Discovery Strategies in eCommerce

4 days ago
12 min read

In eCommerce, sales do not depend solely on having a broad catalog, competitive prices, or efficient logistics. Above all, they depend on the customer being able to quickly find what they are looking for, easily discover what they did not know they needed, and perceive value throughout the entire browsing journey. This is where a Discovery strategy comes into play.

In the online grocery environment, this point is even more critical. Users do not always browse with a single intention. Sometimes they come in with a clear mission: to buy milk, fruit, and detergent. But in many other cases, they need support to remember products, explore alternatives, identify promotions, discover new items, or complete a more efficient weekly shop. That is why a well-designed Discovery strategy is not just a complement to the experience: it is one of the major drivers of conversion, repeat purchases, and average basket growth.

From this perspective, Discovery should not be understood as a single functionality, but rather as an interaction ecosystem involving the search engine, filters, category menus, product groupings, recommenders, banners, contextual communications, and personalization. When these elements work in a coordinated way, eCommerce ceases to be merely a digital catalog and becomes an intelligent commercial environment, capable of accompanying the user in decision-making and assortment exploration. This logic is closely aligned with Aktios’ proposal, which incorporates category browsing, filters, groupings, related products, recommenders, latest purchases, dynamic content, and AI-enhanced search engines to improve conversion, experience, and average basket value.

1. Discovery as a strategic business lever

A good Discovery strategy has a direct impact on five key dimensions of eCommerce:

a) It reduces search friction. The less effort the user has to make to find a product, the greater the probability of purchase. In environments where the assortment is broad and purchase frequency is high, cognitive speed matters greatly.

b) It improves conversion. A user who finds things better buys sooner. And a user who discovers better buys more. Discovery influences both conversion rate and abandonment.

c) It increases average basket value. Recommendations, thematic groupings, contextualized promotions, and related products help complete the basket with greater logic and relevance.

d) It increases assortment visibility. Many valuable products do not sell less because they are worse, but because they are less visible. Discovery corrects that asymmetry.

e) It strengthens the relationship with the brand.When navigation is useful, clear, and personalized, the user feels that the store “understands” them. That perception improves loyalty and repeat purchases.

In other words, Discovery does not just help users search, it structures demand.

2. Category menus: the architecture of exploration

Category menus are the first major Discovery tool because they build the mental map of the store. In stores where planned shopping and impulse shopping coexist, the category tree must fulfill a dual function: guide and activate.

An effective category architecture must be:

clear and easy to scan,
consistent with the consumer’s language rather than the business’s,
sufficiently deep to organize the assortment properly,
but not so complex that it creates disorientation.

For example, a generic category such as “Food” is not enough. The user expects to be able to naturally enter routes such as:

Fresh products
Fruit and vegetables
Dairy
Breakfast
Drinks
Frozen foods
Organic / Gluten-free / Lactose-free
Pets
Baby
Household cleaning

Here the menu not only organizes: it also prioritizes. If a retailer wants to promote healthy products, private label, regional products, or new items, it can reflect this in the navigation itself.

In addition, in environments such as online grocery, it is especially useful to combine the classic category logic with a shopping mission logic. For example:

“Weekly shop”
“Back to school”
“Quick dinner”
“Aperitif”
“Barbecue”
“Summer recipes”
“Products on promotion”

This shift is very powerful because it moves navigation away from the company’s internal taxonomy and toward the consumer’s real need.

The Aktios solution adopts category browsing and fully configurable category tree management, as well as the possibility of assigning more than one category to a product, something especially valuable for multiplying the visibility of the same item depending on the shopping context.

3. Filters: turning abundance into decision

Filters are one of the most decisive functionalities within Discovery because they allow a broad catalog to be transformed into a manageable and relevant selection.

When the problem is usually not lack of supply, but rather the opposite, too many references, without filters that abundance generates noise. With well-designed filters, it becomes value.

For example, in the grocery sector, the most common filters are usually: brand, price, organic/bio, gluten-free/lactose-free; but at Aktios we also work with other concepts such as:

Type of promotion.
Format/size.
Those related to nutritional attributes and dietary needs (for example: low salt, low calorie, ...).
Origin (local or KM0 products).
New products.

Their importance is twofold. First, because they allow the user to refine their search without having to reformulate it; and second, because they help discover alternative assortment that might not appear in a strict search.

