Kurt Shintaku's Blog

There’s a been a fair amount of press recently about the success of the Live Search Cashback program.

• CNET:  Study: Microsoft Cashback attracting visitors
  http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10057799-75.html?tag=mncol
• ARS TECHNICA: Live Search Cashback may be paying off for Microsoft search
  http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081006-live-search-cashback-may-be-paying-off-for-microsoft-search.html
• TECH CRUNCH:  Microsoft Searches Jump 15% After Live Cashback Launch
  http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/18/microsoft-searches-jump-15-after-live-cashback-launch/

For the uninitiated, Live Search Cashback is a special program that discounts products that you find through Live Search, and then buy.  Discounts vary but the ultimately, the result is that if you use Live Search, you get the opportunity to save money on every purchase you make when you search for it on http://search.live.com. (For more details, check http://search.live.com/cashback/howToUse)

Well, after mocking the program, several industry pundits are finding themselves conceding that, hey – people apparently like saving money and they’re willing to search using a specific search engine in order to get a unique discount.  Need more convincing as to why this works?  Here’s a good example: 

• eBay gives 30% off all ‘BuyItNow’ items if you use Paypal, as well as other items you find using http://search.Live.com.

  (Read more about this here:
  http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!DA410C7F7E038D!3953.entry)

Now those same industry pundits are mocking the Live Search SearchPerks program which give people credit toward gifts for their searches.  Anyone want to take bets on if this program’s going to be successful as well?