Explorer 7 & type-in traffic...

[carjamlangley]

Just wondering what you all think about Explorer 7's feature that takes the type-in user directly to a Google search.

If you don't have Explorer 7 yet, let me explain...you can type, say, "power cords" in the URL window and, instead of getting the website powercords.com you get a Google search for power cords.

I'm new at this but it seems to me that once the other browsers get this feature, generic domain names won't be as valuable because all of their type-in traffic will be going right to Google. What's the word around here?

 

[SpareDomains]

Explorer 7 what's that? :hehe:

If that's the case then no good, I use firefox and have converted almost everyone I know to use a browser other than IE7.

 

[Premium]

It won't affect generic domains... People could always type in "cars" and it wouldn't take them anywhere before... When people type "cars.com" it will!

However people might get smart and just start typing in the terms instead of with an extension because they know it will take them to a google search and then they could find what they were looking for there..

I don't see any real effect on generic domains though..

 

[faisj]

Just wondering what you all think about Explorer 7's feature that takes the type-in user directly to a Google search.

If you don't have Explorer 7 yet, let me explain...you can type, say, "power cords" in the URL window and, instead of getting the website powercords.com you get a Google search for power cords.

I'm new at this but it seems to me that once the other browsers get this feature, generic domain names won't be as valuable because all of their type-in traffic will be going right to Google. What's the word around here?

I think it will effect the market a bit.
Microsoft wants to give the user the best expierience but, is actually
removing traffic to there adwords platform (through their parking partners who use there feed)

Also I dont understand why the search is connected to google?!??
why not MSN SEARCH?

 

[accent]

Also I dont understand why the search is connected to google?!??
why not MSN SEARCH?

A very good question.

I do think that, for many reasons, search engines will pick up much of what is now type in traffic. The profit motive will cause browsers to do it, as we see here. But the larger factor is that typing random URLs is not an efficient way to find anything. I have heard that most typeins come from inexperienced users, that would mean that in time typeins will decline.

 

[matt_bodis]

But that has been in Firefox for a long time as well.

I don't see how this can affect type-in traffic in any major way for generics.

 

[groundctrl]

could it be that MSN realizes it's organic search is simply not reliable? i mean, if they provide the best experience to the user, that user will stay with IE7... otherwise, they may go to Firefox.

if that's true, does that mean they're admitting that firefox and/or google are superior?

 

[accent]

The main ways MS keeps people away from Firefox are inerta and fear of the unknown - and not telling them about it.

 

[vlaen]

accentnepal is spot on describing FUD

 

[ofclean]

The main ways MS keeps people away from Firefox are inerta and fear of the unknown - and not telling them about it.

Yeah, they control people with fear!...?

Do you really think it's Microsoft's responsibility to inform users about its competition? Do you hold Pepsi to the same standards?

 

[vlaen]

I don't think MS controls anyone with fear.

Having 90% market share though is a giant pink elephant in the middle of the room.

Fear keeps people/companies/users from varying from the known to the unknown.

 

[GleenTea]

I believe the default search engine is MS Live but you can easily change it to any other search engine you want, or just remove all search engines listed (and get no search from address bar? I've got mine set to Google).

 

[-Adam-]

But that has been in Firefox for a long time as well.

I don't see how this can affect type-in traffic in any major way for generics.

Did anyone miss the above statement by cfguru? This has been FireFox for a few years already and still people are doing well with type ins. Typing in "cars" and taking you to a search engine is better than getting a 404 error. Now if you type in cars.com it's obvious it will take you to that site as well. I don't see cause for concern at all.

 

[carjamlangley]

Now if you type in cars.com it's obvious it will take you to that site as well.

Good point. But some type in traffic was from people who didn't know the difference between the URL window and a search engine page. I suppose it might affect that type in traffic a little since they used to go directly to cars.com but now they actually do get a search.

I'm not aware that Firefox has that feature. When I type in "cars" on Firefox I get cars.com. When I type in the same thing in Explorer 7, I get a google search for cars....maybe I've got an old version of Firefox or something?

 

[ofclean]

I don't think MS controls anyone with fear.

You seemed to agree with him... unless you were just telling him that he was describing FUD.

Having 90% market share though is a giant pink elephant in the middle of the room.

What do you mean here?

 

[hollywood]

Yeah, they control people with fear!...?

Do you really think it's Microsoft's responsibility to inform users about its competition? Do you hold Pepsi to the same standards?

I don't know of any governments who are mad at pepsi over antitrust issues whereas microsoft on the other hand has had a word or two with governments about its browser and is still at odds with the EU over Microsoft's marketing practices for certain products.....

 

[billinchina]

I think when people type in a generic domain, they are not simply performing a "Google Search" by typing in what they want and then throwing a dot com on the end. They probably already did a Google Search first (or plan to, second). When they type in a specific name, I think they do it to see if a site exists on the name (the chances are that if the domain they typed in was developed, it will probably have what they are looking for). Why do people search for undeveloped domains in Yahoo! Search instead of the terms...

So, I think that browser search convenience in the URL bar does not hurt type-in traffic.