If you don't like the first two opinions, maybe the third time's the charm.
Microsoft's
Jaded investors probably aren't going to take comScore's
It's not just Bing that the analyticos can't see eye to eye on. Experian's Hitwise had IAC's
However, Hitwise, StatCounter, and comScore all agree on two things:
- Google gained market share sequentially.
-
Yahoo!
(NASDAQ:YHOO) went the other way.
Yahoo!'s decline is understandable. Once it agreed to let Bing fuel its searches, the credibility hit was inevitable.
Microsoft had just better hope that comScore, and not the Web watchers that reported last week, has it right. Bing has turned heads since its springtime "decision engine" makeover. If it did lose momentum last month, there are no assurances that it will win any back.
We can't call Bing a novelty, because it delivered several months of sequential gains. Honeymoons don't last that long. Its arrival generated legitimate buzz. Conflicting reports probably indicate that it has hit a near-term plateau, but that is all the more reason for Microsoft to ramp up its marketing or see whether it can muscle in with Yahoo!-esque deals for smaller engines.
Bing isn't dead. It's simply catching its breath.
And breadth.
Can Bing make Microsoft cool again? Yea or nay, share your thoughts with Rick in the comment box below.