Survey: 84% of shoppers have problems with search filters

Consumers often have trouble finding what they are looking for when shopping online, leading to “decision fatigue.”

According to a new study by Software Advice, which surveyed more than 5,500 consumers worldwide, the majority online buyer start searching for products on retailer websites (52%), search engines (67%) or e-commerce platforms (46%). However, unhelpful search results, including sponsored, inaccurate or irrelevant product listings, make shopping difficult.

More than three-quarters (77%) of consumers regularly use search filters when browsing the web. However, users told Software Advice that filters are often incorrectly applied to products (45%), lack a helpful level of detail (44%), or are too sparse to significantly narrow down product selection (34%).

“This abundance (of inaccurate results) creates a frustrating experience that leads to decision fatigue, causing many shoppers to abandon their carts or avoid e-commerce sites with poor search functionality,” said Molly Burke, senior retail analyst at Software Advice.

Despite their importance, consumers also noted that they have difficulty finding trustworthy reviews, which contributes to overall decision fatigue. Only 34% of respondents trust reviews posted by social media influencers, indicating a need for more authentic customer reviews. A similar number of consumers (30%) say they start their product searches on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Software Advice has identified two key factors that complicate online shopping. First, consumers are inspired by social media trends, but most make their final purchases off of social media platforms. Second, many retailers fail to incorporate popular social media keywords into their sites, including search features and product information.

“Retailers need to improve their search engine discoverability while also improving search functionality on their own websites to better match customers with the products they really want,” Burke said. “Making reviews easier to digest helps influence purchasing decisions and reduces costly returns.”