Conversational AI eCommerce Site Search with Ari Khan from Hawksearch - EP015

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Is your eCommerce site search matching the products you sell with what your potential customers are searching for? Or are you leaving visitors frustrated with 0-result search result pages for terms adjacent to what you sell?

In the 15th episode of eCommerce Masters, Host Ethan Giffin (virtually) sits down with Ari Khan, CEO of Hawksearch, about how Conversational AI is changing the way people shop online. Ari shares how smart search tools like Hawksearch can increase conversions and improve the customer experience, ultimately boosting revenue.

Ari explains why site search should be viewed as your online salesperson, guiding customers to the the products that most closely match their search intent with AI-powered recommendations, real-time suggestions, and natural language understanding. With over 70% of online purchases starting with a search, putting the most relevant products in front of potential customers has become eCommerce table stakes. Ari highlights the importance of clean product data, smart merchandising, and accurately measuring results so that merchants can further optimize search performance.

Ari reveals Hawksearch’s latest innovations, like Conversational Search, which engages shoppers with clarifying questions and dynamic recommendations—just like a real salesperson would. This AI-driven approach helps businesses reduce zero-result searches, increase average order value, and keep customers engaged on-site (where margins are their highest).

Want to learn how better on-site search can drive more sales? Listen now to hear Ari and Ethan’s insights and strategies to improve your customer’s eCommerce search experience.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction & Guest Welcome
02:18 - Ari Khan’s Journey into AI & eCommerce
07:01 - The Role of Site Search in Online Sales
12:55 - How Conversational AI is Transforming Search
18:07 - Optimizing Search for B2B & eCommerce Growth
23:50 - The Importance of Clean Data & Merchandising
29:46 - AI-Powered Search & Reducing Zero-Result Queries
34:41 - Bridging Content & Commerce with Intelligent Search

Resources

Hawksearch - https://www.hawksearch.com
Ridgeline Digital - https://www.ridgelinedigital.com
BigCommerce - https://www.bigcommerce.com
Shopify - https://www.shopify.com
Optimizely - https://www.optimizely.com
Salesforce - https://www.salesforce.com
Magento (Adobe Commerce) - https://business.adobe.com/products/magento/magento-commerce.html
Shopware - https://www.shopware.com
Zapier - https://www.zapier.com
HP (Hewlett-Packard) - https://www.hp.com
Bridge Line Digital - https://www.bridgeline.com
AgentForce (Salesforce AI) - https://www.salesforce.com/products/einstein-ai/

About our Guest, Ari Khan

Prior to joining Bridgeline, Dr. Kahn was the co-founder of FatWire, a leading content management and digital engagement company. As the General Manager and Chief Technology Officer of FatWire, Dr. Kahn built the company to a global corporation with offices in 13 countries and top industry analyst ratings.

After winning many of the Global-2000 as customers and growing annual revenues to more than $40 Million, FatWire was acquired by Oracle in 2011 for $160 Million. After leading that successful acquisition, Dr. Kahn became Chairman and CEO at the resort development company, Great Land Holdings. He led the company through the 2008 recession and grew it into one of the most successful businesses in the region. Kahn received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from the University of Chicago.

Connect With Ari on LinkedIn

About Our Host, Ethan Giffin

Ethan Giffin is the Founder and CEO of Baltimore-based Groove Commerce, a premier eCommerce agency that helps mid-market brands design, build and grow their eCommerce sites.

Ethan is an industry expert in eCommerce, e-marketing, and the dynamic technologies behind them. For years, Ethan has lived and breathed conversion rates, search engine visibility, and web analytics.

When Ethan isn’t obsessing over SEO, conversion rates and eCommerce architecture at Groove Commerce, he can be found speaking as an industry authority, both nationally and internationally. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, DJing, and the pursuit of rare pocket squares.

Connect With Ethan on LinkedIn

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