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EasyAsk FAQ for Google Commerce Search Customers

 

How does EasyAsk compare to Google Commerce Search?

GCS Comparison Chart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is EasyAsk?

EasyAsk is a site search, navigation and merchandising solution for e-retail, mobile commerce and B2B commerce sites. Powered by EasyAsk’s Natural Language and Semantic processor and high speed pre-index, EasyAsk is a fast flexible, and easy option for e-commerce Search. See transparently what is happening within the search engine as it automagically understands shopper intent with Natural Language. Consider “warm yellow jackets” vs “warm weather yellow jackets.” Take full control of the search engines in various ways, synonyms, spelling, semantic relevancy, targeted promotions and much more.

How long does EasyAsk take to deploy?

Time to deploy depends on the size and complexity of your online store. As a hosted solution with no hardware or onsite deployment requirements, EasyAsk can be implemented very quickly.

How do I put EasyAsk results on my site?

  • Sign up for EasyAsk eCommerce Editon
  • Upload your product files (manually or via APIs)
  • Plug-in the EasyAsk APIs  (or use one of our e-commerce Platform connectors)

How do I sign up for EasyAsk?

Visit the Products page to learn more or go to the contact page to reach a sales representative about this program.

What are the different customization options available?

EasyAsk is fully customizable. Through the Commerce Studio you can tailor the search experience exactly to your needs. Control term definitions, synonyms, redirects and landing pages; create facets and manage their order; tune the ranking system to your needs; specify product promotions; tie these and more merchandising changes to a sale or other event. Change the look and feel of your search engine and results page, use it with your mobile apps, customer service or integrate results into many other applications with the XML API.

When is EasyAsk 12.0 available? Do I have to do anything special to get it?

EasyAsk 12.0 is available immediately for all our customers. As a hosted offering in the cloud, product updates are rolled out automatically; as such, existing customers will automatically receive the new features and all new customers to EasyAsk eCommerce Edition will automatically be on the 12.0 platform. For sites running the EasyAsk installed on their own servers, all upgrades are included – please contact [email protected] for download instructions.

What is new in EasyAsk 12.0?

EasyAsk 12.0 drives conversion and improves customer experience. It helps shoppers find items easily, quickly and interactively, from anywhere and from any device. It also provides sites with more control and total transparency into what is being searched.

  • Search Engine Optimization – the new search site map generator provides integration with internet search engines to optimize the exposure and ranking of products in consumer searches.
  • Search As You Type – EasyAsk can now automatically provide intelligence suggestions to visitors as they type searches in the search box.  Suggestions are based on the rich site history and analytics maintained by EasyAsk.
  • Product Variants/SKU Level Processing – EasyAsk now supports product and SKU level relationships, allowing hierarchical and matrix product and SKU search results to be optimally managed and displayed in e-commerce sites. Show the yellow images for a search on “yellow jackets”.
  • NetSuite SuiteCommerce integration – integration with NetSuite SuiteCommerce including automated item catalog extraction via NetSuite SuiteCloud web services, and optimized e-commerce site integration for superior SEO and integrated look and feel. View more information on EasyAsk eCommerce Edition for NetSuite.
  • Product Review attributes – EasyAsk search and navigation can now include product review data from vendors such as BazaarVoice.  This allows visitors to search using product review criteria – i.e. “black loafers under $70 with 4 star reviews” – see review information as attributes in the navigation, and use review information inside search business rules to raise products in results or drive related offers or promotions.
  • Integration with product recommendation engines – EasyAsk search results can now include associated product recommendations driven by product recommendation engines such as Rich Relevance and Certona.

How much does EasyAsk cost?

Pricing depends on the volume of search traffic, and the number of items you upload. For further details on pricing, please contact an EasyAsk representative directly at 800.425.8200.

How many languages is EasyAsk available in?

EasyAsk eCommerce Edition is available in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish and will be rolled out in many additional languages soon. If a language you need is not currently supported, please contact us for an update on local launch timing.

 

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EasyAsk Google Commerce Search Replacement Program

Online Shopping

Calling All Google Commerce Search Customers!

Get Significantly Better Search and Drive More Revenue with EasyAsk Natural Language Site Search, Navigation and Merchandising and Receive Free Standard Implementation.

The replacement program provides Google Commerce Search customers with dramatically improved Site Search, Navigation and Merchandising, resulting in higher revenue and increased profits. And to simply the migration, EasyAsk is offering free standard implementation to the first five customers who call 800.425.8200 or register here.

EasyAsk has helped customers achieve industry-leading conversion rates that dramatically increase their e-commerce revenues. The intelligent search, navigation and merchandising capabilities of EasyAsk eCommerce Edition deliver the right products on the very first page to speed customer purchases.

