Why Retailers Should Invest in Search Over Homepage Assets
For many online retailers, the homepage remains one of the most visible pieces of digital assets. Teams spend significant time optimizing banners, featured collections, promotional tiles, and seasonal campaigns.
But shopper behavior suggests that retailers may be focusing too heavily on the homepage and not enough on onsite search.
According to an April 2026 survey by Profitero of 1,000 nationally representative U.S. shoppers, 34% of shoppers use search as their primary navigation method on retailer websites. Promotions and deals ranked second, with 23% of shoppers prioritizing them as their preferred navigation method.
These findings point to a clear merchandising opportunity: retailers should prioritize the search experience as a core path to purchase, rather than treating it as a secondary website feature.
Search is the leading way shoppers navigate retail websites
When shoppers arrive on a retailer’s website, they do not always browse through homepage modules or category menus. A significant share already knows what they want or at least has a specific product, brand, or category in mind.
For these shoppers, the fastest path is often the search bar.
The survey found that:
- 34% of U.S. shoppers use search as their primary navigation method
- 23% prioritize promotions and deals as their second-place navigation method
Search therefore plays a larger role in product discovery than many homepage-focused merchandising strategies may assume.
A shopper searching for “women’s running shoes,” “wireless earbuds,” or “organic baby formula” is expressing immediate intent. If the retailer can return relevant products quickly, search can move that shopper directly into a high-value consideration journey.
Search often reflects stronger purchase intent
Homepage browsing can be useful for inspiration, brand storytelling, and seasonal discovery. However, onsite search frequently captures a more direct signal of shopper intent.
A shopper who enters a query is actively communicating what they want to find. That query can provide insight into:
- Product needs
- Preferred brands
- Price sensitivity
- Specific attributes
- Seasonal demand
- Common terminology and synonyms
- Gaps in the current product assortment
This makes search more than a navigation tool. It is also a source of behavioral and merchandising intelligence.
Retailers that understand and act on search behavior can improve both the customer experience and commercial performance.
Promotions still matter, but should be connected to search
The survey’s second-place finding is also important: 23% of shoppers prioritize promotions and deals.
This does not mean search and promotional merchandising should be treated as competing strategies. In many cases, they can work together.
For example, retailers can use search results to highlight sale items, coupons and eligible discounts, loyalty-member pricing, clearance products. search also can be used to showcase bundled offers, free-shipping thresholds or seasonal promotions.
A shopper searching for “coffee makers” may be more likely to convert when relevant discounted products appear prominently in the results. Similarly, a search for a specific brand or product can trigger a promotion that is directly relevant to the shopper’s intent.
The opportunity is to make promotions visible within the search journey–not only on the homepage.
What the findings mean for homepage strategy
The findings do not suggest that retailers should abandon homepage merchandising. The homepage remains valuable for introducing campaigns, highlighting new products, communicating brand value, and helping undecided shoppers begin their journey.
However, they do suggest that homepage real estate should not receive disproportionate investment at the expense of search.
Retailers may benefit from shifting some merchandising resources toward:
- Improving search relevance
- Expanding autocomplete and query suggestions
- Supporting misspellings and alternative product terms
- Making filters easier to use
- Ranking in-stock products appropriately
- Promoting relevant offers in search results
- Tracking searches that produce no results
- Personalizing results where appropriate
The central question should be: Are we investing in the navigation method shoppers actually use?
How retailers can improve onsite search
The search bar should be prominent, available across the shopping journey, and easy to use on mobile devices. Shoppers should not have to return to the homepage to start a new search.
Autocomplete can help shoppers find products faster and reduce the number of abandoned or unsuccessful searches. Suggestions may include popular product names, brands, categories, common search phrases, trending terms or promotional destinations.
Autocomplete should be designed to guide shoppers without overwhelming them.
Customers may use different words from the product catalog. They may search by: abbreviations, informal names, regional terms, misspellings, product features, use cases or compatibility requirements. Search systems should connect these variations to the appropriate products.
Search results should reflect the shopper’s query while also considering factors such as availability, price, margin, customer ratings, and promotional status. A relevant product that is out of stock creates a poor experience. Likewise, ranking products too heavily based on commercial priorities can reduce trust if the results do not match the shopper’s intent.
Integrate promotions into search results
Because promotions and deals are a major navigation priority for shoppers, retailers should ensure that relevant offers appear naturally within search results and filters.
Useful features may include: “On sale” filters, discount badges, coupon indicators, sale-price sorting, loyalty pricing, “deals related to your search” modules.
Search analytics can reveal what shoppers want, what they cannot find, and where the product catalog may need improvement. These insights can inform assortment decisions, product naming, content creation, and promotional planning.
A stronger investment priority
The Profitero survey findings provide a practical reminder: digital merchandising should be guided by shopper behavior rather than by tradition or visual prominence alone.
A homepage banner may be highly visible to the merchandising team, but search may be more important to the shopper. If 34% of shoppers use search as their primary navigation method, then search deserves comparable attention in planning, optimization, testing, and measurement.
Retailers should continue using homepage real estate strategically, but search investment may offer a more direct way to help shoppers find products, discover relevant promotions, and complete purchases.
