[redtagdeals]

Microsoft announces CashBack service - http://search.live.com/cashback

What does this mean to services like Fat Wallet or other couponers?

[ProWebAddict]

Just because a company puts out a site it doesn't mean that they will know how to market it properly...

[ReneeO]

This is the new Jellyfish.com. Microsoft bought them last year. As far as I've seen, they're not offering coupons.

[teezone]

I'm amazed to see sites that try to adopt EVERY business model on the web today. One of my fav magazine sites expanded to the point where it's so busy & confusing, I can no longer find what I'm looking for (the reason I used to visit). They've lost me as a reader... as they lost site of their objective.

Personally I have no problem with this - the market becomes flooded, users instantly recognize same products/ideas in different forms and (hopefully) my presence becomes more unique.

It's all about making your own site/idea stand out from the rest.

[redtagdeals]

Originally Posted by Renee - Celebrate Express

This is the new Jellyfish.com. Microsoft bought them last year. As far as I've seen, they're not offering coupons.

Good point, Renee!. I am more concerned about visitors getting coupons from a coupon site and going to Microsoft for cash back. Some of that may already be happening with existing cashback sites out there already. But with a big name like Microsoft and the resources they command, they can if they try, make a big dent in this segment of Online Business!.

Could Microsoft extend this to ALL PAID SEARCH ads!! there by making some in roads on Google's Search Profit Margins (bottom line). What if Microsoft decides to share 90% of all search money with customers who use and click on Microsoft Ads.

Would that be a DEATH blow to Big G profit margins?

[Howard Gottlieb]

We can laugh off Microsoft's attempt at this ... but if Google jumps in the game it might be a different story for cash back sites.

[ProWebAddict]

Originally Posted by redtagdeals

But with a big name like Microsoft and the resources they command, they can if they try, make a big dent in this segment of Online Business!.

Yes, if they try. But just because it's a big name it doesn't mean anything if they don't research and handle things properly. Big corporations have a tendency to be....ugh, nevermind.

Ford could start a coupon site tomorrow, does that mean it will be successful? What about Dell? or Yellow Pages...

So really I'm not too concerned at this point.

By the way, I don't have a cashback site and I don't really like the ideas they promote, but that's a different subject.

[mr_jones]

I might be "worried" if they would put a cashback link or toolbar on their browser.

[Trust]

Not worried about it, it's Microsoft. Yahoo and Mircrosoft both have comparison shopping and coupons and have for awhile now. Google has coupons for some merchants using their Checkout, their comparison shopping, Froogle, failed and now it's just Google Products again.

So no death blow or anything like that.

[purplebear]

Can't remember the name now but didn't they have coupons (had a woman's name in it I think) a while back then evidently didn't do too well since I don't think they have it anymore??

[Trust]

They still have coupons - http://shopping.msn.com/content/shp?...=topTaxCoupons

I think they were using/working with someone else on it, forgot the name, but I guess they're doing it on their own now.

Yahoo has them - http://shopping.yahoo.com/coupons/

And looks like they might be working with Coupon Cabin, not sure, since I see a lot of their exclusives throughout that section.

[redtagdeals]

I agree with most comments made here. But this one need to be watched especially how big G reacts to it!

Death Blow I was referring to was to Big G's bottom line if Microsoft extends the CASHBACK to PPC/CPC searches

[Rolet]

A nice article on this:

http://blogs.mediapost.com/online_examiner/?p=1741

[purplebear]

Remember now, not gonna say the entire name of the site but Betty was part of it.

[ProWebAddict]

Originally Posted by purplebear

Remember now, not gonna say the entire name of the site but Betty was part of it.

I hope it's not the site I just googled because it's not of "large corporation" quality.

[Trust]

That's it, started by I believe a former Overstock AM - http://www.revenews.com/jamiebirch/b...hip-is-formed/

Thread about it here - http://forum.abestweb.com/showthread...ht=msn+coupons

[knight01]

I expect it won't be long before they state the cash back bar is an integral part of internet explorer.

It may not have a major impact, but it goes to show incrementalism is at work. Enough of these large companies with loyal followers offer coupons, rebates, price comparisons etc, and your piece of the pie gets smaller. Your piece may never go away... but it will get smaller.

[John Powell]

I just got an email on this from microsoft and this is one of the interesting links.
http://advertising.microsoft.com/adv...cashback3?pos1 Probably everyone signed up for Microsoft Advertising will get the email.

[Rolet]

Yup - Bumpaw - I got it today as well

[teezone]

I don't run a cashback or coupon site, but it seems the market is getting saturated on both counts...

This will probably attract merchants who don't participate in affiliate programs... for that, I think it' a novel idea. Then again, the advertising costs (to merchants) will eventually rival that of affiliate programs. And how long before Microsoft offers THOSE xml feeds to affiliates...

You can spin this any way you like (I'm sure I will!).. in the meantime, I think I'll tune out & just focus on my sites, niche & new ideas....

[Rolet]

Ok I have tried not to state any personal opinions on this topic, for fear of being lamblasted, but I am going to go for it.

MSN live search has been known to convert well for the financial and insurance services industries. I have not found it to be cost effective for anything else. I think the ability for merchants to test their products on the "few" searchers who utilize MSN search on a CPA basis will be a good thing, a short lived, but good thing. I don't think that any Merchant with an affiliate program or not, will see a drastic increase in sales from this product. I do think however, that if they open this product up to Cost Per Lead programs, it will be effective and have it's place in CPA/CPL marketing.

[Drewbert]

Keep an eye out for cookie stuffing!

[ecomcity]

The Adcenter.microsoft.com group running PPC aren't involved in the "Cashback" search advertising initiative. Looks like this program (Like Google Checkout) is reserved for just merchants, as the tracking tag script has to be added to the final checkout page of your shopping cart.

Microsoft is giving 100% of the "cashback" percentage of each successful www.Live.com product search to the end-user, where the merchant agrees to the % of sale cashback Ad deal and the searcher is a member of some Live.com group.

Like all Ad programs the merchant will only prosper here if they have BOTH paid and natural SERP results. They'll get whacked for the cashback deals only on paid search listings.

[Howard Gottlieb]

Anyone who doesn't watch these developments carefully is kidding themselves.

[knight01]

Interestingly enough. I just did a search on Google for: Play Station , and what did I see as the first sponsored link?

Live Search cashback
Search.Live.com/cashback Search that Pays You Back. Search Now and Save!

Looks like MSN is wasting no time in trying to get the word out. I wonder why big G is even allowing them to do that. Perhaps, it's Google's way to test consumer response to rebates listed in search results.