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Not every customer who uses your store’s search bar will type the exact product name you’ve listed. They may use different keywords, misspell a term, or search for something slightly outside your catalog. When that happens, WooCommerce simply shows a “No products found” message, and that’s often where the shopping journey ends.
An empty no results page can quietly hurt your conversions. Instead of guiding shoppers toward similar or relevant products, it gives them no next step. Even if you carry comparable items, your store misses the chance to suggest them, which increases bounce rates and lost sales opportunities.
The good news is that your no results page doesn’t have to stay empty. By displaying alternative products, such as related items, best sellers, or category-based suggestions, you can keep shoppers engaged and help them discover something they’re willing to buy. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do exactly that in WooCommerce.
Key Takeaways:
- The default WooCommerce “No products found” page can hurt conversions because it gives shoppers no guidance or alternative options when their search doesn’t return results.
- By displaying alternative products such as related items, best sellers, or category-based suggestions, you can keep customers engaged and reduce bounce rates.
- Using the WebToffee WooCommerce Product Recommendations plugin, store owners can easily show smart product suggestions on the no results page and turn a potential exit point into a conversion opportunity.
When a customer uses your search bar, they are showing strong buying intent. They are actively looking for a specific product, not casually browsing. If that search leads to a blank “No products found” page, the buying momentum immediately stops. What could have been a high-conversion moment turns into frustration.
The default WooCommerce no results page provides no guidance. It does not suggest similar products, recommend best sellers, or help the shopper refine their search. As a result, many users simply leave instead of trying again. In competitive markets, that often means they move directly to a competitor’s store.
There is also a hidden revenue loss in this experience. You might have similar products that meet the customer’s needs, or the exact product may exist under a slightly different keyword. Without alternative suggestions, those opportunities disappear. An empty results page does not just hurt user experience; it directly impacts conversions and sales.
To display alternative product suggestions on the WooCommerce no results page, we will use the Product Recommendations for WooCommerce plugin by WebToffee. This plugin allows you to create and display smart product recommendations across your store based on defined rules and conditions.
Follow the steps below to set up and show product recommendations on the no results page.
Step 1: Install and Activate WebToffee WooCommerce Product Recommendations Plugin
To get started, install and activate the WebToffee WooCommerce Product Recommendations plugin on your store.
After purchasing the plugin, you will receive an email with the download link to download the plugin file. You can also download the plugin file from the WebToffee My Account page.
Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New. If you have downloaded the plugin file, click on Upload Plugin, choose the ZIP file, and click Install Now. Once the installation is complete, click Activate to enable the plugin.
After activation, you will see the Product Recommendations menu in your WooCommerce settings, where you can begin creating recommendation rules for your no results page.
Step 2: Create New Recommendations Widget
- Go to WooCommerce and select Product Recommendations sub-menu.
- Click on the Create recommendation button.
Step 3: Select the No Results Page to Show Recommendations
- In this step, select No search results page from the drop-down menu.
- Choose a recommendation template to show what type of recommendations to be shown in the no results page.
Step 4: Customize the Recommendation Widget
- Enter a Recommendation title that will appear on the no results page.
Example: “Uh oh! Here is what you were looking for” - Go to Display conditions and click Add filter if you want to control when the recommendation appears.
If no conditions are added, the recommendation will display whenever the rule is triggered. - Under the sorting section, choose how you want the products to be arranged.
For example, select Price and set it to High to low, or choose another sorting option based on your preference. - Add additional filters if needed to refine which products should be shown.
- In the Visual preferences section, set the Position of recommendation to Below search result. Enter the Total number of products to show (for example, 10).
- Finally, click the Create recommendation button to save and activate the rule.
That’s it! You have successfully set up product recommendations on the No Results page.
No more empty search pages and missed opportunities. Instead of showing a dead end, your store now guides shoppers toward relevant alternatives, keeping them engaged and increasing the chances of conversion.
The WooCommerce no results page appears when a customer searches for a product and no matching items are found. By default, WooCommerce displays a simple “No products found” message without offering any alternative suggestions.
When a shopper uses your search bar, they show strong buying intent. If they land on an empty results page, they are likely to leave your store. Showing alternative products such as related items, best sellers, or popular products helps keep them engaged and increases the chances of conversion.
You can display best-selling products, recently viewed items, products from related categories, discounted products, or personalized recommendations. The goal is to show relevant alternatives that match the customer’s search intent as closely as possible.
Yes. Instead of letting customers leave after seeing a “No products found” message, you provide them with relevant suggestions. This reduces bounce rates and gives shoppers another opportunity to discover products they may be interested in purchasing.
An empty “No products found” page is a missed opportunity. When a customer uses your search bar, they are actively looking for something specific. If your store responds with nothing, you risk losing high-intent traffic that could have been converted.
By displaying alternative products on the WooCommerce no results page, you turn a potential exit point into a recovery opportunity. Whether it’s best sellers, related products, or smart recommendations, giving shoppers a next step keeps them engaged and increases the chances of making a sale.
Instead of letting search traffic slip away, use it to your advantage. With the WebToffee WooCommerce Product Recommendations plugin, you can easily create targeted recommendation rules and ensure your no results page works as a conversion booster rather than a dead end.
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