Over the weekend a long time friend of mine made an announcement that he was going to be less active on Facebook instead spending more time on Google+. While I quite enjoyed Google+ when it launched I found the mobile app to be barely useable and the desktop version to be hit and miss – I was pleasantly surprised at the changes that have been made since my last exploration.
The iOS app has been greatly improved and in my opinion is significantly better than Facebook’s counterpart. Google has configured the app in a fashion that maximizes screen space – items only appear on the screen as needed and they load in a very quick and a slick manner. It’s hard to describe in words how well the app works, but the experience of using the Google+ app actually feels like an application as opposed to Facebook which at times feels like a frame for the mobile Facebook site. I also should note that the app has not crashed once for me yet which is more than can be said for the Facebook app. The app also uses a great balance of colors and icon sizes to help the regularly used items stand out, yet the not-so-often features are easily available when needed.
The desktop experience has also improved and the layout is great for a social network. Rather than making updates show up only in one column, Google+ has several which helps users get a quick snapshot of what’s going on in everyone’s lives – a component that Facebook seems to have forgot about over the years. I also want to note that with Google+ there is a prominent bar at the top which makes it easy to view updates based on circles if you desire.
Now, while I think that Google+ is miles ahead of Facebook as far as layout and technical operations go you might be wondering why they aren’t taking more of the market share? For me it comes down to two main issues.
Pages. The pages on Google+ are not the easiest to navigate or configure. They leave a lot to be desired from a business standpoint too. Google+ should take some time to make pages more functional.
Circles. While the concept of a circle is fantastic (let’s be honest, you might not want your mom seeing some of the stuff you post) it’s not the easiest thing for people to comprehend. It’s hard to explain to a newcomer that just because you’ve added someone to your circles it doesn’t mean that you’ll see them in your feed. It’s also hard to explain that even when someone adds you back it doesn’t mean you’ll get their posts. People go on social networks to do just that – be social. While from a privacy sense the circles concept works, it does make the Google+ suffer in the social aspect.
Overall I am really impressed with the changes Google+ is making and I hope they continue on the upward trend. I’d love to see a significant migration away from Facebook and toward Google+, but without some important changes it isn’t going to happen. With that said, I’m going to start making an active effort to be on it more – I’ve fallen in love with their app.
