Tackling ‘Findability’ on a Mobile Site

The panelists, who painstakingly navigated their way through category trees (which were clearly designed for desktop computers with full-size screens) to the actual product, didn't seem much happier. Winding your way through a maze of subcategories without a clear name of the product is like trying to find a house in a crowded suburban neighborhood without knowing the address. There's a reason we all use Google Maps — on our smartphones. Conversely, it stands to reason that finding a specific item on a mobile site with thousands of products should be as intuitive, seamless and well … smart.