Facebook Unseats Google As Most-Visited Site [Archive]

DotNetWebs

16th March 2010, 20:37

I think this comment from that article sums it up:

"I think this reinforces the trend towards community recommendation rather than search. Web users are beginning to see the benefit of having friends, family and colleagues suggest websites rather than searching themselves."

This is a point I have tried to make a few times on this forum most recently here:

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=1154232&postcount=18

As the guy quoted above says some businesses could now benefit from what he calls "Combined Search Optmisation"

Regards

Dotty

sirearl

16th March 2010, 20:40

I think this comment from that article sums it up:

This is a point I have tried to make a few times on this forum most recently here:

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=1154232&postcount=18

As the guy quoted above says some businesses could now benefit from what he calls "Combined Search Optmisation"

Regards

Dotty

Are see where your coming from looks like I will have to book me face in.:)

Earl

directmarketingadvice

16th March 2010, 21:18

"I think this reinforces the trend towards community recommendation rather than search. Web users are beginning to see the benefit of having friends, family and colleagues suggest websites rather than searching themselves."

I don't agree with that.

Steve Harrison (http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Do-Better-Creative-Work/dp/0273725181/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268777781&sr=8-1) made a good point about Social networking sites:

25% of the total number of UK internet users use social networking sites once a month or more. The remaining 75% use them once a month or not at all. If you look at those who do use these sites on a daily basis, you'll see that it's overwhelmingly students and those aged 16-24.... And, sales directors please note, given the age and occupation of the regular users, most of them are, to put it bluntly, penniless.

So, for those of us selling stuff online, Facebook etc. are still nothing compared to Google.

Steve

mattsaw

16th March 2010, 21:20

It just goes to show what a rubbish metric using visitor numbers is to judge a sites success on. I'd love to see a revenue comparison between the two.

sirearl

16th March 2010, 21:23

Agreed Steve my experience of social networking is traffic and no sales.

Ling is an expert at creating traffic but google creates the sales.

Proved by at times we get a couple of thousand extra visits when she upsets someone like honest john but no more than normal sales at the end of the day.

Earl

DotNetWebs

16th March 2010, 21:26

I don't agree with that...

I wasn't specifically talking about buying products.

You might not agree with what I am saying but it IS starting to happen.

Regards

Dotty

directmarketingadvice

16th March 2010, 21:54

I wasn't specifically talking about buying products.

That's the important thing for people on a business forum.

You might not agree with what I am saying but it IS starting to happen.

While I expect that's happening more and more, Harrison's point was that (a) it's happening to far fewer people than bare stats suggest - i.e. there's a minority of heavy users - and (b) the people it's happening to don't have much money.

Steve

DotNetWebs

16th March 2010, 21:59

I wasn't specifically talking about buying products...

But here's a good example from my own wall a few days ago:

My daughter is a Chuggington fan so I am a 'Fan'

http://www.facebook.com/horsham.uk#!/chuggington?ref=ts

Recent posts to the Fan Page have seen people asking when the toys are going to be available in the UK.

Scroll down to 12 March Chuggington announce the toys are going to be available in the UK that weekend.

That post attracts 17 'Likes' and 26 comments but more importantly goes to the Wall of over 3000 'Fans' - many of whom are very likely to be interested in buying these products.

Now if you were to be a stockist of these new toys and you happened to link to your store in the replies to that announcement - then you have effectively been included in the officially press release.

And how much has it cost you? - NOTHING

The post I referred to was talking about a combined strategy. Nobody is talking about Facebook replacing Google (yet!) - but I am amazed how some of you SEO/PPC guys (whose opinions I otherwise respect) continue to be so dismissive of this FREE, EFFECTIVE marketing opportunity.

Regards

Dotty

DotNetWebs

16th March 2010, 22:03

That's the important thing for people on a business forum...

Service industries are important to many on this forum too and so far I have seen the greatest success with these - that's what I was alluding too.

Regards

Dotty

DotNetWebs

16th March 2010, 22:09

... Harrison's point was that (a) it's happening to far fewer people than bare stats suggest - i.e. there's a minority of heavy users - and (b) the people it's happening to don't have much money...

That book was published in June last year so his 'point' was made many months ago.

