Google+ checklist: games, ads, iPhone app, URLs, plus the mainstream

by Timmy Falcon

Google says it has ten million people in Google+ and now it’s up to the search giant to see what it can do to turn the early looky loo’s into regular participants despite the fact that most of their “friends” are still over on behemoth Facebook instead (here’s how to get your invite into Google+). That checklist for Google Plus, if Google is smart about it, will include everything from online gaming to an iPhone app to custom user URL’s and, while users may not celebrate it, advertising. And oh by the way, inviting the mainstream in before the place becomes overrun with the stench of geeks-only participation might not be a bad idea either. Here’s a look at what Google must do next to plus things up and turn Google+ into a true Facebook rival and not merely a niche-y Facebook alternative for geeks.

Google Plus Games: Facebook games are the scourge of the social network for those who don’t play them, as invites run amok for social games like Farmville and Zombies reached spam proportions before they were finally brought somewhat under control. But games are an essential part of Facebook in the eyes of many of its users, and if Google wants the mainstream, it’ll need to add games to Google+ in such a way as to not sully up those users who don’t want gaming spam. Sidling up to Zynga or Angry Birds maker Rovio might not be a bad first step.

Google+ iPhone app: Google made a tactical error by not ensuring it had a Google+ iPhone app approved in Apple’s App Store from the day Google+ launched. Either Google has been slow in getting the app going, or bitter smartphone rival Apple is stonewalling the approval process, or Google thinks limiting Google+ to strictly having an Android app is a good idea. None of those three scenarios look promising, as the hundred million plus iPhone and iPad users are going to be far less interested in switching over to Google+ if they have to rely on the web app. Web apps, by definition, are lame.

Google Plus Adsense: Even a wealthy company like Google needs each of its products to produce revenue eventually in order to remain viable. Unlike Facebook, which had to build its ad network from scratch, Google has its Adsense ads ready to go in Google+ any time it wants to fire them up. But can they be implemented in such a manner as to not chase away early Google+ adopters, or does Google need to wait until well after it’s been opened to the mainstream?

Google+ custom URL: We haven’t yet been able to confirm whether the “Lady GaGa” account in Google+ is really her or an impostor, but it doesn’t much matter until a URL like plus.google.com/ladygaga actually points to her page. Facebook implemented this way too late for musicians, and it was one of the reasons MySpace was able to hold onto the musician crowd even as the rest of its user base was fleeing to Facebook. Google will need to implement custom URLs in such a manner as to make celebrities’ time worthwhile, as in fans being able to find them without having to search and wade through the impostors. And it goes well beyond celebrities, as everyone wants a custom URL instead of having to point people to an address like plus.google.com/113305033825535522724

The mainstream: It doesn’t take much more than quick lookaround to see that the existing ten million users on Google+ consist mostly of Google-worshipping geeks. That must change before long if Google wants Plus to be a mainstream service to rival Facebook instead of merely a non-mainstream refuge for the geekiest one percent of the population who are looking to converse without their old high school classmates looking in. In other words, even if Google’s engineers aren’t thrilled with the idea, the invite system must fade soon and the front doors be thrown open so that the mainstream can actually begin kicking the tires. Until then, Google+ is merely Google Wave or Google Buzz with a higher success rate among the geeks. Here’s how to get invited into Google+.

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