Site search implementation

Site search implementation is adding a convenient search that actually finds what a visitor is looking for. The built-in search of many CMSs is weak: it does not understand typos and synonyms, returns emptiness or junk, and is slow on a large catalog. We implement a full search — with suggestions right as you type (like in big stores), typo tolerance, synonyms, filters and sorting by relevance. We choose the engine for the task: for a small site an improved built-in search is enough, and for a large catalog — specialized systems (Algolia, Elasticsearch, Typesense) that search instantly. Important about money: cloud services like Algolia charge a monthly subscription (often based on the number of queries) — we warn about these recurring costs in advance so there are no surprises; there are also free engines you host yourself (Typesense, Elasticsearch). If you have a small site and the built-in search copes — we will honestly say that a separate one is not needed. Picture this: in a store with thousands of products a visitor searches for “red shoes size 38”, and the search returns emptiness — after implementation they immediately see what they need with suggestions and filters and buy. The base price for implementation starts from 25,000 ₽ for a small catalog; for large stores with tens of thousands of products and a cloud engine it is noticeably more, plus the service subscription; we give an exact quote after an assessment.

• Visitors do not find the product or article they need — they leave, even though it is on the site.
• The built-in search does not understand typos and synonyms — it returns “nothing found”.
• On a large catalog the search is slow — while it loads, the person closes the tab.
• There are no suggestions and filters in the search — it is inconvenient to search, especially from a phone.

• Choosing the engine for the task (an improved built-in one or Algolia / Elasticsearch / Typesense)
• Search with suggestions as you type — instant results as you go
• Typo tolerance and synonyms — it finds things even if written with a mistake
• Filters and sorting by relevance (faceted search for catalogs)
• Indexing content and products, tuning relevance for your business
• Responsive — convenient search from a phone
• Query analytics: what people search for and what they do not find
• Checking speed and result quality after implementation

• Visitors more often find what they need on the first try — this supports views and sales (if the rest of the site is in order)
• The search understands typos and synonyms — no “nothing found” out of the blue
• Instant results even on a large catalog — no one waits; fewer “where do you have X” requests to support
• You can see what people search for and do not find — a reason to add products or content

• You leave a request and describe the site and the catalog
• We choose the engine, index the content, tune relevance and filters
• We implement the search, check speed and quality, and connect query analytics

• How is this better than the built-in CMS search?

  The built-in search often searches by exact match: a mistake in one letter — “nothing found”, and it is slow on a large catalog. A full search understands typos and synonyms, suggests as you type, searches instantly and provides filters. If the catalog is small and the built-in search copes — we will honestly say that a separate one is not needed.

• Do I need a paid service like Algolia and how much does it cost afterwards?

  Not necessarily. For a small site an improved built-in search or free self-hosted solutions (Typesense, Elasticsearch) are enough. Paid cloud services (Algolia) are convenient and very fast, but they charge a monthly subscription — it depends on the number of products and queries and is on top of the implementation cost. We choose one for your budget and catalog and name the recurring costs in advance.

• Will the search cover both products and articles?

  Yes, we set it up for what you have: products, articles, documents, services. We can make a single search across the whole site or a separate one for the catalog — whichever is more convenient for your visitors.