We have seen websites and apps where people are using a search bar along with the search button all the time. Some people think that the search box has to be followed by a search button otherwise users would not be able to know where to get the results. But in my opinion, it is okay to not to have the search icon in some cases. The reason was that most of the search experience was done by clicking the return button and users can go to the result page right away without click on the button again.
In order to back up my assumption, I decided to do some research. Looking at the well-established websites with the search bar and see how they deal with the design.
Search bar on the search engines
First for the examples of search engines, I found Googleand Bing. These two are the form of ‘search box + button’. Google search box added shades, emphasizing the search action itself. It gives users a strong sense of feeling that you should search something for good.
Microsoft’sBingI believe is simpler and more innovative than Google, with a search bar followed by an icon with a magnifier on the right hand of the search bar, the magnifier also works as a button that can be clicked to search. Perhaps Bing’s audience isn’t as wide as Google’s, so the magnifier icon really shows as something that you click and search on.
Search bar on the e-commerce website
The three pictures above are Flipkart, eBay, and Zappos. All of them are e-commerce website and their search bar are also highly consistent. For example, there is text information in the boxes. Users can directly click on the search button to visit the recommendation keywords in the search box. In other words, the shopping websites put some recommended products directly in the boxes to facilitate that. Users who are not very motivated can quickly gather information from the search bar and give the recommendation to their next search.
All these shopping sites have search buttons in general. Considering that the users may not have the habit of hit return button after inserting SEO to search. The buttons allow users to use them without thinking about how to trigger the search operation. It follows the principle of not letting users to think less and not bother them when interacting with the design.
Moreover, shopping websites have a strong visual flow, search buttons play an important role in intriguing an action which is the so-called CTA. It can strengthen the shopping behavior, and also act as an implication.
Search bar in the music platform
Examples of music websites are Youtube Musicand Pandoramusic. For the Pandora music, we did not even see the search icon. Only by simple text indicator ‘Enter an artist, song, or genre to create a station’, is the smart and clear way to communicate with the information that is clear and understandable.
The similarity of these websites is that they all have powerful recommendation algorithm system. The intelligent recommendation list will pop up automatically below the search bar before you even type in a certain word.
Conclusions
1. First of all, whether to use the search icon really depends on the target users of that website. If it works as a technical type of webpage it does not necessarily need a search button. However, if your target group are more complex (mostly B to C), then you better consider having a search button.
2. If your design follows the principle of the minimalism. Then maybe consider not adding search buttons next to your search bar. Or even, in some extreme cases, replacing it with a magnifying glass icon to make it look cleaner, simpler, and more efficient.
3. Sometimes it also depends on the power of the algorithm. If your product has a very powerful recommendation system for users to click through right after typing keywords. Then you do not necessarily need to use the search button.
