Will the AI chatbot replace traditional website search?

With the rise of AI, people have become increasingly accustomed to systems that provide an immediate answer. Instead of clicking through results themselves, users expect a system to understand what they mean and respond to it immediately. Visitors take that expectation with them to websites. There, too, they want clarity faster, fewer steps and less interpretation work.

A classic search function is basically designed to show results, not to provide answers. The visitor must:

• Choosing the right keyword
• Interpreting results
• Determine which page is relevant

That takes time and attention. Often not much, but sometimes just enough to cause friction, especially among visitors who are used to direct answers elsewhere. That does not mean that the search function suddenly no longer suffices. But it does mean that it is no longer always in line with how people consume information today.

That is why AI chatbots are increasingly being used as an addition or even replacement to existing navigation and search functionality. They make it possible to:

• ask natural language questions
• Understand context better
• provide more targeted information

Instead of a list of results, the visitor receives a concrete answer, based on the content of the website itself. The question that really matters is not: Does our search function work? But: Does our way of offering information still match what visitors expect? 

Websites that deal with this consciously are often seen as up-to-date and progressive. That image not only reflects on the website, but also on the organisation behind it.

At other organisations, we see that AI solutions are increasingly being researched and tested. Not to replace everything, but to see where extra value is created for the visitor. It is rarely about rigorous choices, but rather about smart combinations and optimising step by step.

At Basic Orange, we help organisations to respond to these changing expectations. With a professional AI chatbot that is live on your website within one day and provides immediate answers to all questions visitors may ask about the information on your website.

This way, your information provision is more in line with how visitors search today, without having to throw existing structures overboard.