For example: a customer enters “yogurts” and applies the filters “no added sugar” and “active promotion.” The system not only helps them find a specific product; it opens a window onto items that fit their lifestyle and that they may not have known.

In business terms, this has a very clear effect: filters not only reduce decision time, but also increase the commercial quality of browsing.

There is also a key consideration: filters must be dynamic and contextual. Not all filters make sense in all categories. Showing irrelevant filters worsens the experience. Showing context-specific filters improves it significantly.

Our platform highlights filters by brand, attributes, promotion type, and price, always dynamic and contextual within its Discovery capabilities, which fits perfectly with this logic of refinement and shopping guidance.

4. Interactive search engine: the core of high-intent Discovery

The search engine is the most critical functionality for high-intent users. It is the point at which eCommerce must prove that it understands the customer’s language, even when the customer writes incompletely, imprecisely, or colloquially.

In grocery, this happens constantly: “milk no”, “burger bread”, “frying tomato”, “coffee capsules”, “junior dog food”, “kids breakfast”, “alcohol-free beer”.

That is why a modern search engine cannot be limited to literal matching. It must incorporate capabilities such as:

Autocomplete.
Real-time suggestions.
Error correction.
Synonyms.
Semantic enrichment.
Relevance prioritization.
Learning from behavior.
Natural language understanding.
Management of searches with few or no results.

Here the search engine stops being a simple text box and becomes a true commercial discovery assistant.

What should a good interactive search engine offer?

a. Intelligent autocomplete. While the user types “milk,” the system can suggest:

whole milk,
semi-skimmed milk,
lactose-free milk,
plant-based drinks,
featured brands,
related categories.

b. Mixed results. Not only products. It can also display categories, brands, recipes, promotions, or thematic groupings.

c. Tolerance for real language. The customer does not always use the internal nomenclature of the catalog. They may type “coca cola zero,” “toilet paper,” “protein Greek yogurt,” “Mexican food.” The search engine must absorb that diversity.

d. Intelligent zero-results management. This is one of the most important points. A “no results” message is a break in the experience. The right approach is to offer alternatives:

similar products,
suggested terms,
nearby categories,
equivalent brands,
relevant sponsored products,
already pre-applied filters.

e. Discovery capability based on natural language. If someone searches for “snack,” the system should not be limited to a specific reference. It should be able to suggest cookies, shakes, prepared fruit, healthy snacks, or products for children depending on the context.

f. Commercial discovery capability. This is where the presence of sponsored products becomes especially relevant, usually driven by manufacturers or brands that want to gain visibility at moments of high purchase intent. These sponsored products can occupy prominent positions within search results when they respond to a clear and useful commercial logic for the customer: launches, new products, special promotions, or strategic references within a category. When well managed, they should not be perceived as intrusive advertising, but as a tool that accelerates discovery. For example, for the search “coffee capsules,” highlighting a new variety on promotion can support both monetization of the space and product awareness among consumers.

The Aktios platform reflects this vision very clearly when it speaks of specific AI-powered search engines, configurable search box, multi-search, smart lists, automatic catalog enrichment, and relevance management even for sponsored products. It also highlights advantages such as reduced frustration when there are no results, expanded capacity when there are few results, and improved experience through synonyms.

5. Product groupings: discovering through context

Product groupings are an extraordinary Discovery tool because they shift the focus from the individual product to the logic of use, mission, or affinity.

They are especially valuable when the customer does not shop by thinking about specific SKUs, but rather about solutions. For example:

“Healthy breakfast”
“Barbecue products”
“Back to routine”
“Christmas special”
“This week’s favorites”
“Baby essentials”
“Family savings”
“Organic products”
“Football afternoon”

These groupings fulfill several functions simultaneously:

they simplify exploration,
they increase the visibility of less searched products,
they facilitate occasion-based shopping,
they encourage cross-selling,
they strengthen the store’s editorial and commercial perception.

In addition, they have enormous value for launching new products.A new product, if it depends only on organic search, will take longer to rotate. But if it is integrated into groupings such as “New products,” “New flavors,” “Latest launches,” “What’s new in healthy products,” or “Discover this week,” it enters the consumer’s radar sooner.

In sectors where much of the shopping is repetitive, these groupings help break routines and create room for exploration.

