The idea that all internet sales processes can be thought of as the same was put into sharp relief recently by our discussions at the IMRG Usability Forum. The forum was concerned with all matters usability and we were debating the usefulness of guidelines in developing and/or evaluating sites. Can a single set of guidelines assist us in all cases?

As example, we had Jakob Neilsens ‘Top Ten Homepage Guidelines’ in front of us. Jakob is big on guidelines - he produces them in their hundreds - but do they help retailers in practice?

We were working through, and had begun to debate No. 5 - ‘Include a Search Input Box’. Obvious? Not when you look harder. Different customers buying different products ask different questions. When you think about it, it is not obvious that a simple search box is always appropriate.

customers might or might not use search. And not just because Jakob said so

Our retailer panel were interested in the questions:

1. Why a search box at all, why would my customer use it?
2. What would they type in?
3. What would they expect to get back?

And the reason they cared about this was that it formed a real part of the customers buying process, and was not just about the simple presence or absence of a widget on a website. And the retailers all sold different things, ranging from Fridges to Flowers to Frocks. So customers might or might not use search. And not just because Jakob said so.

The two Frock sellers had quite different views, one embracing search big-time and investing in developing its efficacy, believing that the ability to find a candidate set was key to making a sale. The other had a preference for browse over search, believing that the emotional impact of seeing the right item was key to making a sale. Who is right? Both of them, as they both have a thought-through sales process and have considered customer mindset over blind adherence to guidelines.

Fridges are different to Frocks, and have little emotional connection for the majority of us. Only a very very few individuals get their kicks from browsing through page after page of uprights, so search is an excellent option over browse. And this time it has to be search with all the bells, whistles and comparison data! This is a very rational purchase, made logically and driven by data. Fridges are not frocks, and they are not searched for and bought the same way, and not bought for the same reasons.

And Flowers, would anyone search for flowers? Maybe, but it is not the heart of this purchase either, more like a frock perhaps, but a key difference is that it is a purchase for someone else. Maybe you have a budget, and probably a delivery date in mind. There are good reasons not to bother with search, as you are buying a token, not a product. Size, shape, and even colour might not be important.

Where does this leave Jakob’s No.5 - ‘Include a Search Input Box’? It seems it is not as easy as this. Search should be included if it supports your sales process and the customers buying process. It might be in or out, complex or simple, but always supportive. It depends what you sell. Crucially, Jakob, it depends.