22 Site Search Optimization strategy

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We use all kinds of marketing methods, so that visitors through the direct input address, search engine search, mail or tag return visit and other means of access to the site. Willing to visit, not our marketing means clever, but they are armed with a trace of thirst, the desire to obtain: beloved items, the latest news, learning opportunities, valuable information, self-realization of self-worth, and so on, the material level and spiritual level of satisfaction. Landing the first step of the site to find treasure, navigation menu, site map, tag tags, crumbs, site search, etc. are we provide digging tools, which site search most can explain the voice of visitors.

To get to the point, how to set up the search in the station is more conducive to the use of visitors? Let's take a look at the following 22 optimization strategies.

Search box Optimization

1, search box location

The search box should be placed where the visitor expects it: the upper right corner or the middle position. Avoid the search function as a "search" text link to the navigation menu, because most visitors prefer to search in the form of a search box. You should also avoid entering boxes such as mail registrations, mail subscriptions, and so on where the search box should appear, which can mislead visitors. If you have to put the message input box and the search box in a nearby location, you can display the "Please enter the mail address", "Enter search keywords" prompt.

　　

2, search box size

The search box must be long enough to accommodate the search term, at least 30 characters, so that visitors can see most of the search term before clicking the "Search" button, confirming that the search term is desired.

3, search scope

Scoped search allows users to search in specific areas, such as books, music, DVDs, and so on. It sounds good in theory, but it's not all generic. Jacob execution, based on more than 10 years of usability research, shows that the problem has been uncovered, for example, if the user chooses the wrong category to search, or the user is unaware that the search is being scoped, rather than the whole station (especially when the search scope defaults to a specific area).

　　

Therefore, you can use the Amazon way, the default full station search, and then through the results of the classification of navigation, the results of screening, accurate search.

　　

OK, there is an exception, when the commodity information and other information fusion in the main station search bar (software industry site is more common), the use of scoping search is a good idea, such as: the discussion area, cooperation information, product information and other areas of the definition of the search.

Search Gadget Optimization

4. Automatic prompt

Another limited search measure is automatic prompting, not only to reduce error input, but also to help us recommend products and product categories to avoid "no search results" situation.

Worth learning is that the Apple site Apple.com Search bar, not only to provide a range of limited search, but also through the form of illustrations, automatic display of search results, really powerful.

　　

5, automatic error correction

Compared to "no search results", the display point result will always reduce the visitor to jump out. Enhance the search tool error input processing function, reduce the number of visitors to change word search, show it intelligent side, can let our search tool gain a lot of self-confidence.

　　

However, automatic error correction also has the expiration time, such as "Zun" and "Zune" two meaning completely different words, but lost each other wrong. Rather than letting visitors think that the search function is wrong, it is better to hint that there are no results for XXX, to search for similar words, and to show the corresponding results.

　　

6. What are you looking for?

If there are many search terms that are written in close proximity, then we can provide "what are you looking for?" option, not automatic error correction.

　　

7, related search

Similar to automatic prompts, related searches can help visitors find more accurate search terms and give visitors some surprise search hints.

8. Search results

Search in the results, this can be, but not forced. It allows users to easily return with exact search. This feature is not recommended because it is easy for visitors to use the "search in results" input box as the primary search box, and if you enter unrelated search terms, they may not get search results and may leave the site.

　　

9, sorting mode

It is very popular to use this method of reordering according to the way visitors like, some people pay attention to the best-selling, some focus on the latest shelves, some pay attention to the best and others may be more sensitive to price.

　　

10, filter navigation

Filter navigation (also called) is also worthy of praise. By filtering navigation, customers can be guided to specific product pages according to their properties, such as color, price range, brand, fit sex, size, classification and subcategory, style, discount, etc. There is no limit to this way, we can be more practical, free to set filter navigation items.

　　

It is also a good practice to show the number of eligible results in parentheses () after each child navigation item.

This is worth learning from the asos.com, through a few attributes of clothing filtering at the same time, through the Ajax technology asynchronous, without refreshing can be loaded to display the conditions of clothing.

　　

Some online shopping malls, filtering the product category to filter, not for search results, is not worth taking.

11. Advanced Search

If you have good filtering navigation, advanced search is not necessary for many sites. If you do need advanced search, there are 11 notable areas:

A, unless the industry requirements, called "Advanced search" is not necessary, the most important is conducive to guide the user search.

b, for how to use and what can be achieved, provide a brief description.

C, search process test to determine if it is the best search step.

D, do not set the confirmation button, Cancel button, reset button to the same style.

E, set the Clear button label, let the user know the result of clicking the button.

