Facebook is the largest social networking site on the internet and there have been many failed attempts to recreate something similar in order to tap into the huge user count. Earlier this year Google, one of the biggest names on the web, decided to launch their own version of Facebook coined Google +.
Google + went up and into beta phases on June 28, 2011 and was invite only at first. This exclusiveness of the invite only caught the attention of many and when it went open to the public on September 20, 2011 there was an insane influx of new user registrations. People, dying to see what the famed Google had cooked up for them, were eagerly signing away and checking out the new ‘Hangouts’ and other various features that awaited them. After Google opened up their exclusive social network to the public, in one day there was 1200% increase in membership, however this would soon drop just as fast.
Since then there has been an astonishing 60% decrease (60% of total members!) in members but Google refuses to give up. With annoying +1 buttons sprinkled about everywhere and constant reminders to join up to this failed social network Google + has quickly turned from a novel attempt at usurping Facebook to another pitiful fail.
Surprising right? Especially from Google! Google, what is considered one of the leading innovators of online services, how could you fail so miserably? Perhaps it isn’t the lack of ingenuity for Google +, but rather the formability of Facebook that is to blame? Let’s take a look.
Facebook consists of millions and millions of active users who log in daily (sometimes multiple times a day). These users are then put into contact with all of their friends, friends of friends, family members, neighbors, and anyone else that may be connected with them. On top of that Facebook has provided innovative and highly addictive games, chats, and a variety of other novel ideas that were simply there first before Google.
So if someone already has 500+ friends on Facebook, all of their pictures uploaded, and a variety of other features provided to them why would some copy of Facebook, without all of their friends or photos on it yet, draw them away? Point is it won’t.
Google + simply didn’t come out before Facebook and doesn’t provide enough to be desired to draw users to it. Sorry Google, while you are a great innovator you can put Google + in your fail pile. Please try putting your efforts into something new!