EasyAsk customers include well-known brands such as The North Face, Journey’s, Anna’s Linens, InkJet Superstore and True Value Hardware. EasyAsk can be deployed on any e-commerce environment, including Websphere Commerce, Magento, Netsuite SuiteCommerce, and others.

Still need more information? Please read our FAQ.

Be among the first 5 companies to take advantage of this offer! Call 800.425.8200 or register here today.

 

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FOLLOWING EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN 2012, EASYASK EXPANDS INTO EUROPE

Advanced eCommerce Natural Language Site Search Technology Goes Global, Supports Any eCommerce Platform, Including Magento, Websphere Commerce, Netsuite SuiteCommerce and Others

Reading, UK and Burlington, MA – 22 January 2013 – EasyAsk, the natural language technology and solutions leader, today announced the opening of EasyAsk’s first European office at Thames Valley Park, Reading, UK.

In 2012, EasyAsk grew revenues by 40% and increased its customer base by 22% with new names including The North Face, Anna’s Linens and Cigars International.

Gartner listed EasyAsk as Cool Vendor for BI and Analytics and cited the company as “one of the premier ecommerce search and merchandizing software providers” in its research: Best Practices in Strategically Combining Search, Content Analytics and E-Commerce.

Building on its successful expansion in the US over the last 24 months, EasyAsk will now have a local presence to support leading European brands who are looking to increase website conversions and revenue with Site Search, Navigation and Merchandising. Highly experienced technology executives Simon Persse and Robin Aitken, who between them have over 30 years’ experience in the eCommerce and search sector, lead the EasyAsk Europe team. Simon has held a variety of senior roles, most recently with Compario as well as ATG, Oracle and Endeca while Robin has held senior positions with ATG, Apptus and Demand247.

“This is an exciting time for EasyAsk as brands look for best-in-class solutions to support the changing needs of their consumers”, explains Simon Persse, VP Sales Europe. “EasyAsk’s unparalleled track record of delivering value for major retail brands in the US coupled with the adoption of smart phones and tablets by consumers mean it is more important than ever for brands to deliver effective search and navigation options across a broad range of devices. EasyAsk is able to deliver this capability extremely quickly regardless of the existing IT infrastructure.”

“The search industry as a whole is evolving from simple keyword search to a more intelligent, highly tuned semantic and natural language model,” said Craig Bassin, EasyAsk CEO.  “Nowhere are the results more evident than in eCommerce search.  EasyAsk delivers dramatic performance improvements in search and merchandizing that directly improve net profits for retailers.  We realized explosive growth in 2012 and are poised to continue this growth trajectory in 2013. We expect a good portion of this growth to come from our expansion into Europe, where Forrester Research predicts that eCommerce sales are expected to increase to €133.6 bn by 2015.”

About EasyAsk

EasyAsk is radically changing the speed and ease of how people find information through ground-breaking natural language search software. EasyAsk software products go far beyond traditional search, allowing users to simply ask questions in plain English and receive highly tuned results. EasyAsk eCommerce Edition uses this unique technology to deliver industry-leading website search, navigation and merchandising solutions that boost online revenue through increased conversion rates, improved customer experience and agile merchandising. EasyAsk Quiri , mobile Siri-like CRM for smartphones and Business Edition revolutionize enterprise decision-making, moving beyond traditional business intelligence solutions with easy, low-cost deployment and a unique natural language interface that extends access to information anywhere in the organization.

Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, with offices in Europe, EasyAsk has long been a leader in natural language information analysis and delivery software. Customers such as The North Face, Coldwater Creek, Lands End, Lillian Vernon, Aramark, TruValue, Siemens, JoAnn Fabrics and Harbor Freight Tools rely on the EasyAsk software products to run their business and eCommerce operations daily.

For further information please visit www.easyask.com.

 

 

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose

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EasyAsk’s NRF Big Show Debut and An Interesting Rumor

EasyAsk recently made its debut appearance at NRF’s 102nd Annual Convention & EXPO at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. With over 25,000 attendees, the EasyAsk team was quite busy to say the least.  oe25bj0j4ruoag79d8wb

While at the show, EasyAsk bumped into a few current customers who swung by the booth to say hi. (Keith Barnes at Lands’ End, and Clark Linstone at Lamps Plus).

We also heard a rumor that Google is abandoning Google Commerce Search at the end of 2013.  People told us they are not taking on any new customers, and will not be supporting their search solution for online businesses beyond the years’ end.

If this rumor is true, it means companies like GNC, Panasonic, Forever 21 and others will need to find someone else to take care of their search capabilities.

We hope they’ll consider EasyAsk, as we have an awesome natural language site search, navigation and merchandising solution that has helped our customers significantly increase conversions on their websites, and generate a ton more money.

We reached out to Google, but have not heard back. If anyone out there has heard directly from Google, we’d love to get confirmation that it is true.

