Dear Microsoft: Bribing Users Faster Still Probably Won't Help Much
from the nice-try,-though dept
We noted last month that Microsoft was stepping up its program to bribe users to use its search engine, and that process continues with the announcement that Microsoft is adjusting the program to provide the cashback award immediately, rather than making users wait for it. Yet, as PC World notes, this whole effort to bribe users has done nothing to improve Microsoft's marketshare in search. In fact, its marketshare has decreased, as both Yahoo's and Google's marketshare has increased. Perhaps it's time to try a different strategy.
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Why would you trust Microsoft's search results?
A quick look at MS's search results for "Tsar Bomba" (because I've just had a conversation about it) reveals, well, crap results. And a load of "sponsored sites" results that were no use to me, but which had paid to be there.
In comparison, Google's results were no less crap, but were presented in a more attractive way and didn't have the irrelevant shopping site results.
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Use it just for the cash back
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Will search even rely on a certain sites in the future?
Could it be that search may be heading in new directions? I can type a word into my address bar in Firefox to produce results, or I could use related links option for more search results. Outside of the major sites, there are many alternative search engines, like Hakia, which are producing good results. For example, if I am looking for a technical journal in a German library, I could go to the search site zdb, to find the result that I need. Google seems to rely to heavily on Wikipedia (I guess Knol is not there yet).
I wonder if part of Google's dominance is due to sites using the search function supplied by AdSense. If this is a growing trend, it may be that other search development firms could step in to compete. Somehow I think that this may not be the case. We are just to use to "googling", that most of us do not consider the alternatives.
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Don't bet on it
Right now Google is offering the best search results, but the Internet works against them relying on people just being used to it.
If some other search engine is really good, you're going to email people and they will give it a try, they email people and so on and so fourth. I remember clearly when that very thing happened with Google, it can happen again just as quick.
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If a search engine could get rid of those, which would seem pretty easy to me, I'd switch from Google. Just like I switched from Yahoo, to hotbot, to Altavista.
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Also, overall search share does not equal revenues. Yahoo may have increased search share (barely, I might add), but they are hurting right now big time.
What matters for vendors in search is the profitable niches/searches.
I also think you guys should be smarter than to jump on the dump on Microsoft bandwagon. Plenty of companies use incentives to attract customers. Where's the post criticizing Apple for bribing users with discounts last week?
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Re:
Microsoft can't get grassroots support, so they create astroturf support.
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Cool, I buy shit-loads of stuff from ebay.
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Make a better search engine and they will come...
Maybe it is because I'm searching on technical related stuff and Live is geared towards it, but whatever the reason, make a search engine that finds what I want and you don't have to bribe me - I'll be there! On the flip side, bribe me to have a look, and give me bad results and I'll never come back.
One example that I always get a kick out of is that I can search for various Microsoft KB article info better via Google than I can using Microsoft Search Engines.
Freedom
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Mike, shut up please, I'm trying to make some money (off M$) here :-b
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Don't be ridiculous
According to Merriam-Webster, bribe is defined:
1 : money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust
2 : something that serves to induce or influence
The first is clearly not the case. The second is so broad as to apply to nearly everything humans do. I think your use of the word bribe is just bait.
As advertising revenues fluctuate, looking into other revenue and enticement models only makes sense. It's naive to assume that only advertising is the one, true, approved way of making money.
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1. Google just works better
2. When has M$ ever done anything that didn't have a devious, self serving and sometimes sinister ulterior motive as it's purpose. Their reputation invokes trust issues.
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Tsar Bomba
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i used live for little bit
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