This article is an analysis based on an Experian Hitwise survey which conclusion is that Facebook is a most popular website than Google in the US.
Below is the ranking of the most popular websites in the US:
Because of this analysis we could wonder wether Facebook is going to replace Google or not?
The conclusion of this article is that there is no chance/risk for Facebook to replace Google as a travel planning tool since:
- the online travel consumers first look on (Meta) Search Engines, OTAs...
- they might ask to their friends some advice concerning a destination or an hotel but Facebook still as a small part to play in the final decision and even in the planning and booking process.
- the revenue generated by the websites are far much higher than the ones by Facebook that barely count...
I also personnally agree with the author. Indeed, online travel cnsumer do not use Facebook to look for best prices, hotel bookings or travel destination. In these cases, Facebook is only used as an opinion exchange mean.
But if the hotels trully want to measure the impact of Facebook in their marketing, they shoul not consider the revenue generated by Facebook but the Fan metrics, their comments, their frequency...
So Facebook will not replace Google, and especially not in the travel industry.
They are complementary and Facebook help increasing a specific part of hotels' marketing such as word to mouth but adapted to the Internet.
Hi Anne-So,
ReplyDeleteYour comments has really good insight on the Google VS. Facebook problematic. We all know that those statistics are not "static" and are made in a period of time when Facebook is at its "apogée". Therefore traffic is particularly high and may reverse when people will be fed up of FB.
Nonetheless, this rise makes me wonder: Does google frequentation decrease will necessarly mean that people spend less time looking for information, and by the same time will be less educated by internet?
Another point is that with such success, Facebook will probably take the opportunity to have a search engine included in its application..... Who knows!
Thanks Saluquia for your comments!
ReplyDeleteI think that the decreasing frequentation of Google does not mean that people spend less time looking for information, but maybe just that they are more used to do it so they manage to do it faster.
Moreover, thanks to all the tools such as RSS feeds, Tweets and so on, people have the possibility to get all the information they are looking for regularly and without having to look for them!
What do you think?
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteDear Anne I think that your article is very very interesting under a social point of view but because of, Facebook and Google are two different applications (used for two different aims) it is quite difficult compare two different things...
In any case I found very interesting the Saluquia's proposal but actually I think that Facebook could have a "wall search engine" where every customer from all over the world could look for exchanged social topics.
It means that Facebook shouldn't, in any case, try to replace Google cause Facebook is the most successful social media not a search engine!
Thank you a lot
Ignazio S.