Have you ever entered a store with a mission of finding a specific item, but you couldn’t find it anywhere? I have had this happen countless times when looking for clothes. So, what should I do when I can’t find what I’m looking for?
I either…
- Ask someone for help
- Leave the store and try another one
- Try again another time
- Give up entirely
Fast forward… I’m browsing the Internet for information, what do I do when I can’t find what I’m looking for? I can use those same actions to find what I need.
Ask Someone For Help
This is generally the first thing I do when searching on the Internet. I go to my favorite search engine (Google
) and ask for help. I type in a few search terms and get a list of results where I might find the information I need. But, how do I know that list is helpful?
When I got to a store and ask a store attendant for help, I have to be specific about what I want. When looking for a long, black skirt, I can ask an attendant where the skirts are, and she will direct me to the generic area of skirts. However, I’m not looking for just any plain old skirt — I need a long, black skirt. So, I ask the attendant more specifically where the long, black skirts are located. She can then give me a more specific location.
The same applies when I’m searching on the Web. I don’t just search for one generic search term, but instead I need to be as specific as possible. Just like the store attendant, the search engines only know where to point me with the information I have given them. If I want them to direct me to a specific location, then I need to give them more specific information.
Leave and Try Somewhere Else
OK, so the first store didn’t have the long, black skirt I was looking for. I’ll just go to another store. There are multiple search engines on the Internet. I don’t need to use just Google! Each one has a slightly different searching algorithm so the results from one engine will be different than another one I may try. On Wikipedia, I found this article with a long list of different search engines that I can use -http://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/List_of_search_engines.
Come Back Later
Many times when I am searching in a store for a specific item I get so frustrated I just want to quit. So, instead I may go out to lunch, get ice cream, take a nap, etc., and then get back in my car and start looking again.
I can use that same idea when searching on the Web. Instead of getting frustrated, I take a break. I may go out to lunch with a good friend. Treat myself to ice cream. Even take a nap, and come back to it later. Afterwards, my brain will be refreshed with different ideas, and I’ll be ready to start the search again.
Give Up
DON’T DO THIS!!! The information is out there somewhere. It may take time and patience, but it is out there. I just need to be patient, and keep on trying. Even though I am still looking for my long, black skirt, I haven’t given up finding it, and I shouldn’t give up trying to find the information on the web I’m looking for either. I just need to keep on searching!!
The Internet is full of information ready for me to fill my brain with. I just need to be patient, follow these suggestions, and eventually I will find what I need.
