Quite simply – everyone is paid to love Google.
Bloggers love Google because it pays their bills. AdSense makes it easy for anyone to set up a blog and make money.
Corporate websites love Google for the same reason. AdSense is a huge business.
Know-it-alls love Google because they get paid for surfing the web.
Shopping Sites love Google because they’re subsidizing purchases.
Investors love Google because their stock is up 560% in 2 years.
Employees love Google because they get free lunch.
Mountain View and San Francisco residents love Google because their internet access is now free.
Everyone else one loves Google because all their products are free. Why should I buy a copy of Outlook, Word or Excel? I get comparable functionality on Google for free. That saves me a lot of money, especially if I used to pay for these software or services before.
Even if all of your products except one has failed to gain significant marketshare, it only matters that you have one mega cash cow to fund it all. For Microsoft, this is Windows and Office, but even they don’t run the rest of their businesses without a model that makes money.
So the question is: when competition heats up and you’re expected to keep growing at 80% a year, how long can you afford to pay everyone to like you?
Update: The Google Myth Pops
Maybe they should just give us one big lump sum payjment now… You know, a sort of first-mover advantage. I’d be up for that.
Well… And you don’t like since you’re… jealuos? Or what other explanation is there? I personally love Google. I use – hit – their services and I become yet another of their CONSUMERS. I’m a frequent visitor and therefor also frequently exposed to ADVERTISING FROM OTHER COMPANIES — Google’s (practically) only CUSTOMERS.
I get incredible services and products that would cost houndreds of dollar if I’d buy them. I get them for free. I’m not a Perverted and Paranoic Person, Preserving the Privacy Protection Policy™ (some rights reserved. However: If you’re about to start using it, please add the By: logo and my mail) 😉 . Seriously: Google don’t give f-ck about your files (and, yes I do know that’s not the main subject of your post), family photos or love letters. And they won’t infect your computer with viruses. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS AFRAID OF? That they are going to take over the world? Your hard drive? Hire an army and become a world-wide horror nation? My humble advice: Relax.
You’re even experiencing the above mentioned things: Microsoft’s got some influence. At least so I’ve heard… And I dare say that: Yes, Google is a houndred times better than Microsoft. If you’ve studied or find biology interesting – Microsoft’s business model has more or less since the start, worked like a CANCER CELL. In society cancer cells are psychopaths, in an apllication they might be compared to… bugs. You get it 🙂 But Google’s concept is in no way like Microsoft’s dangerous behaviour.
I CAN’T SEE THE PROBLEM(?). They’re a HUGE company – and I’m happy for them, and of course extremely jealous of their success: But I can’t see the evil part in it. Every man or woman able to think intelligent or simply analyze things a sec, get the business model. Use it, or let it be. There’s always Yahoo! and they’ve been around a while. If you want to try a new product (from a company new on the search market) I’d recommend Live! Search….
Sorry, just had to get it out. 🙂 Thanks for an interesting blog! Even though I disagree with you: I think we’re seing the phenomen (sorry, I’m biased – Google of course) from different point of views. Read The Google Story. Even people w/o general computer/IT or any kind of Web interest would find it amazing to read. That’s a seriously suggested recommendation, besides from the previous one 🙂
Björn – filling your comments DB way too much from Sweden.