For customers shopping at The Home Depot, our search bar has always been a reliable starting point. As the number of customer searches grow – now to more than 400,000 unique searches daily – the technology team is constantly analyzing how to improve the experience for everyone.
But as a retailer with millions of shelves, our teams couldn’t identify an “off-the-shelf” search solution to fit our needs. The answer? Build one from scratch.
Intent Search: A Smarter Platform Delivering Smarter Results
Not all search engines are created equal, especially when our customers bring various levels of home improvement knowledge to what they type into the search bar.
That’s why our team focuses on the intent of the person searching, rather than the actual words. This also solves any complications that could arise from geographic terminology differences (for example, “weed whacker” vs. “string trimmer”). Plus, our learning algorithm uses ongoing search data to more accurately show customers exactly what they're looking for the first time.
Personalization: The Next Frontier
In addition to building accurate, lightning-fast search results, we’re also creating a personalized search experience for customers. Our technology team has built our online channels to consider location, past searches, personalized deal and guide recommendations when populating search results.
This is especially helpful for customers in specific trade professions, such as an electrician searching for “pliers,” which the app will properly search for as “electrician’s pliers.”
To learn more about The Home Depot's innovative shopping experience, read more here.
