[intro]In this Guide, you’ll learn how to ensure your EKM online shop visitors can really get the best experience from their results using the new search we are currently testing within Labs.[/intro]
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[warning]If you have previously installed Doofinder on your EKM online shop, please ensure that you remove this completely before adding New Search. [/warning]
[caution]After adding the New Search to your EKM online shop, you will need to wait to allow the system to index all of the products and their Attributes on your EKM online shop. This is only necessary when the New Search is first added to your EKM online shop - once this process is complete, it will automatically update as you add new products.
The amount of time this takes depends on the size of your product range; a large shop could take several hours to update, but you will see its progress indicated on the Dashboard of your EKM online shop whilst the indexing is taking place. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to add the New Search and leave for a few hours before testing it using an incognito/in-private browser.[/caution]
Across the top of the page, you’ll see the number of products in the search results illustrated in the top left-hand side and middle, and on the right-hand side, you can click the View options to display the results in a list format instead of the default grid format:
On the left-hand side of the search results page, you’ll also see the filters: Price, Colour and Thickness. Price is a standard Attribute, and Colour and Thickness are Custom Attributes. Customers can amend the Price slider and check the boxes to really zero in on the products that they would like to see within the search results:
How to add Product Attributes to your products
If you have not already added Attributes to your products, you will need to install the Product Attributes feature. You will then be able to add Attributes to each of your products manually, or if you have a lot of products, install the Import/Export System feature, where you can generate a spreadsheet and update all of your products at once by following the steps in this Guide.
[tips]When adding Custom Attributes, don’t get carried away! It’s very easy to add lots of Custom Attributes all at once, however, these can be laborious to maintain and might not necessarily be something your customers will use when looking for Products. Keep your Custom Attributes simple![/tips]
Applying Product Filters
When you have applied Custom Attributes to your Products (either manually using the steps above or via a spreadsheet and the Import/Export System) you can apply Product Filters to your EKM online shop.
Legacy or Custom Theme
1. If you are using a Legacy or a Custom Theme on your EKM online shop click the Shop tab:
2. Ensure that you have turned on the Edit Content button:
3. Click Edit Content next to the Category you wish to apply your Product Filters to, and then skip to step 3 below:
Aerial Theme
1. If you are using the Aerial Theme, click the Products tab:
2. Click Edit Category, then Edit next to the Category you wish to apply your Product Filters to:
3. In the Edit Category window, click the Product Filters tab:
4. If you tick the box to enable a Price Filter, this will enable the customers to search for Products by Price. Use the drop-down button below the box to select where you’d like the Price Filter to display - either above your other filters or below them:
5. Scroll further down the Edit Category window to see a long list of boxes. Each box represents a Custom Attribute. Scroll down the list and tick the boxes for each of the Custom Attributes you wish to display in the Product Filters
6. Scroll to the bottom of the list. If you have any Subcategories within this particular Category, click the Apply To All Subcategories button, before clicking Save & Close:
7. If you visit the front end of your EKM online shop and look at the Category Page you have just edited, you will be able to see the Product Filters. This will allow your customers to quickly search through larger categories to find the products they want:
8. When you have added Attributes to all of your Products and Product Filters to all of your Categories and Subcategories, you’ll then see these filters displayed on the left-hand side of the search results page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose what filters to display in the search results?
If you have added Product Filters to your Categories and Subcategories, these filters will be reflected on the search results page.
There is a filter visible on the search results and I don’t want it to be - why?
Because this filter is being used as a Product Filter on one of your Categories or Subcategories. You’ll need to check through and turn it off to remove this filter from the search results page.
How often will the New Search update?
When you add new products to your EKM online shop, the system will automatically add them to a queue to be indexed by the New Search. This can take around an hour to complete.
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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Ecommerce Expert or the Customer Support Team, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions Board. If you have a non-account specific question to ask the EKM Team, join us in EKM Community. If you need some inspiration for your EKM online shop, listen to our podcast on iTunes and Spotify.[/contact]