How Courthouse Interiors Achieved a 52% Conversion Rate Increase with Smart Search

When you're managing thousands of products, basic search just doesn't cut it. This case study explores how Courthouse Interiors tackled customer search frustration and boosted their conversion rate by 52% with better search and filtering. If you run a design-focused store with a complex catalog, their story might sound familiar.

Customer: https://courthouseinteriors.com/
Industry: Home Décor, Wallpaper, Fabric & Interior Design
Company Overview: Family-owned since 1998, Courthouse Interiors manages 20,000+ products across furniture, lighting, tableware, outdoor, fabric, and wallpaper from 150 brands worldwide.

As their catalog exploded from a few hundred to 20,000+ SKUs, Shopify's native search couldn't keep up.

Inadequate Search for Complex Functionality
The built-in Shopify search simply couldn't handle the complexity of their inventory. For a business selling design-led pieces where color, pattern, and material are crucial, customers needed more sophisticated tools.

Limited Filtering and Customization Options

Shopify's native filtering system lacked the customization Courthouse Interiors needed. “There wasn’t enough customization for us, even with basic things like the stacking order or how we wanted items to appear,” Oliver explains. The team couldn't control filter width, position, text size, or display order — essential elements for creating an intuitive user experience.

Variant Display Issues

One of the most frustrating limitations was how variants were displayed in search results. With products like wallpaper available in seven different colors, customers searching for "yellow wallpaper" wouldn't see the yellow variant first — they'd see whichever variant was set as primary, even if it was blue or green.

Customer Anxiety (Critical UX Insight)

Perhaps most concerning was the psychological impact on shoppers.

With Shopify’s default search, this is exactly the kind of uncertainty Courthouse Interiors’ customers experienced — results often felt incomplete, making shoppers second-guess whether they were seeing the full range of relevant products.

After extensive research comparing solutions like Fast Simon, Algolia, and others, Oliver chose Searchanise. “For the price you charge and what the product delivers, I think you’re the best solution on the market in that category,” he states confidently.

The implementation happened in two phases:

Phase 1 (4-5 years ago): Replaced Shopify's default search with Searchanise widgets.

Phase 2 (2025): Implemented advanced filtering across all collection pages.

One of Oliver's favorite features is how Searchanise handles product variants. “We might have one wallpaper product with seven colors, but if you search for green, even if it’s the fourth variant, it shows that green version first,” Oliver says.

For categories like fabric and wallpaper with thousands of options, color filtering has proven invaluable. “Being on a page with 2,000 products and being able to sort by color is incredibly useful for the user,” Oliver emphasizes.

With 80% of their traffic coming from mobile devices — primarily through social media marketing — having search immediately accessible is crucial. “We have a sticky search bar on every page of the website," Oliver explains. “Wherever you are, without clicking anything, you can search the entire site very quickly.”

The search widget doesn't only show products — it surfaces relevant content across the entire site.

Unlike Shopify's native tools, Searchanise gave Courthouse Interiors complete control over the visual presentation. “We’ve customized the width of the search, filter positions, and text size — all things we couldn’t do natively on Shopify.” Oliver notes.

Importantly, these customizations didn't sacrifice performance: “Page loading speed is also really good.”

"I like looking in detail at what people are searching for. I also like being able to see which filters people apply on collection pages — it tells us what matters most to them."

The insights are actionable:

• Customer priorities: "We sell well-known brands, so it's useful to see whether customers are sorting by brand or by product type."
• Seasonal trends: "I can spot seasonal trends in what people are searching for. It's always summer somewhere — if it's winter in the UK, outdoor products may be performing well elsewhere."
• Homepage merchandising: Search data directly informs which brands and products get prominent homepage placement.

"Search analytics are as useful as any other analytics we have, if not more. They show real intent," says Oliver.

Courthouse Interiors isn't done innovating. They're planning to leverage additional Searchanise features:

Voice Search: "Voice search could be really valuable. Younger people use it more, and from an accessibility perspective, it's a great inclusive feature."

Enhanced Merchandising: "We'll start using merchandising more during seasonal periods, especially for Black Friday, to push traffic toward key products and deals."

"We really do use your product a lot. We're probably a very good example of how it can be used," Oliver reflects.

When asked if he would recommend Searchanise: "Yes — 100%. I've recommended it to loads of people and would recommend it to anyone who needs a better search than Shopify's native option."

Visit courthouseinteriors.com to see Searchanise in action, or start your free trial today to discover how advanced search and filtering can transform your Shopify store.