Users do not use the search bar. Users only scroll until users leave.
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We added a search bar right at the top of our apps directory. When reviewing user session recordings we found that 80 percent of users will endlessly scroll through disorganized lists rather than type a single word into the search box. Once the emphasis, on search was removed and simple clickable category tags were added engagement immediately went up.
Do your users actually use the search functions you build?
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I’ve noticed that search gets used much less when people are still exploring. If I don’t know exactly what I want yet, browsing categories feels easier than deciding on a search term.
@benjagil sessions recordings seem especially useful here because analytics might only show that people searched less. Watching users repeatedly scroll gives much better context about what they’re actually trying to do.
i think the type of content matters a lot. A directory of unfamiliar products probably needs more guided discovery than something like a document library where I already know what I’m looking for.
removing emphasis from search is an interesting move. Sometimes a feature being highly visible doesn’t mean users actually want it to be the main path.
@pedrogimenes Well put. Visibility = desirability. We want search to there when you need it, not to be the starting point by default.