#186 Show the keyword searched and the number of results
#160 Redirect the user to the right page when searching for Returns, Shipping, Order Tracking, and such.
On Adidas, when you type in for example ‘returns’, it automatically redirects to the Returns page. The problem though is that it first shows the search results page with no results and after a couple of seconds it does the redirect. It would be a better user experience to direct visitors directly to the returns […]
#104 Allow users to search within their current category
Option 1: Give an auto-complete option to search in the current category Option 2: Auto-update the search field to the current category (Search Scope) Option 3: Search in the current category by default, but add a dropdown in the results page to change the scope of the search Option 4: Add a “Search Within” dropdown […]
#93 Auto-apply the color filter that matches the color searched for
For example, on IKEA, looking for ‘black bed’ should auto-select the color Black.
#92 Dynamically update the thumbnails of products to match the variation searched for
12% of users search using a color keyword. The thumbnails of products in search results should show the variation that matches the color they want.
#22 Search results should first list the products found based on the search term, followed by what was found in other relevant content
Other relevant content includes blog posts, other pages, etc.
#21 Show previous or top searches in a panel below the search box as the user starts to type in the search box
#20 Always return search results
So if the user searches for a product you do not have in your store, suggest other related, relevant, or popular products. To be more precise, your No Results page can include some of the following components: contact information (phone number, email, chat) and other help links category suggestions based on the query alternate queries […]
#19 Add a category filter or other relevant search filters to narrow down results
Filters are important for stores with over about 50 products.
#17 Provide auto-suggestions as users are typing in the search box
As soon as the user clicks/taps into the search box, a good practice is to show their previous search history, and popular searches. As they start typing, you can show suggested searches, categories, and/or products. The auto-suggestions and results should account for common misspellings. For example, if they type ‘dreses’ it should suggest results for […]