Search Box Etiquette

Search boxes; magical little entry fields that we type into click ‘Find’ and away they go. Sounds like a simple task but what’s really happening behind their sleek exterior? Search boxes are one of the most standard tools that are used throughout any ecommerce website design. They allow a user to find exactly what they are looking for quickly and efficiently increasing ease of use and inevitably increasing sales. But what about search box etiquette? Below are a few pointers to ensure that your ecommerce website is getting the most out of its search box.

• Position – Generally search boxes are positioned to the right or centre and at the top of the page. This is standard positioning of a search box and by placing yours here on your ecommerce website will ensure that customers will be able to always find it easily.
   
• Style – Two main elements make up an effective search box, Entry field and ‘Search’ button. Of course this can be put through the website development team who can outfit it with a drop down menu for search criteria or example entry text such as ‘Searching for…’

Of course it’s not all about the box, the end results are also just as important. There is no point searching for something only for the results to be displayed in a horrible manor. The ability to filter the searched results and change how many are displayed at any one time is crucial. May seem obvious but many existing ebay store designs and ecommerce websites completely ignore this critical part.

Any more information? Contact us at Advansys Limited Building 4 Millars Brook Molly Millars Lane Wokingham Berkshire RG41 2AD Telephone: 0845 838 2700 Fax: 0845 838 2701 sales@advansys.com