What is wrong with Google’s +1 button?
Just read a thought-provoking post over at ClickFire titled Is the Google +1 Button Set to Fail?. The article presents some basic data showing that users are simply not using the +1 button.
I believe that this is because the +1 button simply doesn’t do enough for users. Users click the Facebook Like button and the Tweet This button because it allows them to easily share content (and their own comments) with their friends/followers.
The Google +1 button just “shares” the link to the +1s tab on your Google Profile, which I suspect only a very few users ever use/see. If the Google +1 button is going to be widely adopted and used, I think Google needs to make two basic changes:
- Show +1 button shares in your Stream on Google+
- Allow you to add a comment when you +1 something (as the Facebook Like button does now)
How do you think the Google +1 button is performing? Do you think Google should make changes?
Thanks for raising the obvious but overlooked question… what does it do? I’m expecting that Google will add more meaning to the button itself after they get enough Google Plus users.