As the forthright nature of this title suggests, Google has a long way to go if they’re going to catch up to Facebook. You’ve got to give them the handicap of getting into this game well after Facebook asserted itself as the number one game in town, but right off the bat here are 4 things which just don’t or won’t do it for most people:
Perception
Google doesn’t cater to nearly as large an audience as Facebook does. Besides its search engine itself, the vast majority of people don’t use Google’s other features and tools which have a reputation of being more for the technologically inclined. Let’s just say that my grandma won’t be joining Google Plus anytime soon. Sure, she’s not on Facebook, either, but I bet I could get her on there before Google Plus.
Facebook has the luxury of being THE social network which anyone can easily join. They stress ease of use and intuitiveness above most other things, and Google isn’t expressly known for that.
Like Vs. Plus 1
Facebook jumped on the most simple and intuitive word for liking something there is… “liking” something. By clicking on this button you are giving your thumbs up, your seal of approval of good content by sharing that you “like” it. Plus Oneing something doesn’t sound nearly as good as and isn’t nearly as straightforward.
Timing
While I mentioned giving them the benefit of the handicap of getting into the game so late, you can’t help but overlook this as easily the largest strike against Google Plus. Not only are people unfamiliar with Google Plus and are wary of giving it a shot, but most people are already juggling any number of existing social networks. We’ve got Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter; and that’s just to name a few of the big ones.
People like simplicity, and we were already at a point where our social media button sections were getting crowded before Google Plus entered, so it’s not as if people are clamoring for adding another social network to their repertoire.
Blah
Ultimately, the problem is that Google Plus isn’t better than Facebook. Facebook has virtually everything which Google has and much more. It’s just another alternative to Facebook with a very famous dad. The interface isn’t better (Facebook is almost as simple and intuitive as you can get) and it doesn’t offer anything to put it ahead of Facebook.
Still, while Google Plus is still in the experimental but live stages, it’s entirely possible that those who give it a shot could be in on the ground floor of something huge. On the other hand if it fails, slowly or quickly disappears, and Google never acknowledges its existence again, it will just be another waste of time for those who went out on a limb to give it a shot.