Microsoft pays users to use its search
Let's see Google top that!
MICROSOFT has decided that the best way to drive users to its search engine is to pay them a nice cheque.
Turning Microsoft's cash mountain into user clicks must have been agreed at the highest level in Redmond.
According to the Live Search cashback site, Microsoft will dole out money to online users who find and buy select products through its Live Search engine.
There is a fair bit of cash involved too. The amounts range from two per cent of the purchase price to 30 per cent.
Microsoft has signed up a long list of merchants to participate in the programme including Barnes & Noble, Sears, Home Depot, J&R, Office Depot and others.
It is not a marketing system that Microsoft is hiding either. Bill Gates mentioned it yesterday when he was chatting to online advertisers at a Microsoft conference in Redmond.
Gates said that in a few years time punters will look back and say, 'Wow, search started to get a fair bit more competitive around that time.' Of course they might just say 'Microsoft was so desperate for hits that they started bribing people.' µ
Comments
mmm, no thanks
Believe it or not, I wouldn't use their crap even if they payed me for it.How low can a company get in customer's appreciation? Well, THIS low.
Don't Google already kind of do that?
...Using Google Checkout?Sorry
but the Live Search UI sucks balls.I'll stick to Google.
real alternative
If you are uncmfortable searching with MS live. Try using this instead its great and they pay you for all your searches whether it be for purchases search or common googleing. You get your results in google and get paid to your bank or paypal. And once you sign up for each friend you invite or send the link with your account ending number you get a cut from mysearchfunds share (ie; not from your friends share of pay but the companies). If you don't mind me getting a share from the companies cut for referring please use this link to sign uphttps://www.mysearchfunds.com/apply001.asp?Friend=20016
or use the site address itself.
Yep they pay for a common no brainer thing as searching.
they are based in UK but they can pay you regardless of geographical location.
Enjoy
LOL
The search technology seems a bit ropey compared to Google and this may be an unfair skewing of the market, but heyyyyy, free money! I'm going to give it a go (thanks Mr. Ballmer).