HawkSearch has announced the release of the Search Information Manager (SIM), a product designed to close the gap between a website’s data inconsistencies and the many different ways users’ search for the same product or piece of content.
Whether a site’s product data is originating from a PIM, ERP or even a simple spreadsheet, there has never been an adequate solution to remedy the problems caused by unsolved data issues that often reveal themselves during the search indexing process to erode a visitor’s search result and relevancy experience.
The HawkSearch Search Information Manager is the only technology available today that so closely connects the data in your PIM, ERP or Ecommerce system with the website visitor. The SIM further normalizes the base product data and marries it to a schematic normalization of the phrases that site visitor use to search. This leads to more meaningful, relevant and satisfying searches, with ultimately higher conversions, more sales and less calls to customer service. This new technology will bring the quality of product data to a new, unprecedented level.
When it comes to the ways in which website visitors search, some of the chronic data inconsistencies that a PIM or ERP cannot resolve include fraction detection (1/2 or .5), standard measurements (14/16 vs. 7/8), symbols of measurement (1 inch vs. 1”) and phrases such as “6 inches” or “half a foot”. In addition, for websites that heavily utilize part numbers, the inclusion or exclusion of a dash can often erode effective search results. Searching by SKU numbers can also be adversely affected by users confusing the number zero with the letter “O”.
The HawkSearch Search Information Manager starts by solving the most obvious issue of unit of measure conversions, but rapidly expands to allow websites to connect visitors with the actual products they seek to find. The SIM continues to disseminate this information throughout the entire search, navigation and recommendation experience, so that filters and facets can have real, well organized and useful value. In addition, product comparisons are able to deliver consistent and useful information to searchers.