If you're creating an outstanding user experience for people needing to do online searches on a mobile phone or other mobile device, there are lots of best practices. Here are some things user experience (UX) experts recommend:
Excellent usability. An intuitive, easy-to-use app design and layout. It's obvious what buttons do and how to access a second page of search results. Intuitive search-narrowing methods (e.g., a toggle, slider, or check boxes) are used.
An appropriately prominent search bar. Some mobile apps work best when people use a search bar, while in others, the open-ended nature of the content, such as on a news website, makes browsing the best way of finding content. The search bar placement, size, and amount of contrast can help establish how strongly searching is "recommended," according to Baymard Institute. If search is more of an optional pursuit, a company might substitute a search icon that can be clicked to open the search bar.
Autocompletion. Autocomplete functionality suggests search queries as a user enters text on their mobile device; when the search they want appears, they can simply tap it. It's ideal for autocomplete suggestions to visually differentiate the mobile search engine's suggestions, for example, by bolding available search terms the user could add to the end of a query they've started entering.
Consistency. The search bar should be located in the same spot on every page in the app, for instance.
Easy refinement. The user should be able to fine-tune their search results if needed. Many websites facilitate this by including the search bar with the person's query entered above the search results in case the user needs to start over.
Easy-to-select filters. The user's filtering options should be clearly displayed or include a clickable filtering icon for drilling down to find the right information.
No errors. People get impatient when they can't get an app to work correctly, so it's critical for the designer to review every aspect of the search experience before release.
The latest technology. Voice search on mobile devices has taken off among some mobile users, so it makes sense to include spoken searching as an option.
The fewest possible steps. Users should be able to quickly search for, find, and if applicable, buy, a desired item on a small mobile-device screen.
A personalized experience. Companies can use AI tools that gather information from users to create a search experience tailored to their needs. For instance, based on what they've already searched for, you can offer shoppers recommendations for similar or complementary items, or refer them to local retailers' brick-and-mortar stores where they could immediately pick up the item.
By creating a rewarding search experience for people using a mobile device, companies and organizations can improve conversion and reduce their bounce rate. The happier that mobile users are with an app or site, the more likely they'll be to come back for more.
