Bing Aggregates Daily Deals with a Focus on

Microsoft is taking on Google, Groupon and other daily-deal offerings by aggregating local daily deals in Bing. The search engine will track more than 200,000 local offers through a partnership with Dealmap. iPhone and Android mobile users will see "deals" on the Bing home page, and a "nearby" link focuses on the user's current location.

Following in the footsteps of Google -- which followed in the footsteps of Groupon after the daily-deal site snubbed an acquisition bid -- Microsoft is getting into the online coupon game. Its Bing search platform is luring bargain hunters, deal lovers, Groupon groupies, and Living Social fanatics with a unique twist that aggregates local deals.

Microsoft officially launched Bing deals for the desktop and mobile, giving decision-makers access to more than 200,000 unique offers in more than 14,000 cities and towns across the U.S.

Rather than roll out its own service to go head-to-head with the daily-deal behemoths, Bing is partnering with Dealmap, which tracks local deals. Through this alliance, Bing searchers can tap into offers from Groupon, Living Social, and Restaurant.com, among many others.

Decluttering the Web

"Bing's mission is to help you cut through the clutter of the web to make decisions more quickly -- whether that's through our own innovations or by teaming up with industry experts," said Andy Chu, director of product management at Bing for Mobile.

Two hundred thousand offers may sound overwhelming, but Microsoft has worked to streamline the process of finding the right deal in the right place at the right time. For example, iPhone and Android mobile users will see "deals" on the Bing home page and can click on the link to access them.

"With one click, you'll see the top daily deals featuring the very best offers in your metro area," Chu promised. "And by top deals we're talking generally 30 percent to 50 percent off! These are deals you definitely don't want to miss, so we made a special tab so checking is easy."

A Mobile Advantage

Bing offers a "nearby" link that highlights deals within a few blocks of the user's current location. Users can also browse deals by category or keyword to narrow down the coupon field. Once users find a deal they like, they can save it, share it with a friend via e-mail, or claim the deal directly with the deal provider.

"There are a range of players now trying to bring lots of deals and coupons together and be aggregators. If Bing can deliver a great experience, it has a chance to be one of those master deal aggregators," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. "It also has an opportunity to differentiate from Google through deals, although by itself this won't impact Bing's market share. It could have a more significant impact in mobile. But the implementation needs to be great."

Desktop Deals

Here's another interesting value-add to Bing deals. Let's say you are searching for a Bongos Cuban Café in your neighborhood from your iPhone. If Bongos has a deal available, Bing alerts you. Bing deals highlight any available daily deals right below the business listing.

Of course, Bing deals also work from the desktop. You would just search the name of the business on Bing and, if a deal is available, you'll see it in a green deal icon.

"If you click through the listing to the details page, you will find more information on the business, including reviews, featured dishes (if it's a restaurant), pictures and maps," Chu said. "Bing even helps you make restaurant reservations through OpenTable."

Source: newsfactor