• Make it look like the rest of the site

• Explain the Reasons for no matches

  • Inappropriate search topic for this site

    • show site navigation, maybe site map or directory

  • Spelling - consider a spellcheck option

  • Right idea, wrong vocabulary (directory can help)

  • Some words not matched: show which ones were not found!

  • Misunderstanding of search system: provide help

• Always provide a search field

• Examples

  • Kennedy Space Center (ht://Dig) - reasonably helpful

  • Xerox Parc (Ultraseek (now Inktomi Search Software)) - also pretty good

  • American Psychological Association ( PLWeb) - example of what not to do!

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Thunderlizard Web Design World
Seattle, July 19, 1999

Avi Rappoport: Search Tools Consulting
www.searchtools.com