 |
The Search
function allows users to enter keywords and
operators (and, or, not) into a text field and
find information that matches the search criteria
entered.
Data
below is from 75 leading e-commerce sites, collected
in May, 2002. [sites
examined] |
|
| |
Frequency of Search
93% of sites in the sample provided
a global Search function. |
| |
| |
Location of Search |
| Location of Search was plotted
on an 800 by 600 pixel grid.[details] |
| |
Search was found primarily on
the left side of the page or at the top of the page.
This corresponds only somewhat with the results of
a study
conducted by Michael Bernard, who examined where users
expect to find common e-commerce functions. In this
study, participants expected Search primarily in the
top-center area of the page. |
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Presentation Style
Sites presented global search as either
a text field and button (allowing direct entry of
a search on every page) or as a link leading to a
Search page providing search functionality:
|
93% |
Text
field and button |
|
7% |
Link leading to
a Search page |
|
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Labeling
Search was mostly referred to simply
as“Search,” but was also referred to as
Keyword Search, Product Search or “Finding a
Product.”
|
74% |
Text
field/button: Search |
|
9% |
Text field/button:
Keyword Search |
|
7% |
Text field/button:
Product Search |
| 7% |
Link: Search |
2% |
Text field/button: Finding a Product |
|
| There was, however, considerable variation
in the exact wording of the Search label, which sometimes
included the option to search a particular area of a
site.
[view
frequencies of exact labels] |
| |
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Icon Use
Only two sites (3%) of sites in the
sample used on icon to help identify the Search function;
in both cases a magnifying glass was used. |
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Option to Search an Particular Area of a Site
27% of sites providing Search provided
the option to narrow the search to a subsection of
the site. This was most commonly provided by having
a drop-down menu adjacent to the search field, which
was variously positioned left, right, below, or above
the text field:
|
37% |
Drop-down
left |
|
26% |
Drop-down right |
|
11% |
Drop-down below |
11% |
Drop-down above |
11% |
List of subsearch
options each with a separate “Go”
button |
5% |
Radio buttons below |
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[view
subsearch examples] |
|
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Advanced Search
33% of sites providing Search provided
some type of Advanced Search link leading to a page
where users can enter more detailed search criteria,
such selecting a specific manufacture or a desired
price range. Most sites simply labeled this link “Advanced
Search,” though other labels were also used:
|
83% |
Advanced
Search |
|
4% |
Advanced Product
Search |
|
4% |
Detailed Search |
4% |
More Search Options |
4% |
Power Search |
|
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Explicit Search by Item Number
21% of sites providing Search explicitly
supported searching using an item or product number.
Most commonly this was done using text that tells
users they could enter either a keyword or an item
number in the Search field.
|
83% |
Single
search field with text that tells the user they
may enter either a keyword or an item number |
|
4% |
Separate search
field for entering item number |
|
4% |
Separate search
link for entering an item number |
4% |
Single search field
with pull-down menu to select search type (keyword
or item number) |
4% |
Single search field
with radio buttons to select search type (keyword
or item number) |
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[view
item number search examples] |
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