Key findings
- Microsoft's Bing search engine has been significantly improved and could be a good alternative for users who reject it.
- Bing's AI search capabilities have at times surpassed Google's, but aggressive marketing tactics discourage users from trying it.
- Microsoft needs to focus on highlighting Bing's strengths and not forcing users to succeed against Google.
Microsoft has a habit of denying itself the chance to break into the big leagues outside of the operating system space. The company knows that it is lagging behind with its Edge browser and Bing search engine, as tech giants like Google have the lion's share of the market.
The thing is, Microsoft's services often have a really rocky start at first and then get better over time. Edge and Bing are no exception. The former was a pretty disastrous browser until it introduced Chromium, and the latter was the target of a meme about the relevance of search engine results that caused it to give incorrect answers to everything people searched for.
While Microsoft is working on improving its services, Edge and Bing are pretty good at what they do. However, Microsoft's methods of getting people on its side are completely unsuccessful. And if it continues like this, people may never take the plunge and see what they're missing out on, all because the Redmond giant has tried a rigorous approach with its users.
Bing seems to be a solid option at the moment…
Microsoft meets many requirements with its search engine
So let's do a check-up. How is Bing doing currently? Well, if you were one of the people who used it at launch and never again (and I don't blame you), you might be surprised to learn that Bing is actually doing pretty well. In fact, I'd argue that it's in a better position now than it's ever been.
Admittedly, part of my argument is based on the fact that Google has suffered some nasty setbacks in recent months. Remember when the internet giant stuck its AI oversight on its search and it became a laughingstock overnight? Yes, Bing Search had already perfected AI search. And with people reporting that Google's search results aren't as good as they used to be, Bing has a real chance of winning over some of Google's user base.
Plus, you can earn points for using Bing, which you can use for gift cards or donations to charity. All in all, Bing deserves a second chance from people who have tried it in the past and didn't like it.

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…but Microsoft’s forceful hand scares people away
There are better first impressions you can make than trying to force your product on someone
So why don't people give Bing a second chance? Well, there are probably a lot of different reasons for that, but if I had to bet, I'd bet it's because Microsoft won't stop bugging people about it.
When you use the Start menu to search for something online, it searches Bing (And in Edge, by the way). If you use Edge and dare to search in Chrome with it, you'll be suggested to use Bing instead. And if you use Microsoft's “recommended browser settings,” Bing will be set as the default.
The icing on the cake came last week when Bing suggested wallpapers use its search engine. And the email notice we received about the feature said that if you accept Bing Wallpaper's suggestion, the Bing extension will load in Chrome.

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Microsoft must impress, not impose
People are much more likely to stick with something if they are not forced to use it.
Microsoft is no stranger to having a rough start. Some of its operating systems have had a bad start before eventually building their reputation with users and becoming a favorite. The problem is that the company isn't going to wash away a service's bad reputation by forcing it on people.
If Microsoft really wants to bring people to Bing, it needs to make it shine. It's already showing everyone how AI-powered search works, and it can show how Bing compares to the competition and where it excels.
However, Microsoft is doing itself no favors by having a wallpaper app ask users to use Bing instead of Google. The more you try to force a user to use a service other than the one they prefer, the less they will want to use it. And with Google showing weaknesses, Microsoft can't afford to let this opportunity go to waste.

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Bing is a good service – just let people discover it for themselves
If Microsoft wants Bing to be taken seriously, it needs to stop nagging. Every time someone gets annoyed by a pop-up telling them to switch, it reignites their desire to swear off the service. Instead, Microsoft could put that effort and energy into making Bing a fantastic search engine that does what people want. In fact, some might argue that it already does that. It just needs to allow people to discover and use Bing naturally, rather than being pushed into it.