At Colbenson we like to share our expertise in e-commerce site search and this is the first in a series of Site Search Best Practice tips: Top Ten Tips for Mobile Commerce Search The mobile channel has challenges that affect how we must design the search experience, but it also has advantages. Designing a great mobile search experience isn't just about dealing with the negative, it's about maximizing the potential of the positive side of mobile.

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Colbenson
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Site
Search
Best
Practice
Tips
At
Colbenson
we
like
to
share
our
expertise
in
e-­‐commerce
site
search.
On
our
website
we
have
stacks
of
information
and
useful
content
to
help
you
maximize
the
potential
of
site
search
in
your
online
store.
Top
Ten
Tips
for
Mobile
Commerce
Search
The
smartphone
mobile
channel
has
three
main
challenges
that
affect
how
we
must
design
the
search
experience:
The
small
screen:
the
"above
the
fold"
problem
is
even
more
acute
with
so
little
space
on
the
screen
to
display
what
the
customer
is
looking
for.
Touch-­‐screen
controls:
we
don't
have
precision
clicking,
buttons
and
controls
need
to
be
the
size
of
fingertips.
Bandwidth:
most
smartphone
web
access
is
via
a
mobile
signal
which
can
be
painfully
slow.
But
the
mobile
channel
also
has
some
advantages.
Most
of
all
it
is
free
of
the
physical
constraints
of
other
channels,
and
this
means
it
has
opportunities
that
other
channels
cannot
offer.
Here
are
our
top
ten
tips
for
designing
your
mobile
channel
search:
1. Start
with
the
customer:
Watch
how
your
customers
use
the
search
function,
look
at
the
words
and
phrases
they
use
-­‐
including
the
mistakes
they
make.
Understanding
their
behaviour
is
even
more
important
in
mobile
than
in
other
channels.
2. Visible
search
box:
Mobile
users
often
expect
to
have
to
search
within
a
site
to
find
the
right
content,
so
make
it
easy
to
find
the
search
box,
even
when
they
have
scrolled
down
the
front
page
content.
If
necessary,
have
multiple
search
boxes.
3. Pre-­‐loaded
results:
Based
on
your
customer
analytics,
pick
just
a
few
top
searches
to
have
already
loaded
into
the
code
of
the
main
page.
This
means
your
AutoComplete
will
be
able
to
offer
those
suggestions
as
soon
as
the

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Colbenson
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customer
types
without
you
having
to
perform
a
search.
This
greatly
speeds
up
the
experience.
4. Anticipate
typos:
Use
the
customer
analytics
to
understand
the
common
mistakes
and
shortcuts,
these
are
even
more
common
on
mobiles!
Make
sure
you
have
these
associated
with
the
right
content.
Customer
patience
is
much
thinner
on
the
mobile
channel!
5. Simple
AutoComplete:
Don't
overcomplicate
how
the
autocomplete
function
works.
In
general,
linking
to
content
rather
than
search
results
is
preferred,
but
often
on
mobile
this
isn't
the
case.
The
extra
step
of
having
to
see
a
search
results
page
can
be
the
better
option
as
it
keeps
the
user
more
in
control
of
their
experience.
6. Chunky
controls:
Touch
screen
means
that
interfaces
need
to
work
with
fingers
not
mouse
clicks.
Simple
and
clear
controls
make
the
user
experience
smoother,
and
keep
different
functions
apart
to
minimize
people
pressing
the
wrong
button.
7. Simple
results
pages:
What
you
need
to
include
will
vary
by
sector,
but
in
general,
keep
things
as
simple
as
you
can
and
strip
out
unnecessary
images
and
functionality.
8. Always
learn:
Make
sure
your
search
engine
is
a
learning
engine,
always
adjusting
the
content
and
suggestions
it
displays
according
to
user
behaviour.
Search
is
dynamic,
because
it's
driven
by
customers,
so
your
system
must
be
able
to
learn,
adapt
and
predict
what
your
customers
are
going
to
do
next.
9. Make
it
easy
to
share
via
social
media:
The
mobile
channels
are
the
most
effective
for
recommendations
and
social
sharing,
so
make
it
easy
for
people
to
share
what
they
find
with
their
social
networks.
10. Look
for
the
mobile
advantage:
Mobile
is
not
stuck
to
one
location,
this
means
there
are
loads
of
opportunities
to
innovate:
use
of
augmented
reality,
searches
like
"is
there
a
store
near
me?"
can
be
really
effective,
or
"shoes
like
these"
using
the
camera
for
a
visual
search
for
shoes
of
a
similar
style.
Mobile
is
a
great
challenge
but
an
even
greater
opportunity,
and
with
customers
often
way
ahead
of
retailers,
the
pressure
is
on
to
get
an
effective
channel
that
delivers
for
customers.