Microsoft`s Answer to Google Search - Bing - Commercial Aspects

The main focus of Bingappears to be on commercial interests. For example, Bing includes user and expert reviews of products as well as prices. One very notable feature is that it also includes a cash back feature for many products. This is going to give it a substantial leg up over Google’s product search. If nothing else, people do love to save some money. This is also a feature that Google is unlikely to be able to replicate in the short term, as it involves extensive negotiations with countless retailers.

Another notable feature is Bing’s approach to airline tickets. It lists the cheapest fares as well as a trend chart of when the tickets are most likely to be cheaper. This is made possible by Microsoft’s purchase of “Farecast,” an airline ticket price forecasting program. Though this is a nice feature to have, it is questionable how it will help Bing gain much market share. This seems to be a very specific application in comparison with search engines as a whole. After all, there are already websites completely devoted to what Bing offers here.

Similarly, Bing offers reviews and pricing from local restaurants and other commercial interests. Although there has been no direct evidence of it, it is logical to believe that Microsoft will also offer services similar to Google's, who lists the top results from its mapping software for local businesses. Microsoft claims that Bing will allow you to save time and money with the way in which it searches local businesses. It will take more time to determine whether this claim is based on Bing's actual offerings, or is just some marketing jargon.

While Bing's offerings on product searches are impressive, Microsoft still has a long road ahead to combat Google in this field. The Google product search is already quite solid and still offers some features that Bing does not. Microsoft is going to have to analyze these differences and think hard about which features they want to copy and which they are just going to try to live without.

Next: What it Means for Google >>
 

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