MSN have released their new tool bar for download. Many internet users probably won’t install this bar initially, but the new toolbar is expected to be included in the new release of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7). The new MSN toolbar offers everything we would expect from MSN. You can log into your MSN Messenger account, Hotmail, and quickly post to your MSN Blog Space. Extra features include a pop-up blocker, quick link to MSN today page, news (from MSN) and automated form filling. MSN toolbar also sees the inclusion of "tab window" browsing windows a-la FireFox. The toolbar also allows you to search MSN directly from the browser no matter which page you are actively viewing. With the release of IE7, which will include the toolbar as standard, can we foresee changes in the way that people will search he internet?
Taking into account that a large majority of non-technical users use standard Microsoft installations; will this help MSN make it a greater used search engine than it currently is today? If so, to want detriment to other search engines?
If this is the case, there could be a major impact on many internet driven companies and services that rely on search engine leads to exist. Currently, the major search engine tends to be agreed upon as being Google. As such, many companies use Google to promote their online ventures either by way of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Pay Per Click leads (PPC).
Currently most users will go to google.com (or local equivalent) and actively search from there. There is a Google Toolbar which can be downloaded and installed, but this takes an effort on the side of the user, if you know it exists in the first place. Many people, who promote their business online, will be familiar with Google's toolbar, but what you need to ask yourself is how many end users would actively seek out and install it?
The new MSN toolbar will be preinstalled as part of the IE7 browser and so will not need any active participation from a user to install. This could mean that MSN suddenly increases their search engine usage considerably. When seconds count to a surfer, and they will always do the quickest and easiest thing possible to get what they want, it is probably safe to predict a growing importance of being listed within MSN search results. This will obviously reflect not only in natural search engine results, but also PPC advertising.
My own opinion, (and it is only an opinion, not a fact or prediction) is that with the release of a pre-installed search bar in IE7, end users will change the manner in which they find what they need on the internet. After all, this is what MSN would like and are actively trying to promote. I think the search engine wars could be hotting up more so, and I think we may see some major changes with who is the top SE players when IE7 is released. Microsoft is obviously going to try to do the best they can to get active users, as any business would, and taking past knowledge of how Microsoft tend to dominate any particular area of PC/OS's, it is quite possible they will throw everything at it.
I think that this recent development from MSN isn’t something that internet based companies, should ignore. I'm not saying that we should all suddenly change the way we are doing things, but I think we should keep a closer eye on those server log files to see if this pre-release to IE makes any changes. Changes will be small if any to begin with, as most non-technical users probably won’t install the bar themselves. However, with its inclusion in the new version of IE, surely it must mean an impact to online businesses.
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The Search Engine Times Are Changing!
I have been a cyber citizen now for many years. I was lucky enough to be part of the internet revolution from quite early days as far as the UK goes. I have a lot of experience of using the internet as a 'surfer'.
