Winning the Digital Shelf: Why B2B Companies Are Turning to Smarter Site Search (And Why You Should, Too)

This blog post was written by our partners at Algolia.

B2B commerce is evolving — and with it, so are buyer expectations. Today’s professional buyers demand fast, relevant, and personalized digital experiences. But when product discovery falls short and they can’t find what they’re looking for, sales plummet.McFadyen Digital is excited to spotlight our partnership with Algolia, a leading AI search and discovery platform. Together, we’re helping B2B enterprises power modern, commerce strategies where intelligent search isn’t just an enhancement, it’s a much-needed growth accelerator.

Setting the Stage: Why This Matters

The B2B buying journey is complex. Decisionmakers have to navigate vast catalogs, find technical specs, compare options, and do it all with speed and confidence. But there’s a problem: 84% of B2B professionals say poor search functionality has led them to abandon a site and purchase elsewhere, according to Algolia’s 2024 B2B Site Search Trends Report. And now, the demographic of corporate B2B businesses is changing: hello, millennials and Gen Z. This group of digitally savvy experts demand B2C-like experiences and expect fast and intelligent search capabilities right at their fingertips. 

According to LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Buyer Report, millennials now make up 73% of all B2B buyers and 44% of final purchasing decision-makers. (Digital Commerce360)

At the same time, B2B businesses are undergoing a major transformation. Many are shifting to marketplace models and composable architectures, and trading software monoliths for agile SaaS platforms built from best-of-breed solutions. McFadyen Digital has been at the forefront of this evolution, helping global enterprises navigate the complexities of modern commerce.

But without fast, intelligent search, even the most advanced digital architecture falls flat. Whether you’re selling thousands (or millions) of SKUs, your buyers expect to find what they need — instantly.

Getting into the Details: From B2B Friction to Function with Algolia

1. Accelerated Product Discovery for Deep Catalogs

Use case: Manufacturers and distributors often have thousands (or millions) of SKUs. Advanced search with typo tolerance, attribute filtering, autocomplete, and AI ranking empowers buyers to find exactly what they need in seconds.
Outcome: Reduced search-to-find times by up to 50%, translating to faster order process and higher satisfaction.
Integrations: Adobe Commerce + Algolia provides enterprise-grade indexing, while BigCommerce + Algolia supports rapid catalog scaling with Search-as-a-Service.

2.  Intelligent Quoting & Pricing Experiences

Use case: B2B buyers expect personalized quotes & pricing based on contract terms, volume tiers, and account relationships. Smarter search can feed into “Configure Pricing & Quotes” workflows in real time.
Outcome: Real-time quote generation slashes manual quoting by up to 70%, boosting seller productivity and buyer satisfaction.
Platform: Adobe Commerce + Algolia enables real-time pricing queries; McFadyen’s accelerators plug this into ERP/PIM/OMS.

3. Self-Service Buyer Portals

Use case: B2B purchasers want self-serve access to pricing, inventory, past orders, and reorder actions. Enhanced search within the portal helps them find relevant SKUs and documentation quickly.
Outcome: Cut inbound customer support tickets by ~40% and employee support burden in half.
Fit: Adobe Commerce customer portals + Algolia-powered search = seamless self-service experience.

4. Contextual Search with Personalization

Use case: B2B buyers vary—some order maintenance parts; others order equipment. By combining browsing behavior, past orders, and search intent, Algolia delivers contextually relevant results.
Outcome: Click-through rates jump 30–60%, repeat purchase rate increases significantly.
Tie-in: Adobe Commerce supports user-level data; Algolia personalization extracts value; McFadyen tools supply analytics.

5. Streamlined Bulk Ordering & Reordering

Use case: B2B clients often need to re-order multi-item lists quickly. Smart search autofills SKUs, auto-suggests entire bundles or past order sets, and supports bulk add-to-cart.
Outcome: Order time from SKUs list reduces by 70%, increasing average order frequency.
Integration: Adobe/BigCommerce platforms + Algolia can scan pasted lists and create bulk carts.

6. Composable Ecosystem & Real-Time Data Sync

Use case: B2B platforms require tight sync across ERP, PIM, OMS, and search index. Algolia ingests structured catalog data and updates within seconds, keeping search fresh.
Outcome: Near-zero mismatches between what’s shown and what’s in stock; reduced cart abandonment due to stock-outs.
Example: McFadyen’s accelerators include ERP/PIM/OMS sync tied to the search layer.

7. Enhanced Discovery Through Recommendations & AI

Use case: Algolia’s AI-powered “Recommended for you” and “Customers also searched for” modules enhance discovery, upsell, and cross-sell.
Outcome: Uplift in average order value (AOV) by 15–25% with dynamically surfaced bundles and accessories.
Platform: Works on both Adobe and BigCommerce storefronts.

8. Data-Driven Search Analytics

Use case: In B2B, discovering why certain SKUs don’t rank, or what buyers are searching for but not finding is essential. Algolia analytics surfaces top zero-result searches and query refinement needs.
Outcome: Businesses plug catalog gaps, boosting conversion rates and site efficiency.
Integration: Adobe Commerce + Algolia dashboards fed into McFadyen’s SEO/performance solutions.

9. Lightning-Fast Performance at Scale

Use case: B2B platforms often hit performance bottlenecks under load, especially with large catalogs and global teams. Algolia’s distributed search network ensures sub-50ms response time even under heavy load.
Outcome: Higher engagement, reduced bounce, improved brand perception.
Compatibility: Integrates with Adobe Commerce global deployments and Kubernetes-backed BigCommerce setups.

So why should B2B care?

Our joint solutions empower teams to:

• Save time: Accelerate time-to-value on replatforming projects
  
• Increase conversion: Improve search performance across marketplaces and regions, improving AOV, and driving repeat business
  
• Buyer fit: Personalized, relevant search results deliver consistent, brand-aligned discovery across multiple storefronts
  

The Final Word

As B2B companies embrace marketplace models, ecosystem thinking, and composable commerce, intelligent Search is emerging as a strategic necessity — not an option.

Through our partnership, McFadyen Digital and Algolia help enterprises unlock the full value of their digital commerce investments. From platform design to implementation and optimization, we ensure that your buyers not only find what they’re looking for, but enjoy the journey as well.