Beyond Basic Search: How to Clean Up Your Ecommerce Search in 2025

The holidays are over. The gifts are unwrapped, the decorations are down, and now you’re left with the task of cleaning up, organizing, and making space for all the new stuff. For ecommerce businesses, the post-holiday period feels similar. You just sprinted through peak season in November and December, working tirelessly to support the surge in online shopping. Now, it’s time to take a deep breath and focus on what’s next.

During the 2024 peak season, we saw retailers with advanced ecommerce search capabilities achieve a 60% increase in search-attributed conversions. Just like you wouldn’t want your home cluttered with outdated and inefficient tools, your ecommerce search shouldn’t just be doing the bare minimum. It’s time to declutter, modernize, and optimize your ecommerce search for the year ahead.

At Lucidworks, we see billions of search queries across hundreds of retailers, manufacturers, distributors, healthcare orgs, and more every year. Here’s what we’ve learned about modernizing your ecommerce search infrastructure for 2025:

1. Organize Your Data Closet

Think of your data like a cluttered storage space. Old keyword-based lexical search tools—once the most reliable way to find items—are like stocking stuffer socks. They’re useful but not going to ‘wow’ anyone. Here’s what modern ecommerce search architecture requires:

• Unified product data model that standardizes attributes across channels
• Vector database integration for semantic search capabilities
• Real-time inventory sync with sub-second updates
• Robust synonym management system that learns from user behavior

Large Language Models (LLMs) are the new, high-tech toys, capable of delivering richer search experiences. But here’s the catch: without cleaning and orchestrating your data, even the fanciest LLMs won’t work properly.

In 2025, businesses will prioritize data orchestration—bringing all their information together from disparate rooms (or silos) and making it standardized, accessible, and ready for action.

2. Combine the Old and New

Some toys (or tools) from the past still have value—they just need integration with today’s gadgets. For example, your legacy search systems can coexist with LLMs if you build a foundation that allows both to work together. We’re seeing successful implementations that combine:

• BM25 scoring for precise matches
• Neural network embeddings for semantic understanding
• Real-time reranking based on business rules
• Hybrid architecture that weights results based on query type

Expect to see hybrid search models take center stage this year, blending traditional lexical search with AI-powered semantic search for a seamless, user-friendly experience.

3. Declutter Customer Experiences

Parents tidying up after the holidays know the importance of simplicity. Too many toys—no matter how great—can overwhelm a space. The same goes for ecommerce search. Here’s how we’re helping retailers simplify their search experience through AI:

• Intelligent query understanding that identifies user intent
• Dynamic facet generation based on query context
• Personalized result ranking using real-time signals
• Automated synonym detection
• Smart merchandising rules that adapt to inventory levels

In 2025, ecommerce search will focus on minimalism and relevance. By leveraging AI, businesses will ensure search results are hyper-targeted and personalized, offering exactly what the customer needs without unnecessary noise.

4. Tidy in Real-Time

Imagine cleaning up a room, only for more clutter to be dumped in while you’re at it. That’s what managing inventory feels like without real-time updates. Our most successful implementations include:

• Sub-second inventory sync across channels
• Automated buffer stock calculations
• Smart substitution recommendations
• Real-time availability alerts in search results
• Dynamic reranking based on stock levels

This year, businesses will implement real-time inventory awareness, ensuring that customers only see what’s actually available. Out-of-stock products will automatically disappear from results, and substitutions or alternative suggestions will be displayed instantly.

5. Simplify with AI-Driven Configurations

Ecommerce teams need tools that simplify complex processes without sacrificing control. In 2025, businesses will demand intuitive interfaces that streamline configurations and boost efficiency. Key capabilities include:

• AI-driven suggestions for synonyms, relevancy adjustments, and query tuning
• Automated synonym and typo detection to improve search accuracy
• One-click configuration updates for relevance tuning and business rules

These trends highlight the growing expectation for tools that make managing search experiences more efficient and accessible, enabling businesses to deliver relevant results seamlessly.

6. Enhance the Ecommerce Search Experience with Modern Tools

The new gadgets on the block—LLMs, AR/VR, and generative AI—will redefine how customers interact with ecommerce platforms. Here’s what we’re implementing with leading retailers:

• Query expansion using domain-tuned LLMs
• Visual similarity search for “shop the look”
• Dynamic product description generation
• Intelligent size and fit recommendations
• AR-enhanced product visualization in search results

In 2025, AI will allow users to “test drive” products virtually, receive customized recommendations, and see product descriptions generated just for them. These tools don’t replace older methods but enhance them, much like pairing a classic toy with a modern accessory.

7. Build a Connected Commerce Experience

Just as every toy needs its proper place, every search interaction needs to be consistent across channels. That’s whether they’re shopping on a website, mobile app, or social media. Modern federated search architecture requires:

• Unified API layer for cross-channel consistency
• Synchronized user profiles and preferences
• Centralized business rules management
• Cross-channel analytics and reporting
• Real-time performance monitoring

By consolidating everything into one cohesive system, businesses will ensure a consistent and intuitive experience, no matter where the search begins.

8. Iterate Rapidly with AI-Driven Experimentation

The fast-paced world of ecommerce demands quick iteration to stay ahead. In 2025, businesses must adopt a test-and-learn approach to adapt search experiences dynamically. Key enablers include:

• Real-time A/B testing capabilities to evaluate search strategies
• Tools for rapid hypothesis testing on ranking, relevance, and personalization
• Analytics dashboards that instantly measure the impact of changes

These capabilities allow teams to experiment confidently, optimizing their search experiences at the speed their customers expect. While AI handles much of the heavy lifting, human validation and insights ensure alignment with business goals.

9. Sweep Into the Palm of Your Hand

Mobile commerce is quickly becoming the centerpiece of shopping experiences. In 2023, 57% of Cyber Monday purchases were made on mobile devices, underscoring the growing importance of optimizing for smaller screens. Shoppers increasingly rely on their phones as their all-in-one tool for browsing, purchasing, and interacting with brands, making mobile search a critical focus for ecommerce in 2025. 

Key technical considerations include:

• Progressive loading for faster initial render
• Predictive prefetching based on user behavior
• Optimized payload size for mobile networks
• Touch-friendly filter and facet interfaces
• Context-aware auto-suggestions

To stay competitive, businesses must prioritize mobile-first search experiences that are fast, intuitive, and tailored to the user’s needs. Seamless navigation, responsive design, and personalized results will be non-negotiable. The goal is to create a frictionless journey from search to checkout, ensuring mobile users feel as engaged and supported as those on desktop or in-store.

Getting Your House (and Ecommerce Search) in Order for 2025

Just like post-holiday cleanup, modernizing your ecommerce search requires the right tools and expertise. The good news? You don’t have to do it alone.

At Lucidworks, we specialize in helping businesses make sense of their data, integrate cutting-edge AI, and create search experiences that are both modern and simple. Let’s make 2025 the year you bring order to your ecommerce platform and deliver the experiences your customers deserve. Let’s talk.