Executive summary

Only use a search function where:

• searching is quicker than clicking;
• your website contains sufficient information that most users will get some search results;
• you have a specific "database" of information to search,

Clicking is easier than searching

Users always prefer to click than to type. The most efficient websites can be completely explored with a mouse. On a fast well designed website a user can execute about 7 mouse clicks for each search form that they need to complete. Searches where typing is required means that a user must take their hand off their mouse and start typing on the keyboard. Knowing what to type can also be difficult. accordingly, navigation schemes that involve users swapping between mouse and keyboard are less efficient and usable.

A good example of how an enormous amount of information can be accessed in a highly usable way without searching is the navigation scheme we adopted for Allhomes ( allhomes.com.au ) - a property website which contains on average about 2500 properties for sale. Users can navigate through the properties listed using only mouse clicks. No typing or form completion is needed. Allhomes is a fast website - its pages download quickly - but much of the perception of speed comes from its efficient point-and-click navigation scheme.

Searches with no results

Having a search function where there is only a limited amount of information to be found should be avoided. A search function will raise a user's expectation that there is a lot of information to search. If your website has limited content, a search function may simply result in users making a large number of searches where no documents are found. This can leave users disappointed. Users may also think that they are not using the search function correctly.

General and specific search functions

There are two types of search functions your website can have. A general search function is one where the whole of the website is searched for matching information. A specific search function works on only part of your site and on a particular type of information. For example, a search function that searches a full text archive of journals.

In most cases a specific search function is best. Research shows that users find it much easier to search within a particular subject area. Users know what to expect and their choice of search terms is made much simpler. You can also customise the specific search screen to provide search hints for the particular type of information that is being searched on. These simple steps can increase usability and improve the user experience.