Product Update
Search
Initial Content
The search bar is where shoppers show their intent, it’s often the clearest signal of what they want to find. Their first click is a critical moment, and with Hello Retail’s Initial Content, you can now make it count like never before.
Inspire shoppers from the start
Initial Content is a built-in Search feature that shows product suggestions the moment a shopper clicks in the search field, before they start typing.
Instead of an empty box, the search bar immediately becomes a source of inspiration, presenting curated recommendations such as bestsellers, trending items, seasonal picks, or personalized suggestions.
One of our most popular Search features, now even stronger
With Initial Content, Hello Retail has always brought special product discovery into the search bar.
The latest data shows that about 6% of total revenue generated through Hello Retail Search is attributed to Initial Content.
With this latest update, Initial Content now also includes advanced personalization features, creating a unique opportunity to capture shopper attention from the outset.
Few platforms offer this, and now your store can take full advantage.
What’s new:
- Access Hello Retail’s proven recommendation algorithms directly within Initial Content.
- Fully customize the experience with multiple filters, layered rules, and fallback steps, so you can adapt product displays to fit any shopper scenario.
More control. Higher conversions
For ecommerce and merchandising managers, this is far more than a search feature. It’s a strategic merchandising tool that lets you define exactly which products appear in this high-traffic space.
Guide visitors to the right products faster, reduce friction, and increase engagement, all of which translate into higher conversion rates and greater revenue impact.
In Search Analytics you can track clicks, CTR, direct and indirect conversions, conversion rates, and revenue contribution, so you can clearly see how Initial Content drives results alongside your other search features.
Practical use cases
Initial Content can support a variety of strategic goals across your store. For example:
Seasonal Campaigns:
Put Valentine’s Day gifts, Black Friday offers, or Christmas bestsellers at the top of the journey.
Promote Bestsellers:
Highlight high-demand items to create urgency and excitement.
Category Highlights:
Direct customers to high-margin collections or categories you want to promote.
Personalized Selection:
Show returning shoppers the products they viewed last time, or related items they’re most likely to buy.
How it works
Instant overlay: Product cards appear the moment a shopper clicks into the search bar and remain until typing begins.
Recommendation logic: By default, display top products or retargeted items.
Customization flexibility: Choose predefined algorithms for quick setup, or create tailored logic with the same advanced tools used in our Recommendations solution.
Dynamic personalization: Products adapt to each shopper’s browsing and purchase history for maximum relevance.
This flexibility means you can decide whether to keep it simple, or turn the search bar into a highly curated and personalized experience.
Available to all Hello Retail users:
This update to Initial Content is made available to all Hello Retail Search customers.