Search results
Once a visitor has decided to employ the site??™s search feature, they are provided results.
From here, they will quickly decide whether they have found the content they came for,
whether they need to refine their search with different keywords or by using the advanced
search, or whether the designer of the site is a professional charlatan who cannot honestly
expect anyone to find anything in this incoherent pile of links and errors. Companies
should make every effort to meet the first option, provide an easy route for the second
option, and avoid the last option altogether.
Like error pages, search results are not designed to be primary content; they exist for users
who have not found what they are looking for through the website??™s navigation scheme.
When a visitor finds themselves off the beaten path, they need to understand that the
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
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page they are on is still part of the main site, so maintaining design uniformity across this
contingency area is very important.
Beyond visual consistency, a results page should contain a very specific set of items. All of
these contribute to the usefulness of the overall search functionality.
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