Unlike the time where the time internet was still in infant stage, search functions today are more than a single and straight forward field. One key design feature in incorporating your on-site search function is the degree of how much guidance you would and should provide for your users. This means further enhancing your site search coverage and in-depth level.

To retain your visitors interest and improve your sites stickiness, you can offer a combination of search options targeted to reach your content, as well as to your users. It should also have the ability to be able estimate the users level of knowledge or expertise. Depending on the number of options feature, guidance provided can come in the form such as Pull-down Menus, Multimedia Buttons, Fine Search, or a further Narrow Search Feature.

If your site do provide in depth data, and able to provide further complexity, you could well consider some Advanced Search feature and search tips. Nevertheless, its OK to leave them out if your site had yet to reach that state. For discussion here, advanced searches can be enhanced to involve any aspect of the search algorithm, including the ability to include or exclude specified word or phrase, language, geographical location or even the dates of the data publication.

However, as we realized, most users dont even be bother to utilize Advanced Search feature; they just simply type and hit Enter. Therefore, integrate such feature if the scope of the advanced search is important to your overall site functionality and presentation. If not, then leave it out for the moment.

Maximizing Search Payoff via Results and Relevancy
Then next step would be to examine your search results pages. Taking from the users angle, consider the following as to whether your results are achieving the desired goal:
1. Are there an appropriate number of results being presented?
2. Are the main results highly relevant to the search input?
3. Any suggestion for Anticipated users misspellings?
4. Are the results structured in relevancy order?
5. Are the contents being indicated with further info? E.g. HTML pages, doc file, zip file, or PDF documents?

Like everyone else, you and me as user would a search results page to have these basic elements. We also expect results to relate closely to our interests, and if they dont, we expect it to be able to quickly perform fine tuning and search further.

One powerful element on results page is the ability to perform cross referencing. Whether its a product or service, or simply some information, many hidden data may not rank as high for the search keyword, but it may be of interest to the user. Dont overlook this powerful feature in enhancing your on-site search results.

Null Result and Error Handling If you did your on-site search-tool functionality properly and programmed your search algorithms as to how users are actually inputting their information, you shouldnt have any major problem with null results. In fact, there shouldnt be.

For online business or ecommerce sites, theres nothing worse than getting no results found messages on a site. It simply means No Business for the site. It could be even worse if the user knows there should be information to be found. You are simply leaving users to browse elsewhere to find the information, and of course you are losing them and their business potential.

Eliminating Null result is best case scenario. But if there is such situation, then allowing a user to recover from the situation is a must on any website that wants to survive in long term. Dont be panic when your site is having such problem, in most case it is merely the result of inadequate search dictionary or phrase and thesaurus preparation. So, a better developed and covered thesaurus with more cross referencing ability can be of great help.

Meeting and Exceeding Search Expectations
Now we are clear that search results on any site are all about meeting users expectation, and presenting it to them. Web users have advanced on their search activities, and they are getting to search very quickly for virtually anything on the internet. When they arrive at your site, theyre expecting to locate the information or data, by performing search on a few words or a phrase.

You can achieve this goal of satisfying your users by feeding them the correct or most relevant results if you do take the effort to analyze what theyre expecting. And you then optimize your development tools to simply fit their needs as they wanted.

Thats the main goal for my site, and I do believe thats yours too. Keep it up your hard work and youll be reaching that stage toowhile Im still learning more.