Internet Evolution's readers aren't sold on Microsoft's new search -- WHOOPS, discovery -- engine Bing, despite the company's efforts to make the engine more appealing.
In a poll, we asked readers recently whether Bing's new features -- such as Twitter search, mobile features like real-time sports updates and flight stats, and better compatibility with touch devices -- will convert them to regular Bing users.
Answering the question, Now that Microsoft has added extra features to Bing will you start to use it as your primary search engine? -- here's how over 150 IE readers responded:
Taking the majority, 65 percent of Internet Evolution readers said they will not start using Bing as their primary engine of discovery and search. A few readers on our message boards said it's simply because they're used to Google, admitting that there are appealing aspects to Bing (e.g., getting cash back on purchases).
Microsoft has a lot of catchup to play in this space, so say the numbers in our poll and the market share statistics:
But the company is well aware of the situation. Steve Ballmer has noted that it will take quite a while to become a true competitor to Google, but that he's willing to use whatever resources necessary to get there (sounds ominous...): Hence a purported deal with News Corp. in which Microsoft would pay for the publishing company to index its content exclusively with Bing.
I've been making a conscious effort to use Bing more often (for the good of research!), and there are a few features I like. For example, Bing has a great travel interface where users can easily search for flights from sites like Travelocity, Expedia, Hotwire, Priceline, and BookingBuddy -- rather than poking around on those sites individually for the best deals. Also on the travel note, Bing has a tool for flight status updates, which -- as a paranoiac -- I used repeatedly on my last trip to California.
Those niche utilities are what I've found myself turning to Bing for, and so far I've yet to be disappointed by the site's technology. But it may be a while before Microsoft's hunger for more market share is fulfilled. Much like a lot of our readers, when it comes to basic search, despite my good intentions, my fingers can't help but type G-o-o-g-l-e.
While you'd be happy to use them separately for different purposes, Microsoft & Google wont be. They want to be your 'default' engine for search/ discovery. period. So this race for features, integration is going to continue for some time till the market share gets settled in favor of one of them. Remember browser wars?
Those are good points, KMT. I have my gmail open all day so I'll typically just do a search straight from there, or straight from the google browser box on FireFox. It's just easier, and if the results on Bing are not unbelievably better, Microsoft is going to have to work harder at being ubiquitous.
I am by no means saying never, but I personally would be more inclined to try a new brand new not even memorable (I am saying I can't remember the name of it, even though I just saw it advertised) search engine than to switch from Google to Bing.
You could classify me though as a fan of google anyway.
But you are right, my loyalty would lie with the engine that brought me straightest to the target I was seeking.
Hope that sounds like I am fully straddling the fence?
It seems like a good search engine, but not much more than that. I guess I am wondering why Microsoft thinks it has such a huge hit when they are SO late to that dance.
Analyzing web traffic since the onset of bing, I can honestly say that fewer then 3% of our traffic has come from Bing. Just as much has come from direct linking on other sites, and vast majorities come from google.
When someone wants to speak about searching for something, they say just google it.
I've used Bing travel search, its travel alert function seems to be pretty useful. Maybe Bing will capture the travel market. But in the meantime, I use Google for all my regular searching. I also like Bing's "bird's eye view" map, but again, I still go straight to Google for maps most of the time.
I find it quite interesting Microsoft is willing to pay publishers and users to use the latest branding of it's search engine. I'm curious to see long-term results from the cash back for purchases (for users) and the pay for inclusion (for content publishers) programs. So far, I'm not impressed with Bing. I wasn't impressed when it was called Microsoft Live Search either. Cash or not, I'm sticking with Gooooogle.
I'd use Bing, but it's not necessarily as accesible as I'd like. For example, most times when I want to run a search, I use the search box in the upper right hand corner of my browser. The search engine that is in my browser? Google.com. So it's by default that I use google. But I also have a gmail account, so I use many of Google's extra features--maps, documents, etc. I'd be open to trying Bing, but I'm not necessarily going to type the URL in my box. Microsoft needs to build relationships with other web sites and web programs to make itself more prominent and noticeable on the net.
Most readers here seem to believe that Bing will never catch up with Google.I wouldnt be so sure.
If in the next iteration of the Search Engine wars,Bings product does turn out to be much,much better than Googles then People might be inclined to give google the skip-That has happened so many times in the past with Monopolistic companies-They just fall asleep at the wheel.Whos to say it cant happen again?
Microsoft has the repuation of coming in from the behind in many markets and winning over market share through hook or cook-Remembeir XBOX,SQL Server or Even MS Office anyone???
It can happen again with Bing as well.We have to wait and watch.
Google is my prefered search engine and I think it is the same thing for many people. Even though Bing is offering some new and good features, it will take time for people to get use to it. But as many have already said in previous post, we can choose the best from them all.
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
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We hope you can tune in for an IE Radio interview today with a true industry innovator, Jeff Jonas, chief scientist at IBM. We're talking to Jonas today at 3:00 p.m. ET. Do. Not. Miss. It.
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In the final episode of this series about the death of Internet anonymity, Saunders describes how the Internet of the future will start to attain a level of intelligence that requires no human intervention. Scary.
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