If your site has huge database and rich content, be it a public site, e-commerce site, business venture, you got to install some kind of site search feature, and you will also need to make sure that your site search function is well optimized.
The general market research points to a consistent rise on the usage of on-site search function in recent years. It is well aware that a major part of online visitors to any website do perform search in finding the information, this trend is expected to continue to grow as online users continue to gain advancement in their search digging.
A user’s centered search function could provide satisfying experience for all users involved: Users could easily locate what they’re really looking for, and your website meets its basic objective by giving users what they searching for; and with better business metrics to present it.
Case studies by large number of e-commerce and enterprise based search-tool vendors indicates that, by improving search functions and features, website can translate into higher conversion rates, improved customers satisfactions and greater transaction volumes on a business or e-commerce site.
Well, that’s the aimed best case scenario. In reality however, organizations do frequently roll out their business sites with some “Out of the box” search tool, and then often neglect in refining them to reflect the actual desired behavior and results. Or worse, the site search function has been implemented by simply replicating what another site is doing, although they may not necessarily be identical. Looking thru websites on the net today, such phenomenon is actually growing.
In business point of view, you really need to optimize the search function on your website, whether it’s for your content or your users. You need to re-assess the basic key elements of your on site search features and function that affect the user experience in the common area like: - coverage, depth, presentation and design, results and also error handling.
How Broad and In-depth Coverage Level for Site Search?
So, what is the depth coverage level of your site search? You will need to ensure that it’s optimal both for your site’s content and visitor’s usage. Does your search result cover items in your database, files, as well as standard web pages? For greater coverage and in addition to your on-site search feature, do you include “search the web” feature too?
But beware, you should have a strong reason for including “search the web” feature, as such features will divert users away from your site. You got to analyst hard before you really do it. Nevertheless, such feature is more suited to sites like research, academic or huge informational portals, but not e-commerce or business sites.
To make sure that you are delivering the result that your users are finding, you should first investigate what they’re really searching for! Take a closer look and analyze your site’s search query log. It will help you in understanding what your site’s users’ behaviors. Are they inputting queries in phrases or is it via single words? Are they misspelling your product names or brands, especially your key items?
Before anything else, you must first know that they are doing on your site. Then analyze the “How” and “What” they’re misspelling. Learn from the major search engines like the Big G Search, which is very good in search suggestion.
The beauty facts are in the details within the query log. You could be digging more information in area like whether most users are inputting in the same query? Or number? That is a strong indication that show they’re looking for certain parts or a particular items. You should then make your search function to return high relevant results.
Now, armed with the analysis results, you and your team (in most cases, you are working with your team of consultants or specialists) should then work on fine-tuning the search algorithms which would enable users to reach the results they’re really searching for. In most scenarios, you usually got to work on search term dictionary, and thesaurus to get the desired results.
So what’s next? It could well be enhancing your site search features and functionality, which we shall continue in next discussion. Keep up your great work progress.
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