Google+: One Month Later and Still Lots of Questions

It's been one month since Google launched Google+ and there are just as many questions now as they were then.

The biggest question is where is Google+ headed? Will it be a huge success ala Facebook and Twitter or will it fall down the familiar path of Google Wave, Buzz and other busts?

The company has approximately 20 million users signed up to the social network, which is looking to differentiate itself from Facebook by touting exclusive circles. Google said it got 10 million people signed up the first two weeks and 10 million signed up the last two weeks.

This growth is impressive without a doubt and makes Google+ the fastest growing social network in history. Due to a large mostly positive reaction from early users and Google being a big company, the company hasn't needed a slow growth, which is how Twitter and Facebook eventually got big. Unlike Google's Buzz, which faced immediate scrutiny for privacy issues, Google+ is definitely not a bust out of the gate.

However, it's not all perfect. According to numbers from Experian Hitwise, the social network's total visits were down three percent in the week ending July 23 from when the social network started. This indicates the network may be losing steam.

The company's social network hasn't had many problems with privacy but there have been other issues. Google got flack for randomly dismissing people with "obvious fake names." They even got rid of William Shatner for being a fake, even though it was the real Shatner.

In terms of businesses, Google+ has faced scrutiny for not allowing some businesses to join the network. The company told businesses to hold off because it was creating a special version for businesses and brands (which is why it didn't want celebrities to join).

Ironically, the network it is trying to compete with, Facebook, is its biggest source of traffic. According to Experian Hitwise, 16 percent of all visits to Google+ came from Facebook. Of its total visits, 28 percent came from social networks. On top of the reasons above, this has helped Google+ with its early growth.

Google itself has said the project will take time to develop. While no one thinks the network will replace Facebook and its 750 million users anytime soon, Google+ has showed early promise. Like all things with promise, only time will tell if its realized.