Recently, the Pew Internet and American Life Project revealed survey results showing nearly half of Internet users conduct a search on a typical day, up from about a third in 2002. Search is fast approaching e-mail as the most popular thing to do on the Internet. 

We’ve all seen how search has dramatically shifted the landscape for national and local advertising – but how is it more broadly affecting online shopping? How is “the Google effect” changing the game for online retailers? 

The search engine has emerged as the most dominant user interface. As search becomes the primary entrance to your Web site, the visitor cares far less about your home page and reading your positioning statements, and far more about finding specific products or information. Your Web segmentation strategy must begin at the search engine, and cater to a far more granular range of segments than ever. 

Consumer tendency to “search first” rather than type in a Web store URL directly has made it much more challenging for e-tailers to attract and retain customers within the first few seconds of their visit – because if your customers are entering your site not on the home page, but on a specific product page, then that product page needs to be dynamic and personalized enough to “recognize” the customer and appeal directly to her in record time. Otherwise, forget it – she’s moving on. 

Of course, search doesn’t stop at your site – once a shopper lands there, if you capture her interest and convince her to stick around, she’s likely to continue a “search first” mentality and rely on your search box rather than on the navigation menus. So making sure that search capabilities are strong and that products and content are enhanced with specific facets designed to make them more “discoverable” can make an incredible impact on your bottom line. Now more than ever merchants have to give shoppers lots of easy ways to quickly move through their stores and find the best products for them.    E-tailers are responding to this challenge in a variety of ways, with some like Figleaves.com using automated recommendations throughout their site, and others relying on personalized landing pages that appear as a sort of introduction “welcoming” shoppers from search engines before they make it to the full site. However they are responding to this challenge, it’s clear that they must. Because reliance on the search engine is going to continue to grow, and consumers will expect retailers keep up with them.