Internet Pro News

Ask Sans Butler

By Lee Odden
Expert Author
Article Date: 2006-02-27

IAC's Ask.com has launched the new, clean version of their site sans butler today.

New features include:

A new homepage design

The Ask.com Toolbox, a new feature on the homepage that provides shortcuts to more than 20 search tools

New and improved Maps and Driving Directions

Encyclopedia search

Web-based Desktop search

The "edit tools" feature is pretty slick actually.

Requisite press release quote:

"Today's launch is a pivotal moment in our history, ensuring a well-known and much-loved search engine continues at the forefront of the evolution of the Internet search market," concluded Lanzone. "With the new Ask.com, coupled with the backing of our parent company IAC/InterActiveCorp, we have developed a platform for the future of search where new search tools and content will be increasingly integrated within the search engine to meet consumer demand."

This is a good move for Ask.com. While Google is doing no evil (right) and Yahoo is doing it's media thing and Microsoft is playing catchup, Ask.com continues to focus on making itself better. Not that the other engines aren't doing that too, but Ask.com seems to be less distracted.

About the Author:
Lee Odden is CEO of TopRank Online Marketing, a digital marketing and public relations firm in Minnesota that specializes in search, social and online PR consulting and training for companies worldwide. Odden has been cited for his internet marketing expertise over the past 10 years by the Economist, Forbes and U.S. News and contributed a chapter to the book, "Online Marketing Heroes" published by Wiley. For the past 5 years he has also been the editor of TopRank's Online Marketing Blog, a Technorati 100 favorite blog and one of the top marketing blogs according to Advertising Age.