Putting the “plus” in Google+

Most companies shutter at the thought of getting negative comments from their users, which is understandable. Rule #1 – Don’t tick off your fan base. Except in this case, the NY Times has a huge following and by responding to the “fans” and making the user experience change that they requested, the users felt like they contributed to making the NY Times application better.

Rule #2 – Break Rule #1 if you intend on making your fan base feel warm and fuzzy!

The other thing to note is that large companies that react to users complaints and make a user experience change are quickly called to attention in the media. Think of how Google+ rolled out to the world. Limited by invite to get a small sample feedback. Those early adapters felt privileged and also felt like they contributed to something bigger than themselves. “Oh my gosh, the Google+ Team actually listened to me!”

Maybe my theory is wrong. Did someone put together a strategy to implement bad user experiences, listen to their user base, make the change(s) they want and then gain more user confidence and loyalty? Or was it just poor user testing then a reaction to panic and negative responses?

I’m thinking strategy, what do you think?

Regardless of their opinions, Google+ Pages have arrived and are not going away anytime soon.

To answer the first debate, “Does your company need to setup a Google+ Page?” The answer is a definitive, YES! As a digital strategist I have recommend all my clients setup their G+ Pages, even if they aren’t going to utilize them immediately, to prevent squatters from laying claim on their brands. If you have content you want to share, then share it, but have your G+ Page established.

Now for the next question…

“Why did Google release something unfinished?”

It really should come as no surprise that Google release something new and is making changes based on user-centered analysis and iterative design. Sure Google+ Pages are lacking functionality that Facebook pages have, but those features will hopefully be implemented soon. More on that later…

How long did we look at this BETA icon in our Gmail before the beta dropped? How many turned the “beta” back before the design change dropped it from Google Labs?

Had Google+ and Google+ Pages been released as betas, would people be complaining as much? Maybe someone should have thought that one through Google+ team?

What’s missing right now?

Finally, the purpose of my post is to showcase two features that I believe were really missed that businesses could really benefit from. The first feature is one that many Google+ users and critics have mentioned, multiple managers.

Would it really be that difficult to implement? Facebook pages have this functionality and many businesses need to have a team managing social media applications. What if the person who setup the page is out on vacation? This feature needs to be fast tracked in the Agile circle in the Google+ circle.

The second feature that would be ideal for marketers and businesses alike is a way to allow users to segment themselves into Google+ Circles. Let’s call it, Circle Joining.

Currently, the Google+ Page user functionality is identical to when a user “Likes” a page in Facebook. What a waste of Circles! Why not allow users to say, “I am an employee” of this company or “I am a customer” and so on, Circle Joining! Google+ Page administrators would be able to select which Circles users can “join” to follow that Page in their stream. Businesses would then be able to push relevant content to users in their stream! A true marketing utopia and a total Facebook page killer in my opinion.

Other features would include more customization of page branding and advertisement banner placements, but I’m sure those are already in the works.

So to the Google+ team, great effort! The Google+ Page beta launch is nice, but push out a bit more please!

I needed to add a user to an existing client profile. No problem, I remember how to navigate to there in the new interface.

Step 1. Find the website profile: Check!

Step 2. Go to the  symbol and get my website profile settings: Check!

Step 3. Scan the website profile settings page for a “Users” link, there it is: Check!

Step 4. Add a “New User” – well I thought I hit it – it’s the one on the far right, right? Wrong!

What I found is this: Adding a “New User” can be hazardous if you don’t read the buttons carefully.

I hit the most obvious button in my field of vision and it wasn’t “+ New User” it was “+ New Profile” which isn’t a “New User Profile” but a new website profile within Google Analytics. Between name confusion and having the “+New User” button color nearly identical to the grey bar it is on, I fell victim to poor user interface design.

When was the last time that poor usability made you a victim?

One feature that I noticed in my clicking around was this new feature revealed in my Google+ account settings:

“Automatically add a Google+ page to my circles if I search for + followed by the page’s name.”

Just another hidden feature that no one has pointed out or found yet. When I found the checkbox, it was unchecked – thankfully. Let’s hope they don’t quietly turn this feature on for us.

Are there any more hidden features that have appeared with today’s rollout?