Google on the defensive

Google is huge. For SEO, it not only makes the rules, it is the game.  I also think that Google has been trying to play a bit of a PR game. So is Apple, actually, but that's for another post after the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Google has its own social media arm, of course, with Google+, and it has recently souped up its web and app offerings on mobile devices. This hasn't been without incident, though.

First, let me just say that I love Google+, both on the iPhone and on my laptop. The interface is fresh and beautiful, the services are fantastic, like Instant Upload:



I know that G+ is not meant to be a direct competitor with Facebook, but just for kicks and giggles, check out the side-by-side comparisons of the two on my phone.

You may prefer Facebook's familiar look, but I like the attention to design the Google has shown, particularly in getting rid of cumbersome nav bars that take up valuable screen real estate. It's intuitive. 

Now, where was I?

Two things have come up negatively for Google recently, and one is particularly relevant to understanding a mobile audience. First, the government is getting outed for a lot of invasion of privacy deals lately, what with the IRS and Verizon (which is still getting a lot of focus), and the NSA's "Prism" (thoughts on it from The New Yorker).  This matters, certainly.  But not today, to me. I'm all about this next one.

I'm not very superstitious, or even all that suspicious.  I'm curious to a fault, and I love to tinker. I think that if I pay attention, then I'll be fine.  

Oh, but I sure am suspicious with apps, though I didn't know it.  Google released a new version of its basic search app and integrated "Google Now" into it.  The goal is to treat your data like "cards," for sports, directions, weather and the like.  But there's one problem with Google Now:

This is the enemy of battery life for iOS, especially when it's purple. And then I found out that I'm a paranoid freak with my apps. It was incredibly frustrating, because I basically had to disable the Google app, as I thought it was draining the battery.  And I wasn't the only one.  A couple of weeks after the update went live (I'm guessing usage tanked as more people noticed), Google released another update, with "bug fixes" and this caveat:

And, they've included it prominently in the app to try to let users know that all is well.

So Google has realized that we're a fickle bunch, and it better not threaten our data usage or battery life, or we will almost immediately stop using it.  I downloaded four other apps to replace its functionality that day.

So what lesson did I learn?  Well, new features and utility is important, but there is a cost-benefit analysis that every user unknowingly goes through when deciding whether or not to use your ______ (website, app, product, service, etc.) The trade-offs are endless, but here's a sample of some costs and benefits:

There are literally thousands of apps that give directions, reviews, to-do lists, calendars, or any combination of them all. But in the mobile environment, I want someone to put my app on the home screen and use it to take notes, schedule meetings, or reflect on his day.

The only way I can do that is to pay attention to the small things and not only know what I'm offering, but what it really costs my user to buy in. Not every app will please every user.  Some don't care about data usage. Some obsess over battery life. But users are speaking.  And it looks like Google is listening.