We’re nearing the end of our weekly Site Search Tips series, with just two more weeks to go. However, you can always download our free Big Book of Site Search Tips to see all 80 suggestions for how to get the most out of your site search, for a bigger impact on your bottom line.
Now, for this week’s tips – which address a few simple steps you can take to improve your visitors’ experience on your site and also get their feedback on the search. Not only can these actions give your customers a better, more engaging interaction on your site but they can also help your site stand out from your competitors, so your visitors will be more inclined to be repeat customers. If you have any questions about how best to implement these ideas, or feedback about your own experiences, please let us know by posting a comment below. Thanks for reading!
- Allow people to search by hitting the “Enter” key so you don’t force visitors to click the “Search” button – When people are typing in the search box, their hands are on the keyboard. It’s faster for them to simply hit the “Enter” key, rather than moving their hand to the mouse and clicking the search button.
- Ask your visitors for their input and feedback – Your visitors sometimes have ideas about how you can make it easier for them to find what they’re looking for. Conduct user testing by watching people use your site search and other areas of your site, or survey them using tools such as SLI’s free feedback tool.
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- Consider storing recent searches and presenting these to visitors – Being able to easily redo a recent search can help people that are returning to your site. Recent searches can be stored in a cookie and displayed anywhere on your site. It’s a simple way of providing personalization. If you do offer this feature, add simple controls so the visitor can delete the recent searches.