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EasyAsk for Websphere Commerce

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Websphere Commerce is the fastest growing eCommerce platform on the market, with features that make it easy to build and deploy eCommerce sites, as well as manage eCommerce operations.

While Websphere Commerce provides a great foundation, adding EasyAsk gets you significantly better site search, navigation and merchandising solution.

With EasyAsk on top of your Websphere Commerce Platform visitors will find products faster and quickly be converted from shoppers to buyers, which will increase your customer conversion rates, order sizes and overall e-commerce revenue.

We guarantee your conversion rates will increase with EasyAsk. Fill out the form to download the white paper and learn more.

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EasyAsk for Magento

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Magento is the fastest growing e-commerce platform on the market, with features that make it easy to build and deploy e-commerce sites, as well as manage eCommerce operations.

While Magento provides a great foundation, adding EasyAsk gets you significantly better site search, navigation and merchandising solution.

With EasyAsk on top of your Magento eCommerce Platform visitors will find products faster and quickly be converted from shoppers to buyers, which will increase your customer conversion rates, order sizes and overall e-commerce revenue.

We guarantee your conversion rates will increase with EasyAsk. Fill out the form to download the white paper and learn more.

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Mobile eCommerce Site Search Tips

 

Mobile shoppers and mobile devices are drastically different than traditional online eCommerce scenarios.  Mobile shoppers typically have less time to browse, screen sizes are tiny in comparison, keyboards and eCommerce navigation are awkward and voice-enabled features are becoming more common.  Here are a few things to consider while building your mobile eCommerce site.

Search is King
The limitations on mobile devices prioritize search on mobile eCommerce sites.  Faceted navigation and browsing just don’t cut it.  Shoppers want to see what they are looking for quickly and the search box is the fastest path to purchase.  You should assume that the vast majority of your mobile eCommerce shoppers will interact with your search box before making a purchase.  How can you make it easier for them to get to your search box and enter what they are looking for?

Accurate results
The importance of eCommerce site search in mobile environments means that the search box must produce accurate, relevant results, even when shoppers enter partial or complex queries.  You need a backend system that understands shopper intent and that can showcase the most relevant items from your product catalogue.  Quality trumps quantity – mobile shoppers are much less likely to scroll through pages of results.  Results need to be displayed clearly, with uniform images ranked by relevancy.

Voice enabled
Most new phones, including the iPhone and Androids, are voice enabled and your shoppers are becoming much more comfortable speaking to their devices, as they would a personal assistant. People can now click a microphone button on their mobile devices to enter text into your search box and this is leading to more naturally spoken, descriptive queries.

Remember: Mobile DEMANDS great eCommerce site search.  Consider natural language processing solutions, which automatically understand shopper intent and match queries to the most relevant items in your product catalogue.  Natural language and semantic solutions are vastly better at understanding longer, more descriptive queries, like those spoken into voice-enabled devices.  If you are not able to upgrade from keyword to natural language or semantic search, make sure you tune your system as best as possible – adding all relevant synonyms, common misspellings, as well as commonly associated terms and product descriptions for each item in your catalogue. Also frequently review your site’s analytics to see how people are searching, which will help you improve your site’s results over time.

Do you have additional mobile eCommerce site search tips to share?  Drop them in the comments below or Tweet us with #EasyAsk.

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Building the Best Search Box

A search box should be like a friendly sales associate – engaging shoppers and directing them to exactly what they are looking for.  Search is the most important eCommerce navigation tool on your site.  It should be easy to find and available from all pages.  Below are a few basic things to consider:

Size of box and buttons
In general, boxes and buttons should be large and rectangular. Creative shapes may look nice, but can hurt you when it conflicts with expectations, as shoppers scan sites quickly and are accustomed to corners.

Make sure the search box is long enough to accommodate more descriptive search terms and phrases.  The submit button should also be large enough to click on in a hurry.

Think about a complimentary or bright color scheme to help the box and button jump off the page.  Also be sure to label the button “search” or “find” instead of something more ambiguous like “go.”

Position
Always place your eCommerce site search box at the top of each page – right, left or center. Make sure it stands out from other boxes.  Subscription or other promotional boxes can create confusion if they are not clearly differentiated. You may want to consider placing other box-like promotions at mid-page or lower.

Suggestive search box
Add a phrase to your search box like “what are you looking for?” A conversational question or phrase will lead to more descriptive searches, which will produce more accurate results.  Conversely, a search box that says “product number” will suggest to shoppers that you want succinct model number versus a conversational phrase.  Shorter eCommerce site search phrases may not have enough information to match to all the relevant items in your product catalogue.

Remember: the search box is the most valuable real estate on your site. Your eCommerce merchandising and eCommerce searchandising strategies will fail if shoppers can’t find and properly utilize your search box.  Spend the time and effort upfront to get it right.

