The Google+ traffic slump: Is the honeymoon over?

The internet search giant's social network slips backward after an initial boom

The surge or users and hype Google+ experienced after its launch may be waining as new data shows those who have signed on don't actively use the social networking site.
(Image credit: CC BY: Bruce Clay, Inc.)

Google+ enjoyed explosive growth immediately after its much-hyped launch, signing up more than 10 million users in just a few weeks. But now, just one month after its debut, the fledgling social network is already losing momentum. According to Hitwise, Google+ traffic fell by 3 percent in the week that ended July 23, and the average time visitors spent on the site fell by 10 percent, to 5 minutes and 15 seconds. Is Google's latest attempt to break into social media fizzling already?

Google+ is not living up to expectations: Google+ made a huge splash because people wanted to see whether the internet search giant had come up with the "next big social network," says MG Siegler at TechCrunch. "But now things are calming down. The new car smell is wearing off. And it's time for reality." The content people are exchanging via Google+ "feels fairly stale," so users don't have "a compelling reason for coming back" once they've signed up.

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