Report

June 2000

Must Search Stink?

Paul Hagen 		As sites swell to thousands of pages and products, search becomes essential. But on most sites, search fails five critical tests. Fixing this problem requires appropriate technology, tagged content, and goal-focused interfaces.
by Paul Hagen with Harley Manning, Yolanda Paul

INTERVIEWS
  • As content grows, 90% of firms rate search as very or extremely important.
  • However, 52% don't measure search effectiveness.
ANALYSIS
  • Search fails typical user tasks.
  • Success depends on improved content management.
ACTION
  • Choose specialized search tools to solve the right problem.
  • To avoid flying blind, monitor search success rates.
WHAT IT MEANS
  • Search will become central to site navigation.
  • Personal information will enhance user queries.
 
Figures & Data
  • Figure 1.  Search Rates As Important, But Few Know How Well It Works
  • Figure 2.  Grading Criteria
  • Figure 3.  Vendor Landscape
  • Figure 4.  Costs To Fix Search
   
RELATED MATERIAL 
  • Individuals Interviewed For This Report
  • Companies Interviewed For This Report
  • Related Research
 
GRAPEVINE
  • No bricks, no mortar -- why do we have aisles?
  • How useful is that content, anyway?
  • Bad search hall of shame.
  • We confess: Our search stinks, too.
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