Site search sought

How do you rate the popular packages/scripts?

[NickH]

I need to add a site search box to my site. Up until now, I've relied on the Google service, but I think I need something more flexible and configurable. (And something that searches only my site!)

What packages do people use? How would you rate them, in the following categories?

1. Functionality
   
2. Ease of use
   
3. Security
   
4. Frequency of database update
   
5. Configurability of appearance on page
   
6. Ease of installation

Nick

[claus]

Nick, i'll recommend atomz straight away, as they have a high score on all.

Regarding "security" i'm not sure what you mean, but if it's server load and fear of crashing your site you need not worry as it's a hosted package and their servers have the necessary power. Installation... There's none. All you have to do is to customize your SERPS page and include the searchbox on your site, then ask it to start spidering.

Their product is higly customizable. Page look, search frequency, urls to omit, keywords on pages... whatever, you decide. Usability - well i find it very easy to work with, all is done in a web-interface and there's no programming at all, only tags as known from html (and this is only when customizing your serps page.

There's paid as well as free versions, i think there's some limit on the amount of pages spidered for the free version, possibly as low as 500, but if you're above that the paid version is worth it. I've been using atomz for ...hmmm.. must be a few years, and they are very stable, and continously offer new services and new ways to customize.

Take the freebie for a spin to test it out - even though i'm very satisfied i do that as well with other packages when i see them but i haven't found a better offer yet. No, i don't work for them and have no commercial interest whatsoever.

/claus

[ytswy]

Another happy Atomz user here. I set it up in an afternoon (that includes the time I spent researching the issue :)), and that was it. Site search problem solved.

[ecommerce man]

"Pico search" is pretty good. Configurable and easy to setup / use.

[NickH]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys.

I'm currently testing atomz, which is very nice. My site is non-profit, and is under 500 pages, so I'm trying the free version. One thing puzzles me -- what do atomz get out of this? Why do they offer their services for free?

Nick

[claus]

I think it's an alternative way of advertising; they get a lot of recommendations from those trying the freebie version, and then they earn money on the licensed search and their other products. After all it's only a limited version they offer for free although it's very good. If you look at "customers" on their home page you'll find quite some names, so i guess they're not exactly suffering.

/claus

[ytswy]

What do they get out of it?

We've been using the free version for a couple of years now. A planned expansion of our site soon will mean paying for our site search, guess who will be top of the list? :)