Search seems so simple. Give users a box and let them figure it out. Not so fast. Visitors simply expect great search everywhere online. Think about it this way: approximately 35-45% of your web traffic comes from organic search on an engine like Google or Bing. Naturally those users will want to leverage search on your site. If search is clunky, inaccurate, and/or incomplete, users will get frustrated and go back to Google—and possibly your competition.
Here’s how to get it right:
- Make sure your search function can perform basic spell corrections and return a message for zero hit results
- Include full site search that returns results for both products and content (think help, blogs, and pages)
- Give users the ability to filter and sort search results with faceted navigation
- Provide clear images and calls to action in the search results, so users can see snapshots and quickly add results to their carts
Here are some great examples of faceted navigation:
Give search a little thought and watch your stickiness and conversions start to climb.
Have you tried to use your own search function lately? How were the results? As always, feel free to contact us with questions and comments.