People do not all search for information the same way. Some arrive knowing exactly what they want and use search right away. Others prefer to browse categories, compare options, or read educational content before making a decision. Many move between those approaches as they learn more.

There is no single “right” way to discover information on a website. When organizations rely on only one path, they make it unnecessarily difficult for many visitors to find what they need.

The strongest websites support multiple ways to explore, helping visitors move through the experience in the way that feels most natural to them.

Common User Experience (UX) Roadblocks

1. Relying on one discovery method: Not every visitor finds information the same way. Some prefer search, while others naturally browse categories, filters, recommendations, or featured collections. Supporting multiple discovery paths helps more visitors find the right solution without forcing them into a single journey.

2. Treating search and navigation separately: Search and navigation shouldn't compete with one another—they should work together. Visitors should be able to move naturally between searching, browsing, and exploring without feeling like they've started over.

3. Overlooking recommendations and related content: Visitors don't always find the right option on their first attempt. Related products, similar services, recommended resources, and next-step suggestions encourage continued exploration and often introduce visitors to solutions they may not have considered.

4. Offering no guidance for uncertain visitors: Many visitors know they have a problem but aren't sure which solution is right for them. Educational content, comparison guides, buying guides, quizzes, recommendations, and decision-support tools help people move forward with greater confidence.

5. Creating dead ends: Every page should provide a clear path to what comes next. When visitors reach a page with no related content, alternative options, or logical next steps, they're much more likely to leave the website instead of continuing their journey.

When a website only works well for one type of visitor behavior, it limits how many people can successfully use it.

What the research tells us

Research shows that people use different strategies to find information, which makes multiple discovery paths essential rather than optional.

Baymard Institute's usability research has repeatedly found that product-finding behavior is split between visitors who primarily use search and those who primarily browse categories and navigation. Supporting only one of these approaches leaves a substantial portion of visitors without their preferred way to explore.

Baymard’s research also shows that discovery behavior varies with context. In some categories, visitors begin by browsing and use search only after they’ve already explored a bit. That reinforces a broader usability principle: discovery should adapt to the visitor’s goal and level of confidence, rather than assuming everyone starts the same way.

Homepage and navigation usability remain a challenge as well. Baymard’s benchmark found that 58% of desktop websites and 67% of mobile websites provide only mediocre-to-poor homepage and category navigation experiences. When browsing falls short, complementary discovery methods such as search, recommendations, filters, and related content become even more important.

Academic research on exploratory search points to the same conclusion. People naturally alternate between searching and browsing as their understanding evolves. Search helps when someone has a specific destination in mind, while browsing supports comparison, learning, and refinement.

Although much of this research comes from e-commerce, the same pattern applies to consulting firms, software companies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and professional service organizations. People arrive with different goals, different levels of familiarity, and different ways of making decisions.

Why this matters

Discovery is one of the most important parts of the website experience because visitors can’t evaluate or choose an offering they never find.

Organizations that support multiple discovery paths make it easier for visitors to explore, compare, learn, and identify what’s right for them. Instead of forcing everyone through the same journey, they create a flexible experience that adapts to different goals, different knowledge levels, and different decision-making styles.

The best discovery experiences don’t ask visitors to adapt to the website. They adapt to the visitor

Three UX Priorities for Better Discovery

Priority #1: Design for different levels of knowledge

Visitors do not all begin with the same level of understanding. Some know exactly what they’re looking for. Others know the type of solution they need but not its name. Some only recognize the problem they’re trying to solve.

An effective discovery experience supports each of these starting points. Navigation, search, filters, recommendations, featured collections, educational resources, and comparison guides should work together to help visitors make progress regardless of where they begin.

Priority #2: Let discovery methods work together

Every discovery method serves a different purpose. Navigation helps visitors understand what’s available. Search helps people reach known destinations more quickly. Filters narrow large sets of options into manageable choices. Recommendations introduce relevant alternatives, while educational content helps visitors understand what they may not have considered.

Rather than treating these as separate features, design them to complement one another so visitors can move naturally between them as their needs change.

Priority #3: Help visitors recover when one approach doesn't work

No discovery method is perfect. Someone who begins with search may switch to browsing after seeing unexpected results. Someone exploring categories may eventually apply filters to narrow their choices. Others may read a guide before returning to compare specific options.

Your website should make those transitions feel effortless rather than forcing visitors to start over. Every page should provide another meaningful way to continue exploring, whether through related content, recommendations, alternative categories, featured resources, or additional search opportunities.

A quick Website review

Review how visitors discover your products, services, or resources, then ask yourself:

• Can visitors find offerings through multiple discovery methods?

• Do search and navigation complement one another?

• Are filters available where they would help narrow choices?

• Do recommendations encourage visitors to continue exploring?

• Are educational resources available for visitors who need guidance?

• Can visitors easily recover if their first discovery method doesn’t work?

• Is it easy to move between searching and browsing?

• Do pages include related content or logical next steps?

• Do featured collections or curated content provide helpful starting points?

• Would both first-time and returning visitors be able to find what they need?

The strongest websites recognize that discovery isn't a single path. By supporting multiple ways to search, browse, compare, and learn, they make it easier for every visitor to find the solution that's right for them, regardless of where they begin.

Next Steps

If visitors can only find information one way, the problem may not be the content itself. It may be the experience around it.

I help organizations evaluate how visitors search, browse, compare, and learn so their websites support more than one path to discovery. That includes navigation, search, filters, content relationships, and the transitions between them.

If you want your website to be easier to use for more kinds of visitors, the first step is often not adding more content. It is making sure people can reach what they need in more than one way.