I can't say that I adopted Google as soon as it was developed. In fact, I am still a user of Yahoo as my main search engine and e-mail carrier. However, in the very near future, I will be switching to Google and G-mail largely due to the features and benefits it offers over Yahoo. The interface is just so much easier. I think Google has been extremely successful over the past 10 years largely due to the fact that it has taken something that is already out there and made it better. Simply looking at exhibit 3 from the case is evidence of this fact. Specifically, Google introduced Google Maps when a large number of online mapping systems were already available. Before Google Maps, I was a user of Mapquest, but found Google to be much more user friendly, with features that were not offered by Mapquest. I won't go through all the services offered by Google from the exhibit, but I think most people can look at the list and think of sites that existed for the same purpose before Google released their version.
The end of the case presents some questions as far as how Google should move forward in the future. I think they should spend a large amount of time developing superior search solutions and monetizing those solutions through targeted advertising. However, I also think Google has a great opportunity to move into new areas, such as becoming a portal like Yahoo or MSN. This might have been difficult for Google to have done 5 years ago, but it has now developed such a large user base that it would seem logical for it to expand its homepage. I personally would like to see it add the same types of portals as Yahoo so I wouldn't lose this benefit in my switch between the two.
I did not like the ideas of expanding as an intermediary into financial transactions or developing products to compete with Office and Windows. I think these may be undertakings that are too risky as they are already dominated by players in the market (Paypal for instance as a transaction mediary). Granted, Google may come up with something better, but these companies already have established users and the switching costs are higher for these types of products. It goes beyond simply changing your homepage default from Yahoo to Google.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have also been more of a Yahoo user in the past, but have an e-mail account with both Yahoo and Google that I use on a regular basis. Both have their pros and cons; however, it's clear that both have been improving their product to compete more with one another. However, I have noticed that more people have moved from Yahoo to Gmail, simply because it has more features, and because they can connect with more of their friends through Google Talk (which, by the way, allows you to use the full chat program without having to download anything-- a plus for those of us who use it at work).
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Google should not try to expand into areas where it would compete with larger companies who have already made their name in the market, such as Paypal and Windows. To me it seems that they are more concerned with competing with others instead of sticking to their mission, which could mean nothing but bad news in the future.
I use only Google for searching; however I have an email account with Yahoo. I think it is hard to change email accounts and I do not like to have several emails; that is why I am still with Yahoo. However, Google search engine is the best. It brings accurate results fast. You have mentioned that it would be easier for you to switch if Google would have its portal. Take a look at iGoogle.
ReplyDelete