Do you have additional search box tips to share?  Drop them in the comments below or Tweet us with #EasyAsk.

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If Your Search Box Was a Personal Shopper, Would You Fire It?

 

In the world of online shopping, your site search box is like your personal shopper.  You know, like the ones who ask you, “How may I help you?” when you walk into a department store.

In the real world, if you’re asked that, you’re going to tell them how they can help you.  But in the eCommerce world, most of the sites you go to can’t help you the way a personal shopper can. Why?  Because of Keyword Search limitations, and the fact that most people don’t know what’s possible with their eCommerce Site Search.

In the early days of the Internet, way back in 1995, the Keyword attribute was popularized by search engines like AltaVista.  But even as early as 1997, which was 15 years ago, they discovered keyword search was unreliable.  But people still continue to use it!  Why?

Yahoo! and Google…

If you use a long-tailed search (i.e. “Women’s black long-sleeved dresses”), the chances of your search returning the right product, are very slim. And now you’re reduced to clicking through page after page to try and find what you want. Or, if you’re like me, you leave the site altogether.

Let’s flip it around and compare it to real life. What if you told a personal shopper that you wanted a “Women’s black long-sleeved dress,” and she returned with long-sleeve shirts, coats, jackets, short-sleeve dresses, strapless dresses, etc. You would look at her like she’s… how do I put this nicely?… AN IDIOT. Because you made it clear you what you wanted and she didn’t understand you.

You wouldn’t accept this in real life, so why are you accepting this with eCommerce websites? Because you’re used to it? That’s just ridiculous, especially when your eCommerce Site Search has the ability to understand the entire intent and context of your request.

If you’re using the right technology…

Natural Language/Semantic Search has been around for years, but has not gained steam until fairly recently with IBM Watson and Siri on the iPhone. It’s a SMARTER and FASTER search than Keyword, and can understand long-tail searches, price constraints, and synonyms.  Flip-flops, sandals, thongs, slippers are all the same thing, you know it, I know it, your search box should know it.

It’s time to stop accepting below-average as the norm. Upgrade your eCommerce Site Search to a Natural Language Engine. EasyAsk has done wonders with companies Large (Lands’ End) and small (Schuler Shoes).

Take a look for yourself and see what can be accomplished with the right Searchandising tool.

 

 

 

 

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Record-Breaking Cyber Monday Delivers Important Message to Retailers

Avoid “No Results” Page and Increase Conversion Rates with these 4 Tips:

Cyber Monday sales were stellar, with some of the largest U.S. retailers seeing a 30 percent increase from last year, according to Smarter Commerce.  Research firm ComScore Inc. (SCOR) says that Monday spending reached a record $1.46 billion!  Some retailers were punished however, as sites with poor eCommerce site search lost customers due to the dreaded “no results” page.  Mobile shoppers, who accounted for 18 percent of Monday’s retail traffic, are a major percentage of that group who left, as mobile devices offer cramped screens and clumsy navigation.

Here are four tips you can apply to avoid the “no results” page to improve conversion rates and ensure you capture your share of this holiday season’s online and mobile sales.

Auto complete and spell correction
Show your shoppers full search terms as they type, so they can pick and click.  And automatically correct or compensate for your customers’ typos to provide the most meaningful results.

Relax Long-Tail Searches
Many “No Results” pages are the result of long-tail searches, such as “Men’s black Ferragamo loafers.” The worst thing an Internet retailer can do is return a “No Results” page because the visitor will just jump to another site to find what they’re looking for. A good site search and merchandising solution will “relax” out words to find something close to what the buyer is looking for. In the example above, if the retailer doesn’t carry Ferragamo brand, they can show “men’s black loafers”. The best search-relaxation systems recognize concepts, like understanding that “black” is a color and “loafers” is a category. With this understanding, a top-notch site search solution can prioritize which concept to drop first.

Explain why there are No Results and offer solutions
The most frustrating “No Results” pages don’t indicate why nothing is displayed.  Use this space to tell them why the search failed and give them options and instructions on how to continue their search.  Many sites offer a list of popular searches or popular brands offered and, if possible, personal assistance via phone or chat.

Provide a rich, mobile eCommerce solution
There are new mobile eCommerce solutions that enable Smartphone users to just hit the microphone button and speak directly into the search-box.  The very best eCommerce solutions provide this, transforming iPhones, Androids and Window’s Phones into a fully functional eCommerce shopping experience.

These are just a few tips you should consider implementing within your eCommerce software solution to mitigate the “No Results” page.  What other ideas do you have to improve your site search results? Let us know in the comments section, or Tweet them to us with #EasyAsk.

Ready to see how EasyAsk's eCommerce solution can help you? Request a demo!
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