Craft a unique discovery experience with AI-powered recommendations

Dec 13th 2023product

Algolia’s Recommend complements site search and discovery. As customers browse or search your site, dynamic recommendations encourage customers to browse more broadly – improving the customer experience and increasing sales.

Recommend allows customers to explore your inventory through navigation and recommendations. It transforms search and discovery into an experience unique to each customer. For example, if a customer searches for sneakers that are currently out-of-stock, Recommend can suggest alternative choices. If the customer adds a shirt to their shopping cart, it can suggest matching jewelry.

Though Algolia Recommend is a powerful foundational block for a superior ecommerce experience, implementing it can seem intimidating. We redesigned the Recommendations Guide Hub to be an intuitive and easy way to master the fundamental concepts behind Recommend.

This content was originally presented at Algolia DevBit.

Designed with the developer in mind

We wanted to create an easier, more effective method to bridge the gap from being a novice with Recommend to building the full search and discovery experience you envision.

That’s why when designing the Recommendations Guides Hub, we considered a number of different instructional models. Some prefer to read documentation first, while others jump right in and start experimenting hands-on with no prior knowledge.

Before designing the Recommendations Guide Hub, we reviewed our existing dashboard and existing training materials. We determined that not everyone learns through documentation and technical explanations, so we improved how we teach foundational concepts.

After careful consideration, we decided to approach training from a completely different perspective: reverse the flow. Instead of explanation through documentation, we focused on how engineers envision their final search product.

We deconstructed the ecommerce experience that uses recommendations revealing a few core patterns such as a card page or product details page. These pages are built using specific blocks of Algolia Recommend products. For example, a product details page uses alternative items or complementary items that are generated from core recommendation models. Then curation with filters and rules further improves the recommendations.

We then reviewed the main building blocks, most frequently asked questions, and our targets before creating our interactive step-by-step tutorials that show you how to get to the end-product.

Our guides are based on common ecommerce scenarios to teach the fundamental concepts behind Algolia Recommend. By following our new training guides, like enhancing a Product Details Page, you will develop the mental model to create unique core discovery experiences.

Crafting your search and discovery experience

Our ecommerce guides are currently available in the Recommendations Guide Hub. The core models and marketplace guides will be released soon. The core models, ecommerce, and marketplace categories contain a collection of specific scenarios that include: illustrated previews, key learnings, and required prerequisites.

Each quick and intuitive interactive guide walks you through the implementation stage with a detailed explanation of how to implement your own branding as well as additional next steps for improving your recommendation models.

Start designing the ultimate search and discovery experience with our interactive scenario-based guides for Algolia Recommend or click directly from the Algolia dashboard under the “Learn” section on the sidebar.

Considering Algolia Recommend for your site or app? To learn more, request a demo or visit the new Guide Hub.