Comments on: Does your site need a search engine? http://www.bienalto.com/blog/does-your-site-need-a-search-engine/ Your Business. New Heights. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:59:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: fay http://www.bienalto.com/blog/does-your-site-need-a-search-engine/comment-page-1/#comment-787 fay Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:12:43 +0000 http://www.bienalto.com/?p=430#comment-787 I agree that Search should not be on a website, just for the sake of it, but im also concerned about not having Search on your website, thinking "if its not going to bring great results, then we may aswell remove it". In some cases any result is better than NO result. When users turn to Search, its usually because the website navigation is not easy to use. So its imperative that the navigation is studied carefully and to ensure all content is placed in a rational manner below it. Users often turn to Search when they get desperate and can't find what they want on a website, so removing search can really disable these users. I agree that Search should not be on a website, just for the sake of it, but im also concerned about not having Search on your website, thinking “if its not going to bring great results, then we may aswell remove it”. In some cases any result is better than NO result.

When users turn to Search, its usually because the website navigation is not easy to use.
So its imperative that the navigation is studied carefully and to ensure all content is placed in a rational manner below it.

Users often turn to Search when they get desperate and can’t find what they want on a website, so removing search can really disable these users.

]]> By: Wei http://www.bienalto.com/blog/does-your-site-need-a-search-engine/comment-page-1/#comment-779 Wei Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:21:47 +0000 http://www.bienalto.com/?p=430#comment-779 Most Web visitors use site search engine because they cannot find whant they want easily by other navigational mechanisms. This may be because the content is too "deep" or unsignificantly relevance. Unfortunately, the site search engine cannot help much either in these cases. This also raises the question "why bother?". Most Web visitors use site search engine because they cannot find whant they want easily by other navigational mechanisms. This may be because the content is too “deep” or unsignificantly relevance. Unfortunately, the site search engine cannot help much either in these cases. This also raises the question “why bother?”.

]]> By: Mark http://www.bienalto.com/blog/does-your-site-need-a-search-engine/comment-page-1/#comment-776 Mark Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:17:57 +0000 http://www.bienalto.com/?p=430#comment-776 I agree - I definitely think it's good to question, and to look at ROI. Site search is horribly hard to do well. I do think there's still a notion amongst a lot of web managers that "everyone searches". Yet when you look at the data, and look at usability studies, on most sites (with some notable exceptions), in my experience search is a relatively unusual activity. The few % you describe is quite common. I've seen < 5% home page search usage on many ecommerce sites. It tends to be only on very SKU focused sites such as book shops, DVD shops, etc, where people know EXACTLY what they want that search dominates. I agree – I definitely think it’s good to question, and to look at ROI. Site search is horribly hard to do well. I do think there’s still a notion amongst a lot of web managers that “everyone searches”. Yet when you look at the data, and look at usability studies, on most sites (with some notable exceptions), in my experience search is a relatively unusual activity. The few % you describe is quite common. I’ve seen < 5% home page search usage on many ecommerce sites. It tends to be only on very SKU focused sites such as book shops, DVD shops, etc, where people know EXACTLY what they want that search dominates.

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