Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Sonja Quirmbach

Sonja Quirmbach — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:44:01 GMT

Of course, this is a good article! Aslo important and comprehensible for German searches and user.

Some features was implemented in the search interfaces on a prominent position. They was removed because the usage of this tools was not high. Pherhaps it was not the right time for them. But could be now.

The advanced search special in web searches is hide based on the fact that less people understand and use such possibilities.
The web search is s special search. There are so many different types of search queries. It is not easy to cover all types and suggestions in users mind with helpfull tools before you start the search. User do not really like to use such options before they starting a search but they prefer and use options for refinement the result set after the search.

Instead of implementing advanced searches or advanced options more visible there is a trend to support user :
1. during the search (f. e. search suggestions, guided search result preview mostly images)
2. after the search (categories, narrow or expand searches, related searches)

User are showing an other behaviour in product searches f. e. for music or hotels. Of Course they do really use advanced search options, drop down menues etc. and options before they start a search.

Sonja Quirmbach — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:41:53 GMT

Eye tracking provides useful addional information beside analytics and figures! It solves many questions about why user don’t click special areas on websites. There are different questions to solve and after them to do’s based of the eye tracking sessions. F. e it is a different between not clicking because user don’ t look at it, or not clicking because it looks very boring to user but of course they look at it. Eye tracking deliver also an inverse heatmap shows the gap between the area user looked and not looked at it. The heatmaps should also checked with the analytics. Could never stand alone and always see with other tests and analytics. But need a very good preparation and concept.

Sonja Quirmbach — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:41:27 GMT

Good stuff from Jakob Nielsen about eye tracking: http://www.useit.com/eyetracking/