Comments on: Focus focus focus? http://www.sli-systems.com/blog/2008/12/focus-focus-focus.html A commentary on the search industry from a site search vendor's perspective. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:21:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Focus poll : SLI Systems Blog http://www.sli-systems.com/blog/2008/12/focus-focus-focus.html/comment-page-1#comment-177 Focus poll : SLI Systems Blog Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:11:53 +0000 http://www.sli-systems.com/blog/2008/12/focus-focus-focus.html/#comment-177 [...] I promise this will be the last time I write about this fairly trivial feature about putting the focus on the search box…. [...] [...] I promise this will be the last time I write about this fairly trivial feature about putting the focus on the search box…. [...]

]]> By: shaunr http://www.sli-systems.com/blog/2008/12/focus-focus-focus.html/comment-page-1#comment-156 shaunr Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:51:26 +0000 http://www.sli-systems.com/blog/2008/12/focus-focus-focus.html/#comment-156 <a href="http://twitter.com/jbillingsley" rel="nofollow">Jason Billingsley</a> from <a href="http://www.elasticpath.com" rel="nofollow">Elastic Path</a> said via twitter (he tweeted?) that he thinks auto focus is not a good idea unless it is the only action on the page - like Google. He pointed out that if the focus is on a form you can't scroll with your keyboard. I never thought of this because I very rarely use the keyboard to scroll. Usability experts are always saying you should never make design decisions like this based on your own preferences. Instead you should consult your users and test. And I recommend you do that with this idea as well. My guess is that it's going to be positive. I suspect it will encourage people to search more and because people who search convert at a higher rate than those who navigate by clicks you will sell more. Jason Billingsley from Elastic Path said via twitter (he tweeted?) that he thinks auto focus is not a good idea unless it is the only action on the page – like Google. He pointed out that if the focus is on a form you can’t scroll with your keyboard. I never thought of this because I very rarely use the keyboard to scroll.

Usability experts are always saying you should never make design decisions like this based on your own preferences. Instead you should consult your users and test. And I recommend you do that with this idea as well. My guess is that it’s going to be positive. I suspect it will encourage people to search more and because people who search convert at a higher rate than those who navigate by clicks you will sell more.

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