SLI Systems Launches Learning Search With AJAX to Improve and Quicken Site Search and Navigation

March 1, 2010 - PRLog -- SLI Systems, provider of on-demand, intelligent search services for Internet and e-commerce sites, announced today a new AJAX version of its flagship Learning Search site search solution that improves the speed and delivery of site search results. Built using AJAX technology, Learning Search with AJAX provides search results faster because it doesn't perform a complete page refresh each time a visitor conducts a search. AJAX is also available for Learning Navigation, SLI's dynamic site navigation product, allowing a site owner to use AJAX for both site search and navigation.

Learning Search with AJAX requests only the necessary data from SLI's search servers when a visitor performs a search or selects an option on the search page -- for instance, narrowing results based on price or color, re-ordering search results, switching between grid and list views, clicking on a related search, or viewing an additional page of results. Because Learning Search with AJAX doesn't require a reload of the entire webpage, search results appear more quickly -- an important must-have for e-commerce websites whose customers expect a site to be fast and efficient.

By using Learning Search with AJAX, e-commerce companies can benefit from the anticipated higher conversions that come with faster webpage loads. In addition, merchants should expect to see higher sales, since the searching and shopping experience is not interrupted by ongoing webpage reloads.

"Particularly for online retail sites where there are numerous refinements as well as ordering and display options, speed is crucial to a good customer experience," said Shaun Ryan, CEO of SLI Systems. "The AJAX search is visually appealing. Compared to other visual features on a website -- such as video or high definition images, which slow the load time -- AJAX search is actually faster, so it's no surprise that it improves conversion rates."

SLI customer Motorcycle Superstore is using Learning Search with AJAX to improve the search experience at its online storefront. "With so many brands and product options for our motorcycling gear and tires, our customers often need to refine search results to find exactly what they're looking for," said Jason Miller, vice president of technology for Motorcycle Superstore. "Learning Search with AJAX makes this process fast and painless."

SLI Systems' Learning Search with AJAX solves common problems that occur with webpages programmed using AJAX. For instance, site visitors can still click on their browser's "back" button to return to the previous webpage without losing their way in the site navigation; in addition, users can copy and paste unique URLs for search results pages and send them to other shoppers. In addition, Learning Search with AJAX supports all of SLI's site search merchandising capabilities, including the ability to manually control ordering of results so that sale items or other special promotional offers appear at the top of results.

SLI Systems' Learning Search with AJAX and Learning Navigation with AJAX have been designed so that pages can still be rendered if the user doesn't have JavaScript enabled. This is particularly important for navigational pages. Currently, Google and other search engines do not crawl web pages that are generated using AJAX, which means the pages won't turn up in search engine results. SLI's AJAX solutions overcome this problem, allowing major search engines to index the website. “SLI-Systems is always on the cutting edge of site search technology and with the fast pace of business these days, adding even more speed to search and navigation is a fantastic way to ensure a great customer experience", says Louis Fazo.

About SLI Systems

SLI Systems is the developer of learning-based search and navigation technology for corporate Internet sites, e-commerce destinations and consumer Internet portals that Searches, Learns and Improves the user experience. SLI Systems' hosted site search and user-generated SEO solutions empower businesses to enhance customer satisfaction while increasing sales, reducing costs and yielding valuable customer information. Unlike traditional search software, SLI Systems' patented technology continuously "learns" from the behavior of visitors over time to deliver more relevant results. SLI Systems is a privately held company, with offices in Silicon Valley, London, and Christchurch, New Zealand. For more information, visit www.sli-systems.com, see the company's blog at http://blog.sli-systems.com/, or listen to the CEO's interviews at www.ecommercepodcast.com.