7 Comments

Bing: Microsoft’s Identity Crisis

Jun 1, 2009
by

I’m going to start with a quick history of AOL. Back in the early days, AOL had Rainman, its proprietary coding language that was thankfully replaced by HTML. Only AOL didn’t get that the Web had made its simple walled garden obsolete until it was too late. Then, AOL opened the doors and let its users go everywhere. At some point AOL bought Netscape and then did nothing with the browser, the content, or the gateways to search and other areas of the Net. Then the gates slammed shut and you needed to be an AOL member to get to AOL’s proprietary content. Then they opened again. I’m not sure where the gates are today or if Time Warner burned them at some point. In other words, AOL rarely had a coherent or consistent plan on how to let its members onto the Web or Web surfers onto AOL. Did you hear that AOL is being spun off by Time Warner? And that’s not AOL Time Warner.

That brings us to Microsoft, the largest software company in the world and a company with one of the world’s highest market caps. You know that it must be a leader in anything it tries, especially something as critical as the Web. Do you remember years ago when everyone said that Microsoft had missed the boat and it was too late but Bill Gates announced MSN with much fanfare? Since that time, MSN has suffered AOLitis, that is, a lack of identity.

MSN lost to Google. MSN became Live.com while still being MSN at times. (I think there was even Start.com when Windows95 came out.) Live.com seemed like a good name. Not if you suffer from AOLitis.  Live.com now redirects to Bing.com, Microsoft’s latest Web idea.

I have to give kudos to Microsoft for trying to start over from scratch at the 10 years of failure in search. Google won, we all know that. In fact, Google won to such an extent that the one well-designed part of the Bing interface is search results (both natural and paid) that look exactly like Google’s search results. (Sorry, I don’t have time to take screenshots today. It’s all there if you go to Google and Bing.)

Take a look at Bing. Do you get it from looking at it? What do hot air balloons have to do with search or any of the other features of the site? The one resounding comment from the quick poll I did was that people think that this looks like a typosquatter’s landing page, not the search engine of a top 3 Web property.

I wish Microsoft luck with its new search engine. I really and truly hope that it works. I would like to see a real competitor to Google. I think that the Web needs competition instead of one player with upwards of 80% control of the Web’s jumping off point. I just don’t see how Bing.com is the answer.

Comments on Techcrunch sum it up best. Many people think that Bing stands for But it’s not Google!

About David Lewis

David Lewis is the CEO and founder of 77Blue which operates online shopping websites. Prior to that, he worked in business development at GoTo / Overture. David was a product manager and accountant in past lives. In 2006, David won Commission Junction’s Horizon Award for Innovation and was a finalist for Linkshare’s Golden Link Award. You can find David on Twitter @thedavidlewis.

Twitter: thedavidlewis
Filed under: Search Engine Marketing
  • http://potpolitics.com John Sullivan

    When you said Rainman I said overhead :) You must be old school :) I have checked out Bing it's pretty cool but what most people really want is do followed links and traffic. If they leave the comments in the forum do follow they may have a shot :)

    Nice work:)

    Stumbled

    AOL I never had a legit acct on there was alot of fun ;)

    Don't make me PUNT YOU LOL :)

  • http://NA Ben Harper

    I think you missed the boat with your AOLitis comment and the gates opening and closing etc. At the time, most sites still didnt have a formula to monetize off the web. Strong ad models hadnt been created yet. The fact that they were opening and closing the gates all stemmed from the need to make money if other tactics, like online advertising hadnt caught on with the mainstream. Bing is a step in the right direction and the reason Microsoft has as large of a market cap as it does, is due to constant reinvention and the quest for the next big thing. I'm still a huge GOOG fan by I applaud MS's efforts.

  • http://www.experienceadvertising.com Evan

    I don't understand why Yahoo and MSN insist on delivering different search results than Google, when Google's results are better than ever. MSN is cack and likely will always be until they be more like Google.

  • http://www.imwave.com Adam Viener

    Bing! You hit the nail on the head!

    I would say the real winner from Bing will be ING Direct @ Ing.com

    Adam

  • http://www.imwave.com Adam Viener

    Ning.com might do well too!

    Adam

  • http://www.imwave.com Adam Viener

    The parked pages for ging.com and hing.com are probably happy as well. :-)

  • http://www.cashbaq.com David Lewis

    Ben, I stand by my comment. Most sites still don't have a way to monetize effectively. AOL kept changing directions without a plan for success and without looking at history. The changes often followed management changes. I applaud companies that try new things but I don't think that's what AOL was doing.

    Evan, Yahoo used to use Google's search results. In fact, that is how Google got credibility early on. Then Yahoo realized that it couldn't be a self-respecting search engine without its own search engine so it bought Altavista, GoTo, Inktomi and a few others and stared over. It is interesting that studies have shown that when Yahoo's search results are branded Google, they are perceived to be more relevant and when Google's search results are branded Yahoo they are perceived to be less relevant.

    Choice is good. We need a variety of good search engines. My fear is that when new technology arises with potential for new entrants in the search industry, they will be bought and shelved. Time will tell.

    Adam, I have teamed up with Mr. Rhames to launch Ving.com!