Another highly relevant aspect is the possibility of building specific landing pages by brand or by concept. These pages make it possible to organize the assortment and the commercial discourse around a specific narrative, enabling much richer Discovery aligned with user interests. For example:

a brand landing page to highlight the full universe of a manufacturer, its ranges, promotions, and new launches;
a KM0 products landing page to emphasize proximity and support for local producers;
a healthy products landing page to help the customer identify alternatives that fit a more balanced diet;
a “bio,” “gluten-free,” “high-protein,” or “international cuisine” landing page, depending on the retailer’s commercial strategy.

These landing pages bring a lot of value because they combine catalog, content, context, and value proposition. They are not just product pages; they are spaces for inspiration, information, and conversion. They also help better organize campaigns, brand agreements, and differentiation strategies.

Our eCommerce solution includes both specific product groupings and landing pages within its search and Discovery capabilities, which is especially relevant for businesses that need to balance repeat shopping with commercial discovery.

6. Recommenders and related products: personalized Discovery

If categories and filters structure exploration, recommenders help us personalize it.

Not all users should see the same thing. For example, in grocery eCommerce, personalization can rely on purchase history, purchase frequency, family profile, dietary preferences, recent browsing, active promotions, seasonality, or the behavior of similar users.

On this basis, Discovery gains a much more sophisticated dimension. It is no longer just about showing “more products,” but about showing the right products at the right time.

Some typical cases of personalized recommendation with high impact may be:

Smart replenishment: “Your usuals,” “You often buy,” “You may be running out.” These are especially important in recurring purchases with many lines, as is usually the case with online grocery stores.
Contextual complements: If the customer adds burgers, suggest buns, cheese, sauces, and fries.
Relevant substitutes: If there is no stock or the customer is looking to save money, show equivalent alternatives.
Affinity-based discovery: “Customers who buy this milk also buy sugar-free cereals.”
Smart checkout: Final reminders such as “Did you forget...?” based on what they usually buy or what customers with similar profiles tend to buy.

This last point is especially powerful in grocery because many baskets are incomplete due to forgetfulness, not because of a deliberate decision. Detecting these gaps has an immediate impact on basket value and satisfaction.

We choose to strongly enhance recommenders, related products, and the “What did you forget?” functionality at checkout, in addition to using AI and user knowledge to strengthen the capabilities of search and recommendation.

7. Banners and communications: from visual impact to commercial activation

Sometimes the role of banners, carousels, and contextual messages within Discovery is underestimated, as if they were only promotional elements. In reality, when well used, they are a fundamental layer of guidance and activation.

Their function should not be to interrupt, but to guide. For example: to highlight campaigns, give visibility to new products, promote strategic brands or categories, communicate commercial advantages, explain value propositions, activate thematic discovery, and support searches with relevant messages.

Examples of effective use:

a) On the home page: “Discover this week’s new products,” “Seasonal fresh products,” “Family savings special,” or “Take advantage of our gluten-free offers.”

b) On category pages: “Top sellers in breakfasts,” “New organic products,” “Premium selection for guests”

c) In searches: If someone searches for “pasta,” a support banner or module could be displayed with:

sauce on promotion,
grated cheese,
Italian food packs,
related recipes.

d) At decision moments: “You are €8 away from free delivery,” “Get the second unit at a discount,” or “New product recommended for your basket”

The key here lies in contextual relevance. A generic banner has a limited effect. Content connected to the moment of purchase can transform navigation.

Sponsored products also have a place here, especially when integrated into high-visibility spaces such as carousels, featured modules, or preferred positions within product listings. This type of sponsorship, very common among manufacturers, makes it possible to accelerate the visibility of promotional products, launches, or innovations that need to gain notoriety quickly. In eCommerce, where many decisions are made quickly, correct exposure of these products can make the difference between going unnoticed and being added to the basket.

The key in this regard is that this sponsored visibility should be clearly signposted, relevant to the context, and provide real value to the user. If a brand promotes an innovation within the yogurt category, or a featured promotion in a back-to-school campaign, that sponsorship can work as a discovery aid and not merely as an advertising activation.

At Aktios, we work extensively on advanced content management by enabling more than 80 configurable in-store spaces, dimension-based content, hyper-personalization by segments, content for search terms, and the insertion of advertising in the grid and carousels. All of this makes it possible to turn content into a real operational tool for communication and monetization.

