Zotspot.com gives cash for searching

A new search engine gives users a chance to earn money while they search the Web. \n"This is a way to become a different product in the (search engine) market," said Mark Davis, creator and CEO of Zotspot.com. \nPeople once flocked to Google because the search results were better, but now the search quality is equal for most Internet search Web sites, Davis said in a phone interview. Paying surfers to use Zotspot.com is a way to distinguish his Web site from other search engines.\nBecause the site uses a tiered model to reward its users, Davis said searchers can potentially make a lot of money. The tier model allows users to earn money by referring individuals to the engine. \nAccording to the frequently asked questions section on the Web site, Zotspot.com estimates that users could earn 10 cents to 50 cents per year per person referred.\nLike other search Web sites, Zotspot.com earns its revenue from companies that advertise on its site. However, unlike other search engines that reward users with potential movie tickets and similar prizes, Zotspot.com decided to reward its users with cash because everyone can use money, Davis said.\nJunior Amanda Gans, a self-described Yahoo regular, said she thinks Zotspot.com is a great idea and is considering a switch in search engines. \n"I would be looking up stuff anyways," she said. "So why not make money?" \nZotspot.com is also a way for users to donate money to their favorite charities. David said searchers can donate a portion or all of their funds to one or multiple causes, which include nonprofits, greek organizations and universities.\n"It is a great vehicle to support organizations," Davis said. "This is a way to take something that people do every day and turn it into something that can help make charities' lives a bit easier."\nZotspot.com can allocate more money to nonprofits than other philanthropic search engines because of its tier model, Davis said. Because Zotspot.com allows users to get a percentage of funds from their referrals, there can be multiple people generating money for the organization selected by the original user. \nJunior Beth Dorr, a member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, said she likes that Zotspot.com is a simple way to raise money. \n"I think this is a great way to raise money because it's something so easy to do. You wouldn't even realize you were raising money," she said. \nDorr added that because her service fraternity is smaller than other greek organizations, Zotspot.com would be a way to supplement its funds. \nDavis said he likes the idea that his site could be a source of earnings for users and charities alike and hopes to see his company grow. \n"I would like Zotspot.com to become a commonly used way for people to earn money and a key source of income for nonprofits and universities," he said.