merged platform with Searchspring combines capabilities such as machine-assisted search and product recommendations, on-site banner ads and visual merchandising cues, and tools for extending recommendations into email marketing channels. It also provides actionable reporting and merchandising analytics to identify opportunities and improve the shopper journey.
Benefits to Retailers
- Nextopia helps increase sales by ensuring customers find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently. Shoppers who use on-site search tend to spend more and have a higher conversion rate compared to those who browse. The platform also helps decrease product returns by providing accurate search results.
Overall, Nextopia’s suite of tools is designed to enhance the eCommerce experience, drive sales, and provide retailers with the insights and control needed to optimize their online stores effectively.