Telescope: Everything You Need to Know About Search

Welcome to this edition of Telescope on Search, our monthly newsletter devoted to search. Our goal is to offer a regular, quick-browse e-newsletter with useful information, tips, and news of the latest developments on Site Search, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, and site usability. If you have any feedback or questions please direct them to newsletter@sli-systems.com.

Feature: Get “SaaSsy” and Recession-Proof Your Business

Shaun Ryan CEO, SLI Systems As we face the increased likelihood of a recession, many clients are learning how software as a service (SaaS), or hosted services, can be an effective way to deal with budget cuts. More specifically, if you’re concerned with improving the online experience for your customers, a hosted approach to site search – such as SLI’s fully managed Learning Search – offers many cost advantages (not to mention performance benefits).

First off, SaaS offerings are pay-as-you-go and many require no up-front capital investment, which means you can start capturing bottom line benefits almost right away. Many SaaS offerings require little to no installation time and minimal training – while all ongoing management is handled by the service vendor.

In the case of SLI’s Learning Search, you also have the luxury of trialling the product for free for 30 days, which means you start seeing the positive impact before you’ve even spent a dime. (And since we’re tooting our own horn here, we’ll add the fact that the free trial period is typically when all the customization work is performed – which again gives you immediate benefit without any up-front cost or commitment.)

In hard times, a good search function on your site becomes all the more important. There are obvious benefits in making it as easy as possible for people to find what they’re looking for on your site. But in addition, you need a site search solution that provides results with additional information that can lead to a purchase – such as customer ratings, promotional banners, the ability to refine results, and suggestions for alternate searches.

Additionally, being able to leverage site search data to improve the effectiveness of SEO and PPC campaigns throws more power behind the site search punch. And when you have a search solution that does the work for you – as with hosted services – that’s all the better.

New Ecommerce Podcast

We’ve started a new podcast series which can be found at www.ecommerce-podcast.com. As part of the ongoing series we’ll interview SLI customers and partners about e-commerce best practices, and profile the people who keep their online businesses running and talk about the lessons they’ve learned.

Our first podcast is with Nebraska Furniture Mart’s Internet Marketing Manager Jeff Douglas, who talks about the company’s colorful history, some of the challenges with selling furniture on the web, and how they’re using search to improve their customers’ experience.

Next month we’ll feature an interview with Bill Cronin of Vermont

Teddy Bear, who should have some useful advice given his company’s aggressive marketing strategy leading up to Valentine’s Day.

If you have any comments you'd like to share, email us at newsletter@sli-systems.com.

SLI Systems & Customers in the News

Below are links to recent news articles highlighting our Learning Search service:

• Top sites fail to offer easy access to all – IT Week, Jan. 25, 2008
• Faces of eContent: Manda Choi, Customer Success Manager, SLI Systems – eContent, Jan. 24, 2008
• Finding Gold – Internet Retailer, Feb. 1, 2008 (features SLI & CableOrganizer)
• CableOrganizer.com uses search behavior data to personalize landing pages – Internet Retailer, Feb. 4, 2008
• Nebraska Furniture Mart Gains Sales and Marketing Advantages with Hosted Site Search Solution from SLI Systems – Feb. 5, 2008
• Nebraska Furniture Mart improves Web search – Furniture Today, Feb. 6, 2008
• Nebraska Furniture Mart Adopts Website Search Technology – Furniture World, Feb. 11, 2008
• Nebraska Furniture Mart Upgrades Web Search – Home Furnishings Business, Feb. 12, 2008
• Vermont Teddy Bear Company Tailors the Shopping Experience to Customer Needs to Drive Greater Sales with Site Search Solutions from SLI Systems – Feb. 12, 2008

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If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues please email us at newsletter@sli-systems.com.