Targets

In Bizzkit Ecommerce Search, targets serve as input criteria that help determine which business rules are applied to generate a search response. These targets contribute to how products are sorted and ranked by aligning results with your commercial parameters, affinities, and boosted fields. Targeting is not limited to product sorting; it can also adjust facets and other elements within the search results.

Use cases for targets

Targets provide the flexibility to tailor search results according to various business needs, user preferences, or testing strategies. Below are several key use cases for applying targets in Ecommerce Search to optimise the ecommerce experience:

Campaign-specific targeting

You can create campaign-specific targets to boost the visibility of certain products during promotions or special events.

• Campaign example: "save20"
  When running a 20% off promotion, setting a target can prioritise discounted products in the search results, making it easier for users to find sale items.

• Campaign example: "Black Friday"
  A target for Black Friday can highlight deeply discounted products, ensuring these appear prominently during one of the busiest shopping days.

Weather-specific targeting

You can adjust product visibility based on seasonal weather, ensuring that customers see the most relevant products for the current season.

• Weather example: "summer"
  A target for summer could highlight seasonal products like outdoor furniture, swimwear, and cooling appliances, enhancing visibility for items popular during warmer months.

• Weather example: "winter"
  In winter, the target could prioritise products such as coats, heating appliances, and holiday decorations, making it easier for users to find items suited to colder weather.

Device-specific targeting

Tailoring search results based on the type of device being used enhances the user experience, as content can be optimised for mobile or desktop browsing.

• Device example: "mobile"
  A target for mobile users could prioritise products with mobile-friendly content, such as fast-loading pages, optimised images, or simplified descriptions.

• Device example: "desktop"
  For desktop users, the target could favour products with richer content, such as detailed descriptions, larger images, or comparison tables that are easier to view on larger screens.

Gender-specific targeting

You can refine search results based on the customer's gender, creating a more personalised shopping journey.

• Gender example: "male"
  A target could prioritise men’s products, such as clothing or grooming items, to ensure they appear more prominently when male customers are browsing.

• Gender example: "female"
  Similarly, you can configure a target to feature women’s products, making the shopping experience more tailored for female users.

• Gender example: "child"
  For child-specific products, a target can emphasise items like toys, children’s clothing, or educational products, catering to families and parents.

Split tests

Another valuable use case is split testing, where you compare different ranking strategies or product displays for various customer segments.

• Example: Split test A vs B
  In a split test, target A could prioritise products based on contribution margin, while target B might focus on customer reviews or popularity. By presenting different search results to different groups, you can analyse which strategy drives better conversion rates.

This flexibility allows businesses to experiment with different approaches to product ranking, promotions, or customer segmentation, gaining insights into what works best for their specific objectives.

How it works

Targets are created via the API and applied by including the relevant target ID in search requests. When a search request includes a target, Ecommerce Search finds the associated business rules to shape the order of search results, facets, and other elements in the search response.

sequenceDiagram
    participant Client
    participant Ecommerce Search
    participant Response

    Client->>Ecommerce Search: Sends request with target ID (and other parameters)
    Ecommerce Search->>Ecommerce Search: Finds business rule based on target ID (and other parameters)
    Ecommerce Search->>Response: Shapes response (order, facets, other elements)
    Response-->>Client: Returns search results

This flexibility enables businesses to tailor search results to match their evolving commercial priorities or test various strategies to optimise their ecommerce performance.