Here Are the Four Top Reasons
Reason 1: Shoppers Are Undecided
Up to 97% of visitors aren’t ready to buy on their first visit. If the search is slow or frustrating, these undecided shoppers are more likely to abandon and turn to a competitor.
Reason 2: Search in Natural Language
Many shoppers describe what they’re looking for in everyday terms, not the technical language or categories retailers use. This disconnect leads to poor search results and frustration.
Reason 3: Keyword Mismatch
Traditional keyword-based search engines depend on perfect matches with product metadata. If there's a mismatch or incomplete tagging, relevant products remain hidden.
Reason 4: Relevance vs. Intent Gap
Search results may be technically relevant but still miss the mark. If they don’t align with what the shopper actually wants—be it look, feel, or function—conversion suffers.