Google+ was a social networking site launched by Google in 2011 as an attempt to compete with Facebook. Despite significant investment by Google, the platform failed to gain traction and was officially shut down in 2019.
There were several reasons why Google+ failed, including:
Lack of user adoption: While Google+ had an impressive launch with over 10 million users signing up within the first two weeks, the user engagement and retention rates were low. The platform failed to offer enough unique features that differentiated it from other social media sites.
Poor user experience: Google+ had a confusing and cluttered interface that was difficult to navigate, making it unattractive to users. It also lacked a mobile app, which made it less convenient to use.
Privacy concerns: Google+ faced privacy
issues in 2018 when it was revealed that a bug had exposed the personal information of millions of users. This led to a loss of trust in the platform and further impacted user engagement.
Lack of focus: Google+ was not able to define its target audience or niche, which made it difficult to create a cohesive and engaging user experience.
Competition: Facebook had already established itself as the dominant social networking site, making it difficult for Google+ to gain a foothold in the market.
Overall, Google+ failed to offer enough unique value to users and faced numerous technical and strategic challenges, which ultimately led to its downfall.
– Salient Data
Salient Data 