Seamless user experience, easy-to-navigate pages, and useful copy are must-haves all sites need to have a successful website. However, according to Search Engine Journal, there’s one website feature that’s considered more vital than the rest. More than 40% say it’s more important than anything else.
This website element is a simple search bar.
That’s right, including search functionality is among the easiest and best things you can do to improve the usability and effectiveness of your business’s online presence. Let’s look at the reasons why your website needs to add a search function.
1. A Search Bar Lets Users Find Things Faster
If you have a large site, a search bar allows your users to find what they’re looking for quickly.
If you have a well-developed blog, e-commerce site, or have hundreds of pages categorized, this could be difficult for users to find what they’re looking for just by clicking around. Think of search as a way for users to escape when they are stuck in your navigation. If they can’t find a reasonable place to go next, they’ll turn to your search function.
No matter where each user enters your site, a search bar will give them the option to find particular topics or pages fast. Just make sure that the search bar is easy to find.
2. People Will Navigate Around and Stay On Your Site
Think about it: the easier it is for users to navigate around your whole website, the more likely it is that they will explore it. If it’s not easy for them to find what they’re searching for, they will go somewhere else that can satisfy their needs.
You can measure this by looking at the time on site or average pages per session in Google Analytics. This is a loose reflection of how engaging and relevant your site’s content is to people. Give users the opportunity to see as much of your website as possible with a search bar!
3. Users are Used to a Search Function
Google and other search engines have changed the way we learn information and consume it quickly. A search bar on your site will serve as your site’s own personal “search engine,” which most people are accustomed to nowadays. People look for things within Google—so let them do the same within the content of your site.
4. You Can Use Your Search Analytics to Your Advantage
If you can integrate your search bar into your Google Analytics, you’ll be able to see how often people search for a particular term. This information can be used for your advantage to modify your page content, hierarchy, or design.
An example of this would be a shoe e-commerce site. If their visitors are immediately searching for “booties,” they could create a dedicated section on their homepage for people to start shopping their booties. Pay attention to what people are looking for and provide them with more of that content.
5. Mobile Users Love Search
Nothing is worse than complex navigation on a mobile website. A search function could ease this experience. When people are on their mobile devices, they could be out and on the go, and a search bar will allow them to quickly and directly go to their needed page.
Overall, a search function on your website allows for a smooth, seamless experience for your visitors. Don’t hold your users back from exploring all your site has to offer; add a search bar to your site soon!
Not sure how to do that? Want learn more about search functionality on your site? Contact us today and we’ll start a conversation about building you a better website, or improving the one you already have.
