The 3rd of June saw the global launch of Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing. Although still in Beta stage it’s had a pretty impressive response in it’s first week on the social network platforms. The question is, will users swap over from Google to BING?
So, why a new search engine? Why the new name? Why now?
Research done by Microsoft has shown that most people think their search experience is fine, in fact they showed that 65% of users were satisfied. However, when they looked closer at the data of how people search they identified some problems. Seeing these as opportunities, they developed BING.
In their analysis of how people search they found that:
- 15% of the time people abandon their search
- 24% of the time people immediately click the back button
- 24% of the time people immediately try a different search term
Most of us (66% in fact) search the internet to help us make decisions. We use search sites to help complete everyday tasks, like buying a product online, finding a movie and a restaurant for dinner on Saturday night, planning a vacation, or researching a health question. So if 24% of us are clicking back and trying different search terms, that means we are not easily finding the information we require. In short Microsoft claim that we should be dissatisfied with our current search experience – Enter BING.
So how does BING differ from other search engines? Well, on the surface, it has some pretty cool new tools such as a snap shot that comes up when you hover over each search result. This is very helpful for determining if the link is in fact relevant.
Then looking deeper, they claim to have a new and more comprehensive indexing system to deliver faster and more authoritative sources. I have been using Bing all week and I must say it is fast!
Secondly, Microsoft say that BING uses technology to deliver a richer, more organized experience. It includes quick, comprehensive access to a user’s search history and offers recommendations based on connections that can be drawn from the universe of search behavior.
Building on the Google philosophy of “less is more”, BING also manages to cut through the clutter, bringing a simple user experience that connects people with the right information to make decisions. It’s pretty cheesy, but Microsoft are trying to coin a new term saying that BING is not just a search engine but a “Decision Engine”. The idea behind BING is to help people find the information to make more informed decisions, more quickly.
Microsoft are making some big claims and users have become accustomed to searching a certain way. I don’t think BING is going to take over right away but they have certainly put some more options on the table. I guess only time will tell.
Katherine McChesney
digital cowboys/girls 