In today’s fast-paced digital world, delivering a seamless and satisfying online shopping experience is essential. Site search plays a critical role in connecting shoppers with the products they’re looking for. But what many businesses overlook is the impact that a well-integrated order management system (OMS) can have on site search performance.
When integrated properly, your OMS can significantly enhance the search experience, making it easier for customers to find what they need, increasing satisfaction, and ultimately boosting sales. Here are five key ways your OMS can improve your site search experience.
1. Display Only In-Stock Items
One of the most frustrating experiences for online shoppers is discovering that the item they found through a search is out of stock. By integrating your OMS with your site search, you can tie inventory data directly into search results. This ensures that only in-stock items are shown, providing real-time availability updates to customers.
When customers know they’re seeing what’s actually available, it reduces frustration, minimizes cart abandonment, and increases the likelihood of completing a purchase.
2. Filter Search Results by Fulfillment Type
Shoppers today expect flexibility in how they receive their orders, whether through home delivery, in-store pickup, or curbside options. A well-implemented OMS can enable shoppers to filter search results based on the available fulfillment methods.
For instance, if a customer prefers same-day delivery, they can filter results to show only items eligible for that option. Similarly, shoppers looking for items available for in-store pickup can quickly find products that meet that criterion. This flexibility empowers customers to tailor their shopping experience to their specific needs, making it more likely they’ll follow through with a purchase.
3. Filter Results by Local Store Availability
For retailers with physical locations, the integration between your OMS and site search allows customers to filter results based on local store availability. This feature is particularly useful for shoppers who want to avoid shipping times and pick up their orders in person.
Instead of showing every item across all locations, site search can be refined to show only items available at the customer’s local store. This localized inventory view helps enhance the customer experience, creating a more efficient and personalized shopping journey.
4. Present Inventory Levels to Motivate Purchases
Displaying low inventory levels in search results is a powerful psychological tool that can create a sense of urgency and motivate customers to complete their purchases. By integrating your OMS with site search, you can showcase when items are running low—such as “Only 3 left in stock” or “Low stock, order soon!”
This taps into the fear of missing out (FOMO) and encourages shoppers to act quickly to secure the item before it sells out. Whether it’s a high-demand product or a limited-time offer, highlighting scarcity in your search results can effectively drive conversions by nudging customers toward faster decision-making.
5. Enable Omnichannel Inventory Visibility
One of the biggest benefits of an integrated OMS is its ability to provide real-time inventory visibility across multiple channels—online, in-store, and warehouses. When your OMS is connected to your site search, customers can view stock levels not just at their local store, but also across your entire supply chain.
This transparency allows customers to see all available options, including items that may be in transit or stored at other locations. If an item is not available locally but can be shipped from another store or distribution center, the OMS can surface that option, giving the shopper more flexibility and ensuring they don’t leave your site empty-handed.
6. Streamline Backorder and Pre-Order Capabilities
A well-integrated OMS can also help you manage backorders and pre-orders seamlessly within your site search results. If an item is temporarily out of stock, rather than simply hiding it from search, the OMS can indicate when it will be available again and allow customers to place pre-orders or backorders directly through the search interface.
This feature gives your customers a sense of control and clarity over future product availability, ensuring that even if an item isn’t immediately available, they don’t have to look elsewhere to make their purchase. By offering a clear path to securing high-demand products, your OMS can help retain customer loyalty and reduce the risk of losing sales to competitors.
Example: Ace Hardware Leverages Inventory Data to Deliver Local Search Experiences
Ace Hardware leverages its integration with Kibo Order Management System and eCommerce to create a more dynamic and customer-friendly site search experience. By using real-time inventory data, Ace Hardware ensures that shoppers can quickly find what they need while filtering results to match their local availability and preferred fulfillment options.
- Shoppers can filter search results based on what’s available at their local store.
- Products eligible for free store pickup are clearly flagged in the search results.
- Only items that are currently in stock are displayed, ensuring accuracy and availability.
- Faceted search helps narrow options, suggesting categories like “items available in-stock at your location.”
This improves the overall customer journey by making it easy to locate products and complete purchases with confidence.
Conclusion
Your OMS is a powerful tool that, when integrated with your site search, can drastically improve the overall customer experience. By displaying only in-stock items, offering filters based on fulfillment types and store availability, presenting inventory levels to motivate purchases, and enabling customers to shop local inventory, you’re making it easier for shoppers to find what they need in the way that suits them best. This seamless experience can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, higher sales.
Now’s the time to leverage your OMS to create a more intuitive and efficient site search experience for your customers. Learn more about Kibo Order Management + Native Site Search.