Innovation has always been a well-established advantage for Google (GOOG). Over a span of five years, Google’s workforce has surged from 100 to 4,200 employees. Revenue has also skyrocketed, increasing from $19 million to over $3 billion. These two trends are encapsulated in the rise of “made by Google” services, which include online search and dozens of other services such as email, mapping, instant messaging, and more.
Despite this rapid growth, it is noteworthy that Google’s homepage maintains a “humble” appearance reminiscent of when the company held only 1% of the market share. Consider this fact: five years ago, Google’s homepage contained a total of 50 words, 11 links, and no advertisements. Today, the homepage has… 49 words, 17 links, and still no advertisements.
Minimalism.
In stark contrast, the homepages of Yahoo! (YHOO) and MSN Microsoft (MSFT) adopt a completely different approach: bustling activities and dynamic links (around 140 links). Experts believe that Google’s minimalist approach has significantly contributed to its growing popularity among users. However, the downside is that Google struggles to showcase its new products and services through this website.
A Humble Approach.
This is an issue that requires particular attention. For example, Froogle, Google’s e-commerce platform launched in December 2002, didn’t gain significant recognition until it received a link on the homepage in mid-2004. Even though it attracted a reasonable amount of traffic, Froogle still lacked competitiveness compared to other e-commerce websites. According to comScore Media Metrix, Froogle’s traffic was only 1/10 of that of Yahoo Shopping.
The issue became more pronounced when Google rolled out its two newest services: email and instant messaging. Google’s goal is naturally to eliminate the competitive edge of its rivals and capture a market that has existed for about seven years and currently boasts tens of millions of users.
Is It Worth Changing?
Even when Google’s service features surpass those of its competitors (for instance, offering more free storage in email), there are still services that users find hard to abandon in favor of Google’s new offerings.
For instance, changing email addresses is often likened to changing home addresses. Friends and colleagues need to be notified. To encourage users to make this change, mere marketing promises are undoubtedly insufficient.
Every year, Marissa Mayer, who oversees web products and interfaces, holds meetings with dozens of collaborators. A frequent request from Mayer is for her team to envision what Google’s website will look like in two years and how users will interact with it.
Is It Busy Enough?
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Marissa Mayer |
During a meeting last August, Mayer was impressed by the many experts suggesting a “busier” Google homepage. Over 50% of the attendees believed that additional features should be added to the homepage. “Other homepages display most of their services on them,” one collaborator advised Mayer, “While most Google users may not need to know about Google’s other services, we still have to cater to those who do.”
In the months that followed, Google explored the possibility of implementing personalized customizable pages. Users would have the right to select and keep their own Google page, including everything from local weather forecasts to incoming emails. Since its official launch in May, CEO Eric Schmidt asserted that the customizable interface has been well-received by users.
Schmidt’s statement may seem overly optimistic. While Google does not disclose the actual number of users for its specific products, it is evident that many people remain unaware of the customization feature that Google supports. Even if they happen to see the occasional ad links for services on the homepage, they likely won’t pay much attention and will continue with their search objectives.
The issue is clear: even if they attract a small number of skeptics regarding other services, Google will not make significant changes to the design principles of its homepage. Mayer, who has been responsible for the founder’s legacy since 1999, will continue to pursue simplicity.
The Swiss Army Knife (available for sale on I4U.com, featuring many integrated functions- translator’s note). Mayer believes that a website should not be as cluttered as a Swiss Army knife. “If you try to grasp it (the knife) with all its features activated, you will get hurt,” Mayer argues, “We strive to incorporate features within a common context that benefits the user the most.”
The pursuit of simplicity continues not only on the homepage. Mayer frequently trains her design specialists through “exercises”, such as creating search result pages that do not require scrolling, etc. To achieve this, the list of results must be shortened from 10 to about 5 links. Additionally, designers must learn to eliminate all unnecessary “accessories.”
Challenges Ahead
Such “exercises” will not be practically applied by Google in the near future. However, according to Mayer, this training enables design participants to explore new directions to sift through what is “essential”.
All these efforts signal good news for users who love a “clean interface.” In return, Google’s product team will have to pay the price when it wants to promote its products and services. What is simple for this team can be complex and challenging for another department. This is also one of the significant contradictions that arise during Google’s evolution and development.
