Website search is a powerful contributor to user experience. Search applications can be used to deliver dynamic, personalised content and effective website search can dramatically increase conversions. This talk presents a number of techniques for successful website search, illustrated with case study demonstrations from the University of Salford, Skype, UCL and more.

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2.  Matt Taylor, Funnelback UK
 mtaylor@funnelback.com
 @mattletaylor
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3. agenda
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4. introduction to FB
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5. introduction to FB
sem – what is it?
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6. introduction to FB
sem – what is it?
success techniques
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7. introduction to FB
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8.  CSIRO research project - 20 years in dev
 Advanced technology
◦ Ranking algorithm
◦ Contextual navigation
◦ Early binding lock/key
◦ Fine Tune algorithm
 Rapid customisation
 Search any system
 Professor David Hawking
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9. sem – what is it?
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10.  “More than half measure ROI through incr
eased site usage, while 43% benchmark a
ccording to increased sales.”
 Econsultancy Site Search Survey Report
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11. Monetisation of site
Funnelback Best Bet feature
Context aware results
Personalised, targeted content
A better search experience speeds up
decision making and speed to purchase
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12.  Searchers are successful in finding what they
seek 50% of the time or less.
◦ 2001, IDC, “Quantifying Enterprise Search”
 More than half cannot find the information
they need using their Enterprise search
system
◦ 2011, MindMetre/SmartLogic, “Mind the Enterprise
Search Gap”
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13.  Virtual deployment
 3 million documents and counting
 Full disaster recovery in <10 minutes
 Intelligently aggregating several systems
1000‟s of websites
Research database
Documentum
SharePoint
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14.  “Search-based applications … deliver a
purpose-designed user interface tailored to
support a particular task or workflow.”
◦ 2010 how IDC describes search-based applications
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15. Courses are a Universities „product‟
A separation between course and website results
Funnelback crawling website and databases
Presenting „compare the market‟ for courses
A better search experience speeds up decision
making and speed to purchase
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17.  Engage through a curated and intuitive journey
 Bring simplicity to chaos
 Provide human sensibilities during the process
 Create an emotional bond through search
intimacy
 Design must touch every aspect of the UX
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20. success techniques
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21.  Gain a true understanding of the problem
 Breaking it down into small „chunks‟
 Delivering in phases
 Iterative testing throughout
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22.  Combining Funnelback‟s advanced technology
◦ Query blending of the results set
◦ Fine tune
 With advanced design
 To create enviable navigation paths
◦ Advanced auto-complete
◦ Faceted navigation
◦ Context aware results
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23.  The biggest challenge is often normalising
results from many systems into one result set
 Is not straightforward
 Is not solved via a big-bang approach
 Requires a lot of planning
 Requires significant input from the data‟s owner
 But…….it can be successful
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27.  Matt Taylor, Funnelback UK
 mtaylor@funnelback.com
 @mattletaylor
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