The last six months has seen phenomenal growth of Facebook members in the UK. It has gone mainstream. There are people of all ages and social classes using it regularly. It has become THE prime Internet 'portal' for many.

Regards

Dotty

Matt1959

16th March 2010, 22:13

Service industries are important to many on this forum too and so far I have seen the greatest success with these - that's what I was alluding too.

are you talking about local service providers here or national? Local obviously is the one thats most of interest to those on here mainly. Meself, I dont get involved in Facebook in any capacity and am sick of the sight of my kids spending hour after hour in fantasy land but thats not to say I wouldnt embrace it for business reasons alone...hence my question:)

DotNetWebs

16th March 2010, 22:31

are you talking about local service providers here or national?...

I was talking about Local.

Set yourself up a facebook 'Fan' Page get a few 'Fans' - even if you have to bribe the kids to get your first ones!

Then search for Pages or Groups for your town. Treat these with the same respect as you would this forum. i.e don't spam or overly promote yourself.

Many of your satisfied customers will be Facebook users, ask them to become 'Fans'. Get a 'vanity' Facebook URL and stick it on you marketing material.

As you build up your 'Fanbase' sooner or later they will start recomending you to the other Facebook users, whether it be directly to their 'Friends' or indirectly to the Local / Pages groups.

As I said before, many people now turn to Facebook BEFORE Google for certain queries, if used correctly you can benefit from this phenomena.

Regards

Dotty

Matt1959

16th March 2010, 22:36

hmmmm, helpful reply but I havnt read anywhere that a plumber/ carpenter/ bricklayer etc has got work from facebook, well certainly not on here. Not doubting what you say Dotty and your comment that it has exploded in the last 6 months would be very relevant - so be good to read some proof from tradespeople...

chris424uk

16th March 2010, 23:55

I agree Facebook is certainly becoming more appealing to businesses. However, at the end of the day it depends on what you're selling.

And, if I was a plumber/carpenter/bricklayer, etc, I'd be taking advantage of social media. It's free and builds awareness. Even if you get one customer then it's better than nothing.

However, it's a LONG way from unseating Google in business terms.
Facebook demographic advertising is, on the other hand, something with potential.

directmarketingadvice

17th March 2010, 07:00

The last six months has seen phenomenal growth of Facebook members in the UK. It has gone mainstream. There are people of all ages and social classes using it regularly. It has become THE prime Internet 'portal' for many.

I'd be very interested to see the recent stats.

In particular: age, income, frequency of use, reason for using it, what percentage are "fans" of businesses... etc.

Steve

DotNetWebs

17th March 2010, 07:42

...It's free and builds awareness. Even if you get one customer then it's better than nothing...

That's exactly the point. Nobody is trying to say it is anywhere near Google in terms of business transactions but it is FREE and it people are increasingly turning to it.

Here's a nice little example from one of my own members:

http://www.facebook.com/horsham.uk#!/pages/Horsham-United-Kingdom/Sillett-House-Bed-and-Breakfast-Horsham/246889029336?v=wall&ref=ts

I helped them set this Page up about two months ago. So far they only have 46 'Fans' but they are all 'genuine' i.e. local people that know them well.

They have participated on our Facebook Page which has over 2500 (mostly local) people. Many of these people will know some of the 46 'Fans' and will treat this as a mark of 'trust'.

Anyway the latest post on their wall says it all "What a busy week!?"

Two months in and they are at full capacity in the highly competitive accommodation category!

Obviously it's hard to measure how much of that is down to Facebook, but it has cost them NOTHING and there 'brand' is now known familiar to hundreds or maybe thousands of local people.

Now a question to the SEO /PPC guys. If I set up a NEW domain for a Bed and Breakfast and want to get it on the first page of Google for the term "[[mytown] accommodation) - how much are you going to charge me to get it there on the day I launch and keep it there for the duration.

Regards

Dotty

saxondale

17th March 2010, 07:46

am I alone in not "using" google - ever.

another statistic for you Steve - 60% of my customers dont surf the net.

DotNetWebs

17th March 2010, 07:55

I'd be very interested to see the recent stats.

