So April this year will see Google putting an end to Google+ a platform they developed as a social platform for their users . One had to have a Google Account to be able to create a Google+ profile. The platform was intended to function competitively with other social platforms such as Facebook and Pinterest. It however did not work like that on the ground for individuals as most prefered other social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. For businesses though, the platform was doing well, satisfactorily perhaps. But because many individuals deserted it, Google+ became more like a ghost town. On top of this, it had more issues, that Google might have considered.
Google plus was offered as a product presenting a direct challenge to the already existing social media gient, Facebook. Well, this approach does not work in the market especially if the challenging product has no unique features to give users a reason to embrace it, as was the case with Google+. Google also seemed to have put more faith to their employees as opposed to customers. As a result Google plus captures features that satisfied their team not their employed no wonder why it failed. Evidence to this was short sessions per visit. Google+ sessions were reportedly less than 5 minutes, way too low compared to other prominent social media platforms.
The biggest challenge was that of security. Google+ had security downsides several times which exposed the user details to potential hackers. Emails and hashed password were reportedly visible after simple tricks.
Google will however maintain Google+ for enterprises who usually use this platforms to connect with their customers, giving support, products and services. Following is the details of the closure as given by Google.
In December 2018, we announced our decision to shut down Google+ for consumers in April 2019 due to low usage and challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers’ expectations. We want to thank you for being part of Google+ and provide next steps, including how to download your photos and other content.
On April 2nd, your Google+ account and any Google+ pages you created will be shut down and we will begin deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts. Photos and videos from Google+ in your Album Archive and your Google+ pages will also be deleted. You can download and save your content, just make sure to do so before April. Note that photos and videos backed up in Google Photos will not be deleted.
The process of deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts, Google+ Pages, and Album Archive will take a few months, and content may remain through this time. For example, users may still see parts of their Google+ account via activity log and some consumer Google+ content may remain visible to G Suite users until consumer Google+ is deleted.
As early as February 4th, you will no longer be able to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities or events. See the full FAQ for more details and updates leading up to the shutdown.
If you’re a Google+ Community owner or moderator, you may download and save your data for your Google+ Community. Starting early March 2019, additional data will be available for download, including author, body, and photos for every community post in a public community.
If you sign in to sites and apps using the Google+ Sign-in button, these buttons will stop working in the coming weeks but in some cases may be replaced by a Google Sign-in button. You’ll still be able to sign in with your Google Account wherever you see Google Sign-in buttons.
If you’ve used Google+ for comments on your own or other sites, this feature will be removed from Blogger by February 4th and other sites by March 7th. All your Google+ comments on all sites will be deleted starting April 2, 2019.
If you’re a G Suite customer, Google+ for your G Suite account should remain active. Contact your G Suite administrator for more details. You can also expect a new look and new features soon.
If you're a developer using Google+ APIs or Google+ Sign-in, click here to see how this will impact you.
From all of us on the Google+ team, thank you for making Google+ such a special place. We are grateful for the talented group of artists, community builders, and thought leaders who made Google+ their home. It would not have been the same without your passion and dedication.
There are still many alternatives to Google+. If you open your google search and type "major social media platforms" you will be surprised, the list is endless.
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