Microsoft Bing Shopping grows thanks to Double Cashback
Either through Bing being a better brand than anyone thought it was or the lure of cash back, Bing Shopping has managed to grow a phenomenal amount since the site launched at the beginning of June. Which must have put noses out of joint at long-standing price comparison sites such as Pronto and Pricegrabber. Not to mention Yahoo Shopping.
Shopping comparison sites are big business on the Web. And why wouldn’t they be? They allow Web-savvy consumers the chance to see in an instant the best deal they can get on a particular product. Which on high-priced premium products such as HD televisions can be an absolute Godsend, saving people hundreds of dollars.
When Microsoft launched its latest search effort, Bing, few people thought it would really do anything spectacular. Live Search, the predecessor to Bing, had completely failed to grab the public’s attention, despite being very similar to Bing and having the advantage of the Live branding which Microsoft seems to attach to any and all of its online services these days.
But Bing is managing to make up ground on the competition in increasingly spectacular strides. The main search engine is growing every month, a situation likely to continue through and beyond the imminent Yahoo pairing. And according to Hitwise, Bing Shopping is also gaining on the competition.
Between June 6 and Aug. 8, visits to Bing Shopping increased an incredible 169 percent. Out of a list of 12 shopping comparison sites, Bing Shopping started the period in 8th place (by virtue of its former home at Live Search) but ended the period in 4th place. In just two months, Bing Shopping went from capturing 4 percent of market share visits to 11 percent.
Microsoft introduced a cashback offer last year for its shopping comparison site and saw an immediate return. Last week saw Microsoft introduce a Double Cashback promotion on Bing Shopping and the results are plain for all to see. The competition mostly saw drops in visitor numbers although Yahoo Shopping, Bizrate, and Shopzilla are still ahead of Bing Shopping. Maybe Microsoft should offer Triple Cashback and see what happens.
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August 16th, 2009
One of the reasons for Bing’s success is the goodwill of the brand name of Microsoft. However, the better is the offer Bing provides, the better it is for the consumers. However, there are many websites that too offer cashback and coupons to online shoppers. Take for example http://www.aafter.com that has made a name of its own by offering the same great brands at the lowest online prices. This, the website claims is because advertisers are not selected because of their ability to pay, but the value they offer to the buyer. Bing will have to take note of websites like these in its endeavor to become a success.
Richard