Vocabulary problem
People use many different words for the same thing, so any single label will miss most people’s wording.
Where it applies
Three of the eight page areas.
HomepageNot typical CategoryAlso applies SearchMainly here ProductNot typical CartNot typical CheckoutNot typical Post-purchaseNot typical
It also applies sitewide, on every page. See everything at work on Search pages
How to use it
Four ways to put it to work.
- Recognise synonyms, including both trade and lay terms.
- Handle misspellings, and plural and unit variants.
- Accept SKU aliases.
- Replace a dead-end zero-results page with corrected queries, related categories and popular products.
What the research found
Two people rarely pick the same word. Old, widely accepted, with no formal replication found.
Two people chose the same term for something less than 20% of the time.
Furnas and colleagues found two people chose the same term for something less than 20% of the time. The finding is old but widely accepted, and no formal replication was found. Guidance on zero-results pages rests on industry research: Baymard finds nearly half of sites leave searchers without a good way to recover.
Key research
Two sources, each checked.
Last reviewed