8. New products: how to make the new visible without breaking the experience

One of the most common challenges in eCommerce is getting the customer to discover new products without feeling that the store is distracting them from their main mission.

In grocery, this is especially delicate because shopping is usually highly automated. The customer repeats brands, formats, and habits. If a new product is not inserted correctly into the experience, it goes unnoticed.

For new products to work, they must be integrated into several touchpoints:

specific “New products” modules,
filters or visual tags,
insertion into relevant listings,
affinity-based recommendations,
featured content on home or category pages,
presence in search results,
groupings by occasion or trend.

Example: if a new protein products range is added, creating a landing page is not enough. It must also appear in:

“New products,”
“Healthy living,”
searches related to fitness,
high-protein filters,
recommenders for users interested in wellness.

This is complemented by a very powerful resource: thematic or brand landing pages, which make it possible to give depth and coherence to the launch of new products. For example, a brand introducing a new healthy line may have its own landing page where its new products coexist with an explanation of the nutritional benefit, recipes, promotions, and links to other related categories. Likewise, a landing page for kilómetro cero or healthy eating may serve to introduce new products without isolating them, integrating them into a broader and more aspirational narrative.

In addition, sponsored products play a decisive role here. A new product rarely gains traction simply by being added to the catalog. It needs reinforced visibility. Its sponsored presence in search results, listings, banners, or featured modules makes it possible to accelerate discovery and improve the likelihood of trial.

The discovery of new products should not depend on a single showcase, but on a distributed visibility network.

9. The balance between commercial utility and user experience

Every Discovery strategy must resolve an important tension: how to drive sales without overloading the experience.

If the store shows too many banners, too many recommendations, too many groupings, and too many promotional signals, the user becomes fatigued. If it shows too little, it wastes commercial potential.

We consider that the right balance is based on three principles:

Relevance: Show only what makes sense for that user, context, and moment.
Hierarchy: Not all signals should compete visually at the same level.
Continuity: Discovery should feel integrated into navigation, not artificially added.

At this point, UX/UI design and performance are essential. An excellent Discovery strategy can fail if the experience is slow, confusing, or not very usable. At Aktios, we place emphasis on a mobile-first approach, usability and accessibility, performance, and design oriented toward maximizing the shopping experience, which directly reinforces the effectiveness of all these strategies.

10. Measuring Discovery: from intuition to continuous optimization

A Discovery strategy should not be designed only with functional criteria; it should evolve based on data.

Some key indicators for measuring its effectiveness are:

Search engine usage rate.
Search-to-click ratio.
Searches with no results.
Filter usage and depth.
Conversion from category entry.
CTR of banners and content modules.
Contribution of recommenders to the basket.
Increase in average basket value through cross-selling.
Repeat rate of users exposed to personalized experiences.
New product discovery rate.
Performance of sponsored products.
Access and conversion rate of brand or concept landing pages.

This last point is very important because it allows us to understand whether reinforced visibility initiatives are generating real value: not just impressions, but interaction, discovery, and conversion.

Conclusion

Discovery strategies are one of the most decisive pillars of modern eCommerce, where repetitive shopping, assortment complexity, promotional sensitivity, and the need for convenience coexist.

Filters, category menus, interactive search engine, product groupings, banners, recommendations, and communications are not isolated pieces: they are part of a commercial and experiential architecture that defines how the user finds, compares, remembers, explores, and buys.

Within this architecture, two additional capabilities are especially relevant today. On the one hand, sponsored products, which allow manufacturers and brands to gain visibility at critical moments in the user journey, promoting offers, innovations, and launches with a retail media logic that is becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, brand- or concept-based landing pages, which allow complete value propositions to be structured around universes such as KM0, healthy, organic, or manufacturer novelties, enriching the experience and adding commercial context to the assortment.

When this architecture is well designed, eCommerce achieves three objectives at the same time: it makes shopping easier, makes the value of the assortment visible, and stimulates the discovery of new products.

The result is a smoother experience for the consumer and, at the same time, a tangible improvement in conversion, average basket value, monetization, and loyalty.

In this regard, a platform such as Aktios’ is especially suitable for building advanced Discovery strategies, because it combines optimized search capabilities, filters, groupings, recommendation, editorial management, personalization, contextual content, and AI integration.