Do you want to add WooCommerce product search to the header in WordPress?
If you run a WooCommerce store, making it easier for your customers to find products is key to improving conversions.
The search bar is one of the most important tools on any eCommerce site because it helps users quickly locate the products they’re looking for.
But having your WooCommerce product search buried at the bottom of your page or lost in the sidebars can make this process harder than it needs to be.
That’s why it is a great idea to add WooCommerce product search to the header. By making it accessible at all times, you’re streamlining your customers’ shopping experience.
In this article, we’ll show you how to add WooCommerce product search to the header in WordPress.
Key Takeaways:
- Why adding a product search to the header is important.
- How to improve WooCommerce product search to index all content.
- How to add a WooCommerce product search to the header in WordPress.
Why Add Product Search To the Header Of Your WordPress Site?
Your website’s header is one of the first places visitors look for navigation tools. No matter which page the visitor is on, the header is always visible, so placing the search bar on the header makes it more accessible.
Imagine you run an online electronics store. When a potential customer comes to your homepage after searching for a specific gadget, they see a search bar right at the top of the page. They can type in the item they want and see relevant products right away.
This quick and easy process reduces the chances of the customer leaving for another website. Having a search bar in the header saves time and makes it more likely for the customer to buy, as they are taken directly to the product page they wanted.
Here’s why adding a WooCommerce product search to the header is necessary:
- Increased visibility: Customers expect to see the search functionality always. By placing it on your website header, you can ensure it’s visible on every page of your site.
- Better user experience: If customers can’t find what they’re looking for easily, they’re likely to leave your store. Adding a search bar in the header ensures users have quick access to product searches.
- Improved conversions: Search bars can reduce friction in the purchasing process. Customers who can search and find what they need without effort are more likely to convert.
How To Improve The WooCommerce Product Search
Having powerful search functionality can significantly increase the chance of having a successful online business. The search bar acts like a salesperson for your online store, helping customers quickly find exactly what they need without having to browse through endless product pages.
While the default WooCommerce search feature does an adequate job, it doesn’t always index the crucial product data that customers rely on—such as product tags, attributes, variations, or even customer reviews. Without these, users may struggle to locate specific items, which can result in missed sales opportunities.
This is where SearchWP comes in handy. It’s the most advanced search plugin for WordPress, and it expands WooCommerce’s search functionality by allowing it to index important product data, such as categories, tags, descriptions, and attributes.
Here are other key features of SearchWP that make it integral for your online business:
- On-site search activity tracking: SearchWP enables you to track every search performed on your WooCommerce store, offering invaluable insights into customer behavior. By analyzing this data, you can better understand what products your visitors are looking for and identify opportunities to refine your product offerings or promotions.
- PDF and documents searchable: SearchWP makes document files, such as PDFs and other Office documents, fully searchable. If your WooCommerce store includes items like manuals, guides, or product specifications, this ensures customers can easily find the information they need without having to download and open each document manually.
- Custom search results order: SearchWP allows you to set a custom order for search results, prioritizing specific products or pages based on their relevance to your business goals. Whether you want to highlight best-selling items, featured content, or new arrivals, this flexibility ensures that visitors see your most important products first.
- Live search results: SearchWP’s live search feature enhances the user experience by displaying search results in real-time as customers type. This instant feedback reduces the time users spend searching, helping them quickly find the products or content they’re looking for, ultimately boosting engagement and sales.
- Custom search results page: With SearchWP, you can fully customize your WooCommerce search results page to better suit your customers’ needs. Whether you want to improve the layout, add filters, or display additional product information, you can do so easily with SearchWP
So, let’s follow the following steps to configure SearchWP for your site.
Step 1: Installing SearchWP
First, visit the SearchWP website to grab your copy of the plugin. Then, log in to your account and download the plugin zip file from the Downloads tab of your profile.
On the same page, copy your license key, which you’ll need later.
Now install & activate the SearchWP plugin like any other WordPress plugin.
In your WordPress dashboard, you’ll see a new menu item called “SearchWP.” Click on it and then “Add License Key.”
Paste your copied key in the “License Key” field and click “Verify Key.”
If everything worked smoothly, you’ll see the verification confirmed and your package information displayed.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed SearchWP on your website.
Step 2: Configuring WooCommerce Integration
Now that SearchWP has been installed and activated successfully, we need to install the SearchWP WooCommerce extension to make sure all WooCommerce content can be indexed properly.
You can do that by visiting SearchWP > Extensions, finding the WooCommerce Integration in the list, and clicking “Install.”
You’ll see it is successfully installed and activated within a few moments. Doing this will ensure all WooCommerce products are accessible to SearchWP.
Next, we’ll show you how to add WooCommerce product search to the header, but before that, you need to configure the search engine.
Step 3: Customize The Search Engine
Once installed, SearchWP automatically replaces the default WordPress search. Also, it gives you full control over how you want the search engine to find content on your site.
You can select different sources, adjust the relevance of each product or content attribute, and even have multiple search engines.
To customize your SearchWP engine, click SearchWP > Algorithm from the left sidebar of your WordPress dashboard.
To set up a WooCommerce product search, click “Sources & Settings.”
A modal will pop up with a list of sources to choose from. Select “Products” from the list box. Click “Done” after choosing sources that interest you.
Then click “Save” so that SearchWP can start rebuilding your search index based on the new settings.
Finally, it’s time to display your custom WooCommerce search widget on your website. Let’s talk about how you can do this in the next step below.
How To Add WooCommerce Product Search To The Header In WordPress
In order to add WooCommerce product search to the header on your site, visit your WordPress admin dashboard. From there, navigate to Appearance > Editor.
Now, select “Navigation” from the left side menu.
Then, click on the three vertical dot icons next to Navigation and select “Edit” to enable customization.
You’ll see that all menu items are displayed here on this page. To add a new item, click on the “+ Add block” icon.
From this dropdown, click on “+ Add block.”
You should see the “Product Search” block listed here. Click on it to select. If you don’t see any search block, click on “Browse all” to find your desired block.
This will add WooCommerce product search to the header of your WordPress site. You can customize the search form if needed. Then, click “Save” to apply the changes.
Finally, visit the frontend of your website to see the newly added WooCommerce product search in action!
Conclusion
We hope you are able to successfully add WooCommerce product search to the header of your WordPress site. Having a search that is always accessible improves both user experience and your conversion rate for your store. And having the advanced features of SearchWP, you can ensure that your customers always find the right products quickly and easily.
Get SearchWP today to stay ahead of your competitors!