In particular: age, income, frequency of use, reason for using it, what percentage are "fans" of businesses... etc.

Steve

When you set up a page Facebook give you access to some stats in the form of "Insights"

http://www.facebook.com/help/?search=insights

I have just taken a look at mine:

As you would expect the highest percentage of users are in the 18-24 age group.

But interestingly the fans who interact the most are [currently] the 35-44 year olds.

These tends to agree with the way Facebook Pages are used in my experience. [Very generally speaking] The younger people tend to belong to more groups, the older people belong to less groups but are perhaps 'more attached' to the ones they do belong to.

Regards

Dotty

fisicx

17th March 2010, 08:09

As I said before, many people now turn to Facebook BEFORE Google for certain queries, if used correctly you can benefit from this phenomena.
Do you have any stats for this?

If you sell CD/DVD, socks, books, phamacuticals and a whole range of services then I suspect the majority of your visitors will still come from search engines. I'm sure there is some merit in doing the facebook thing but even your example of the Chuddington thing isn't that good. Suppose you did promote your website/shop and that was swiftly followed by a post from every other supplier of the toys. Can you imagine fan site for any product or service where every second post is a self-promo link to a supplier.

People use facebook for recommendations, they don't want unsolicited pormos.

DotNetWebs

17th March 2010, 08:33

...your example of the Chuddington thing isn't that good...

It was just ONE example from my OWN wall in the last two days. There are no other stockists on there and if you were a stockist and had you posted in that thread, at that time it would probably have been effective.

Yes in time there might be eventually be others jumping on the bandwagon which may lead to the Page's owner deleting or blocking posts.

BUT.. If you subtlety interact with the page and get your own Page known to their fans, then you will eventually have your own fan base that you can talk DIRECTLY to.

As I said that was just ONE EXAMPLE. I have since given another example and have given plenty of others in the past.

I know from our past banter that you don't 'get' social media as a business tool - but it works! I was exhibiting at an exhibition last weekend and I couldn't remember the name of somebody who was on my stall. A quick Twitter search of the exhibition name and I had found them and made contact with them.

I do not consider myself a 'heavy' social media user, it is just another tool, but increasingly I find I can achieve things with social media that I could not easily achieve with Google alone.

I can't understand why you are so negative about social media - it costs NOTHING and can be very effective if used correctly!

Regards

Dotty

fisicx

17th March 2010, 08:49

Sorry, don't mean to be so negative, it's more a lack of interest. I can't raise the enthusiasm to write stuff on facebook, I'm sure there are lots of opportunites to market myself and generate new business but I can see that the more popular it becomes the less effective it will be.

As to costing nothing, that's not quite true. An hour doing facebook is and hour not earning money. An hour a day is 30 hours a month not earning money. Yes there might be a lead or too but I can get 10 leads in an hour using adwords leaving me the other 29 hours to make money.

As a social tool it's great (like your twitter thing) but there are far more effective lead generators.

DotNetWebs

17th March 2010, 08:57

...As to costing nothing, that's not quite true...

I guess that's a fair point. For me the line between my 'business' use and 'social' use on Facebook is very blurred. Many of my 'business' connections are 'social' connections too.

I use facebook socially and it's no effort to do the 'business' bits while I am there.

Regards

Dotty

sjr4x4

17th March 2010, 09:09

I was sceptical about business advertising on facebook, and as a big fan and user of adwords, I thought it only fair to give it a try.

We tried a variety of campaigns over 3 months, and although cost wise, its pretty cheap, it resulted in very few clickthroughs, and not a single conversion.

So for me personally, I see facebook or similar as maybe a branding possibility, but not commercially viable if I'm expecting to see a return/conversions.

I think this is mainly because of the audience, as already mentioned (unless your selling to a young audience) but also in the way people use and interact with the site.

Your there to talk to your muckers or play games, so your attention is focused. Many users logon, respond to their messages, and log off, lets face it, most are youngsters in the workplace diving on quick before the boss catches them. So they wont notice or be interested enough to click on adverts, which the traditional surfer who is wondering and meandering may do.

Adsense or similar tends to be displayed on more static or informational sites, with the adverts displayed at potential exit points, and advertising here, for us at least, is a lot more cost effective.