Facebook cant do a Google!
FaceBook started off because of its simplicity, its user friendly design and platforms, no applications, etc. Today the paradigm has shifted and now is much more complex, sometimes even for the brightest of college students who require assistance in uploading holiday pictures! FaceBook has changed its USP & its most attractive feature: Its Simplicity! This is something Google retains and realizes the value and worth of. This is why one of the pictures in the gallery below illustates that although the number of FaceBook users are increasing (due to the multiplier effect and Word of Mouth Marketing), the average user time spent on the website is decreasing!
A Facebook application is polling
users on the the new site layout . So far, just over 5% of the nearly 800,000 respondents give it a thumbs up. The rest go the other way.
Users can also leave comments with their thoughts. Recent user comments include “Missing so many features I used to adore. I am saddened,” “Please change it back to the way it was,” and “I hate it and if it doesn’t change I will only check it once in awhile.” Ah, the fickle user.
Until January users and advertisers could create polls directly within Facebook, and the company used them extensively at the Davos World Economic Forum. It would be great it they brought that feature back directly.
Is this leading to the end of FaceBook popularity?
The last that I remember, FaceBook has completely overhauled their design 4 times! There is something Google hasnt dared to do in all these years. Is that the secret behind Google?
It’s a classic story: Search engine meets social networking site, social networking site snubs search engine, search engine claims that social networking site is a passing fad. The ridiculousness of our high school relationships is now hitting the business world as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer tells the Times Online that Facebook’s days are probably numbered.
Ballmer is definitely blowing hot air by projecting the possible wane in interest for the site, but he also raises a good point. Despite multi-billion valuations, the relatively young company could befall a number of unfortunate fates if it fails to play its hand correctly in the near future. We don’t have quite the axe to grind as Ballmer, but from our assessment these are the top three potential causes of Facebook’s death:
1) User Base Exodus
As ridiculous as Ballmer can be at times, he’s also probably right. Facebook’s platform may be the greatest thing since sliced bread in terms of potential, but much like social news site Digg, it’s really the user base that makes the site popular. Without the 40+ million users that serve as Facebook’s lifeblood, it’s but a shell of a service.
2) Falling Prey to a Weak Business Model
Facebook totally hit the scene at the right time, and in that providence lies the possibility of a bright and prosperous future. But after those rainbows and puppy dogs fade, we still have to view the company’s business model for what it is — murky, at best. It’s one thing to have a clear game plan to rule the market, a solid revenue stream and an inflated sense of self-worth. Its entirely different to have a questionably sustainable revenue stream, a pricey rate card, and valuation aspirations that border on hubris. For Facebook, longevity lies in a sound foundation, not hype.
3) Stunting Growth While Waiting for Valuation
Timing is of the essence, but the current investment bubble is bound to burst. By no means would we ever imply that Zuckerberg and company should sell themselves short, but it seems realistic to assume that Facebook could be seeing some big-time growth in terms of infrastructure if it had the deep pockets of Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft (ad deal withstanding). In a market where the big guns are buying start-ups left and right, it might not be a bad time to sell for the sake of the site’s growth — especially with such a high profile list of buyers already chomping at the bit. Tweaks to the platform are great and all, but expansion on a large scale has got to be in the cards if the site wants to go the distance.
Comscore has reported some interesting stats on Facebook, shedding light on the site’s growth after opening up last September and their demographics. Over the past year (May ‘06 – May ‘07), Facebook saw an 89% increase in unique visitors to the site at 26,649,000 uniques, with a 143% increase in page views at 15.8 billion. The site’s stickiness has increased and then tapered off at about 190 minutes per average user.
The site has also seen a demographic shift toward teens and post grads as it moves out of the college crowd.
Bravo…I’m in total agreement here. I have a facebook account I can tell you that it does absolutely nothing for me, except Social Media Marketing. Ask yourself a question: Do you yet like FaceBook and Do are you yet as addicted to it as before? Maybe 8 months ago?
On another note…
Remember that once you put something on Facebook, whether you delete it or not, or make your profile “private,” it is always SOMEWHERE out there in the internet world. You never know who is scouting you out…potential employers, parents, the government, and even your schools and universities. Don’t believe me? As a professor…or USATODAY…or MSNBC.
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