Google’s Chrome Strategy Is Picking Up Steam « Square One Web Solutions Blog

In August, Google’s Chrome web browser jumped up to 7.5 percent market share, following 7.1 percent share in July, according to data from Net Applications. That compares to static market share performances for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. Meanwhile, the arrival of Google’s much talked about Chrome OS is imminent, and the company’s overall Chrome strategy is becoming clearer.

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser still owns 60.4 percent market share among browsers, but its share dropped from 60.7 percent share in July. Firefox has 22.9 percent share, and Apple’s Safari has 5.1 percent share. At 7.5 percent share in August, Chrome was the only one of the major browsers to show market share growth in August, which is just one sign that Google’s Chrome strategy is showing its legs.

It’s easy for many people to forget that the Chrome browser is not just built into Google’s Chrome OS—it’s the central portal to everything that users will do in the operating system. From the beginning, Google has positioned Chrome OS as a cloud operating system, based on the interface metaphors in the Chrome browser.

If you haven’t been using the Chrome browser, you should consider it as either your browser of choice, or a strong adjunct browser. It’s fast and slick. The browser’s 7.5 percent share is almost certainly going to jump strongly later this year as users get familiar with Chrome OS, putting it on track to challenge Firefox as the premiere open source browser.

On Chrome OS devices, users are going to have no choice but to get used to Chrome’s browsing metaphors, as they interact with cloud-based applications. For many of those users, any attachment they had to other browsers will be challenged. People are creatures of habit, and Chrome OS will enforce the fact that Chrome browsing is counted among their habits.

How does any of this benefit Google, given that the Chrome browser is free, and Chrome OS won’t in and of itself be a big revenue generator? Google CEO Eric Schmidt was very clear when announcing Chrome OS in saying that it—like the browser—encourages use of the web, and eventually leads users into Google’s lucrative search and ad ecosystem. The dual punch of Chrome OS and the Chrome browser will simply feed more users into that ecosystem.

The steady gains for Google’s browser, and the anticipation for Chrome OS—in addition to the momentum of the Android platform—all illustrate Google’s focus on platform-driven strategies for growing the usage of its search/ad ecosystem. It won’t be a surprise to see the company throw heavy marketing dollars behind Chrome OS as it arrives, and Google’s browser, which is growing its share while other browsers stay static, will only benefit.