June 30, 2008 08:00 ET

SLI Systems Introduces Site Search Speed and Merchandising Enhancements, and Debuts Auto Complete Feature

Faster, Easier-to-Use Hosted Learning Search Solution Gives Users More Flexibility and Drives Greater Search Revenue While Further Improving Customer Experience

CUPERTINO, CA--(Marketwire - June 30, 2008) - SLI Systems (www.sli-systems.com), a provider of intelligent, on-demand search (www.sli-systems.com) services for content-rich Internet and e-commerce sites, today announced that it has upgraded the Learning Search hosted site search (http://www.sli-systems.com/site-search.php) solution to give customers greater control and flexibility for showcasing products and information. In addition, SLI Systems has also made significant speed improvements to its search solutions, reducing the time it takes to generate and deliver search results by as much as 50 percent, and also introduced a new Auto Complete feature for making site searches quicker and easier.

Enhanced Merchandising Console

A key part of the Learning Search upgrade, SLI has introduced a completely redesigned merchandising console that provides greater flexibility for online businesses in how they choose to promote products and information in the search results. The console also gives them tools to help online visitors better navigate the site, resulting in higher conversions and improved customer satisfaction.

For instance, SLI customers can now more easily change the order of search results, create banner ads, and customize landing pages through the dashboard console as a way to merchandise products and content, and leverage search activity for more targeted online marketing. Alternately, if they prefer, SLI's support staff can perform these tasks at their request.

"The use of SLI on our site has allowed our customers to get to the products they're searching for quickly," said Jennifer Clancy, marketing manager at IDWholesaler.com (www.IDWholesaler.com). "We're pleased that the new console provides us the tools needed to match our customers' needs with our business goals through more flexible 'searchandising (www.sli-systems.com).' We've also incorporated the new banner feature into our standard on-site marketing plan for special offers, and have fine-tuned results for specific search terms. All of these capabilities help us to provide our site visitors with a better experience."

Auto Complete Feature

SLI Systems also announced the introduction of Auto Complete, which helps people search a site more efficiently by providing suggestions to complete the search term they are typing.

Auto Complete leverages the intelligence of Learning Search, using previous visitors' search behavior to automatically create keyword suggestions. For example, someone who types "b-e-d" may see "beds," "bedspread," "bedframe" and other suggested terms that they can click on, rather than finish typing the whole keyword.

"Since we began using Auto Complete, search activity on our site has increased by 18 percent, and average order value is up by 10 percent," said Erion Kapllani, vice president at Surveillance-video.com (www.surveillance-video.com). "About 20 percent of searches are now initiated via Auto Complete, and we expect that number to increase. With Auto Complete, our shoppers find the products they need faster, making it more likely that they'll stay on our site and make a purchase."

Speed Enhancements

SLI has significantly improved the speed of its search solutions, further improving the user experience for visitors to e-commerce and other public-facing sites. By making enhancements to SLI algorithms and the configuration of the company's servers, search and navigation results are now generated and delivered 50 percent faster than before -- making it easier for SLI customers with complex search needs to improve the search function for their site visitors.

"We're always looking for new ways to improve our search solutions, and to give our customers more flexibility in how they can maximize the functionality of our offerings," said Shaun Ryan, CEO of SLI Systems. "The newest enhancements help everyone, regardless of their technical ability, to make decisions about merchandising, and make changes themselves -- without having to rely on their IT departments."

SLI's new merchandising console, the Auto Complete tool and speed improvements are available immediately as free add-ons to all clients. Additional enhancements currently under development will be announced in the coming months as part of SLI's ongoing efforts to continually improve its technology and provide customers with the highest level of flexibility, customization and service.

About Learning Search

SLI's patented "Learning Search" intelligent search technology "learns" from user behavior by tracking the search terms people use on a retailer's site and the resulting items they click on to deliver search results based on popularity. Learning Search improves the online experience for web site visitors and ensures the products people are searching for show up in the right searches -- whether those searches are conducted on their own sites or on a web search engine like Google.

More than 300 sites use SLI Systems' hosted search offerings, including ULTA, Smith & Hawken, FTD, TravelChannel.com and Vermont Teddy Bear, among others.

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 automated SEO (http://www.sli-systems.com/site_champion.php) 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, or see the company's blog at http://blog.sli-systems.com/.