F, let the user clear the required/fill, optional/fill, the necessary time for two areas; the required option is selected with the radio button, and the option is checked with the checkbox.

G, do not use too many "go" button, so as not to confuse, reduce the number of buttons, reasonable use of "submit", "search" and other names, button color, shape and size will affect the transformation.

H, the categories of commodity attributes are different, consider each category to set the advanced search properties.

I, user testing, A/b test, multivariable testing, and other validation of its availability, found that the success of the advanced search to build.

J, search conditions to save, for the purchase of a longer period of business-to-business sites, it is particularly important. #p # subtitle #e#

Search Results Optimization

12, no search results show

How can I make it more meaningful to display pages without search results? Drugstore.com's approach is that when customers search for Bumble brands and products, no search results are available when it chooses to recommend similar brands of products.

　　

Sears's approach is to provide search customers with free telephone, online consulting and email contact information, as well as the most popular products related to the current search.

　　

Victoria's secret when he realized that she couldn't provide "Linda Bustos" search results, provided "what you're looking for, isn't it?" Possible searches (attempts to guess the correct answer), the hottest search TOP10 (recommended after failure), and how to help (make up after a recommendation failure).

　　

Of course, if it is consistent with the brand image, a little humor, but also harmless.

　　

13, see all

Instead of a page-by-page search results page, it's useful to provide a "see all" link, so it's best to use it as a home prerequisite for each site.

14. Grid vs List View

Some of the sites that you have in mind, providing guest grid and List view switching, such as home Depot:

　　

15, search Sales

A promotional advertisement for a search results page can be raised by a bound search keyword or by other features, such as a best-selling product in a product that matches a search term.

　　

We can control the rankings of the search results. With some tools, you can count weights for products, such as correlation [40%], Profit [20%], inventory level [20%], sales speed [10%], customer rating [10%]. Pure dependency ranking goes away, but it provides better search results, especially if you use the popular search term search to return a large number of results. #p # subtitle #e#

16. Product Display

How to display a product list has a huge impact on the number of clicks. The more information each link shows, the better the customer will be to determine which product he wants to see.

The worst search show ever seen is the following, a large software corporate Web site, the entire site (even if you only search for products) using a standard Google-style presentation, which is product information, which is the document information without boundaries. This way really let people hurt, is our study of the negative example.

　　

New eggs are good, there is a good way to display software products-including a lot of browsing points: Supported operating system O, system requirements, return system, with "add to Cart" added to the shopping cart button and price/freight and other information.

　　

Electronic Products Web site Radio Shack's approach is to include a brief product description, star rating, inventory, and add to the shopping list button.

But the concrete how to show, depend on the selling point of the product. Software products are different from cosmetics, books, clothes, etc. People pay more attention to the visual effects of clothing, clothing site gap search results in a clear set of pictures better than the description of countless words.

　　

and Land's End clothing site, in search results for each search results provided a color board, a total of customers to see the effects of different colors of products.

　　

QVC Cosmetics site, its search results show the highlights are video content, contrast tools, unique "Try Me price" promotional prices and highly attractive "over 1 technologists sold" and "Custormer favorite" shopping Guide information.

　　

Endless Mall offers a red-labeled promotional price, the validity period of free shipping and other temptation information.

　　

There are many ways to make our results more attractive, as long as it is possible to include in the results: Price/Sales price, picture information and star rating. Then, ask yourself: My results show the way, according to product characteristics, the above commonly used temptation information to decorate?

17. Quick Preview

Quick Preview allows customers to view product details without leaving the search results page.

　　

Essentially, it should be a full-featured, pop-up-box product page.

　　

Convenient features

18, Automatic Append

In addition to a page view and view all the results, there is an alternative way, when users look at the end of a screen to continue to look down, the following automatically append search results, such as Google image search display. This method does not require a click, but it is more laborious to return to the top.

19, Save the search

For some sites, saving searches is an excellent feature, especially for business-to-business and complex sales that require product configurations.

　　

20. Discussion Information

Apple.com and Sears in the Product Search results page, integrated product support and community content; This makes the page confusing, reduce the click rate, but it can show the depth of the content of the site, the determination of the user to purchase (the premise is enough praise).

　　

　　

21, RSS Feed

Some sites, such as new eggs and fun, allow visitors to customize search results with RSS feeds. This is especially helpful for those malls where new long tail products are frequently flickering in search results, such as ebay.

22, Shop inquiries

Multi-channel vendor Barnesandnoble, allows customers to search the results page, according to the postcode number, etc., check the location of the local offline entity store. Creative, huh?

　　

Via:wainsight

Original link: http://www.wainsight.com/22-tips-for-site-search-function-optimization.html