Bing was recently launched by Microsoft to provide an alternative to Google. It offers a similar simplicity, with a few different features. We ran the site through the initial feedback test to see how simple it really is to use. This is how the site looked at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. This website seems to be an online search provider. In addition to search capabilities this site offers links to shopping, news, maps, and more features the typical searcher might be in need of. It also provides related search options to each search done.
2. “Bing” appears to be a search engine. It also provides direct links to MSN’s home page and to Windows Live.
3. This is MSNs’ latest internet search browser. They were called Live Search before, but it truly wasn’t live except for the Q&A Live Search Beta.
4. This web page produces results that (hopefully) relate to the search terms presented.
5. This website is a search engine. It allows you to do normal searches or categorical searches for specific types of content, like images, video, and maps.
6. The website is a search engine.
7. I already know that Bing is the new Microsoft Search Engine, but based on the page, it needs the search bar a bit larger.
8. This appears to be a search engine. The search fields seem similar to Google.
9. It is not really clear, but it looks like it is a search portal. Primarily for photos.
10. Bing is a search engine with quick links to videos, shopping, news, travel, etc.

Since there’s not a lot happening on the page, it doesn’t take long to figure out the purpose. That’s a plus.

What do the reviewers like best?

Best Current Feature

1. The best current feature of this web page is the inclusion of the related search field with every search. Depending on what I am looking for, I might not know exactly what to search for, so related searches quickly help narrow my search. It is also useful to provide further reading on topics I am familiar with.
2. I think it’s very clever to show what the “top searches” are on the home page, because for some reason, people are strangely curious about what other people do online. I also like the new name (“Live search” sounded dumb).
3. The best thing for this web page is the nice new picture background everyday. Clean and uncluttered template, just like Google, their competitor.
4. The best thing about this webpage is the simple design, which makes it easy to use.
5. The best feature is the interactive image in the background.
6. I like the additional text after you search. If you move your mouse to the right you can get more info without having to go to the website. Nice feature.
7. To me the best feature is the image search where one can get to see the images bigger or smaller using the options on the left side of the screen.
8. The best feature appears to be the query completion. When I start typing in something, it offers many possibilities. I find this helpful in completing my search, as it can help me narrow down what I’m looking for.
9. It is aesthetically pleasing. I also like the “most popular”.
10. I love the background picture and the very clear bar to enter your search words. The site is extremely attractive. I also am impressed with the selections that turn up as the result of a search and the fact that additional information is available by moving the cursor to the right.

If Microsoft’s goal was a simple, clean design and advanced search features, they seem to have succeeded.

What do the reviewers think needs to be improved?

1-Thing to Improve

1. The main page has a strange picture and search displayed. I assume it changes regularly, but seeing a picture of Dutch cheese is an odd way to entice me to consider this to be a credible search. Something simpler would look more professional. Perhaps the image search could be related to the main page display and with more searches specific images would show to interested users. They would be stimulating and one might be more inclined to continue their searching as the site evolves to suit their preferences.
2. Although Bing obviously came from Microsoft, it also seems to be trying to hard to “one-up” Google’s search engine. Even the bare-bones search field with the link that says “Sign in” in the upper right-hand corner of the page is taken straight from Google. Bing produces different (and sometimes better) search results–it should try harder to look like a different product.
3. It lacks the more simple layout of another search engine, Google. The image is a bit distracting, and would be better served by a more simplistic, unobtrusive header. I don’t see why I should use it over Google, when that seems to work just fine.
4. It would be nice it you could set your search category directly on this page instead of having to click another link. For example, if I wanted to search for images, I could type in my search parameters and then select “images” from a popup list (or something) directly on this page.
5. The “explore” toolbar could be placed in a better location, such as the top of the screen.
6. Less is more on the home page. The search page results are very nice but the home page needs to be stripped down.
7. The background graphic takes up a lot of space and is distracting. A cleaner interface would make it easier to use.
8. It would have to give me the objective on what the purpose is. I don’t really understand why it came up with cheese and photos of big hunks of cheese, or the Netherlands. This did not make sense to me. I did like that when I searched for Michael Jackson it came up with some nice photos. Then it just looked like Google search with everything looking pretty much the same as Google.
9. The images are distracting, which is why many people use Google. Simple.
10. It might be a little clearer what the links on the side of the opening screen do. Of course I tried them out to see what they do, but I’m not sure they are really helpful. Generally, though, I love the site.

The layout is simple, but reviewers all seem to agree that the rotating daily background image is too distracting and unrelated to anything. The suggestion that the image could change depending on the user’s search criteria is an interesting one, and I can see the value in that. Perhaps the image could be related to the day’s top searches or other relevant current event.

Could a simpler graphic, or no graphic at all, improve the appeal of bing.com? There’s one way to find out; make the changes and re-run the site through our feedback test.