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Gmail as a product was innovative in many ways (large storage, convenient search). It was much better than competitors, I switched immediately. Not sure if the

Gmail as a product was innovative in many ways (large storage, convenient search). It was much better than competitors, I switched immediately. Not sure if the same can be said about Google Offers.

jonknee 15y ago
Have you used Google Offers yet? With the big map they have as the background of the teaser it seems like it could be quite different from Groupon. They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor. Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- paganel 15y ago
  > Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords. I still think you need to have people on the ground. And lots of them. As a small aside, I work for a Groupon-clone website in a non-US market. I've built a very nice Internet-based redemption interface for the business owners to check the clients' coupons. Guess what? ~75% of them don't even have Internet at the POS, they print their coupon lists at a home computer and somehow manage all the clients we send them manually. We also manually create accounts for about half of them, because, apparently, creating an user account on our Drupal-based website is too damn difficult. Maybe this time is different, and all the tech-savy small-business owners from out-there will go directly into Google's arms. I personally doubt it.
  - jonknee 15y ago
    Groupon needed a ton of boots on the ground because no one knew who Groupon was and they didn't have existing relationships with millions of businesses. I think Google could automate a lot of it with good results.
    - hugh3 15y ago
      Too automated and surely it'll fill up with crap offers? Big overlay on google maps: "Get 0.5% off your total bill at Joe's Pancake House when you order at least sixteen pancakes!" PS. Man, I feel like pancakes now
      - jonknee 15y ago
        They do a good job policing AdSense ads and that's at a scale at least an order of magnitude higher.
- seabee 15y ago
  > They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor. Open up Maps, hit the 'Find Places' button, and pick Restaurants, for example. There's a sponsored, very generic link for Groupon here; Google could do one better by adding a little 'offers available' symbol beside some of the restaurants.
  - chaqke 15y ago
    Preferential placement, cross-product tie-in....yeouch. That's powerful.

Gmail as a product was innovative in many ways (large storage, convenient search). It was much better than competitors, I switched immediately. Not sure if the same can be said about Google Offers.

jonknee 15y ago

Have you used Google Offers yet? With the big map they have as the background of the teaser it seems like it could be quite different from Groupon. They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor. Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
paganel 15y ago
> Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords. I still think you need to have people on the ground. And lots of them. As a small aside, I work for a Groupon-clone website in a non-US market. I've built a very nice Internet-based redemption interface for the business owners to check the clients' coupons. Guess what? ~75% of them don't even have Internet at the POS, they print their coupon lists at a home computer and somehow manage all the clients we send them manually. We also manually create accounts for about half of them, because, apparently, creating an user account on our Drupal-based website is too damn difficult. Maybe this time is different, and all the tech-savy small-business owners from out-there will go directly into Google's arms. I personally doubt it.
- jonknee 15y ago
  Groupon needed a ton of boots on the ground because no one knew who Groupon was and they didn't have existing relationships with millions of businesses. I think Google could automate a lot of it with good results.
  - hugh3 15y ago
    Too automated and surely it'll fill up with crap offers? Big overlay on google maps: "Get 0.5% off your total bill at Joe's Pancake House when you order at least sixteen pancakes!" PS. Man, I feel like pancakes now
    - jonknee 15y ago
      They do a good job policing AdSense ads and that's at a scale at least an order of magnitude higher.
seabee 15y ago
> They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor. Open up Maps, hit the 'Find Places' button, and pick Restaurants, for example. There's a sponsored, very generic link for Groupon here; Google could do one better by adding a little 'offers available' symbol beside some of the restaurants.
- chaqke 15y ago
  Preferential placement, cross-product tie-in....yeouch. That's powerful.