It is amazing to discover that the number one search engine isn’t the number one free web based email provider. For a flash, I thought maybe Google doesn’t want to be. I figured that the more email accounts they host the more money it costs. However, that isn’t true, because the more email accounts that are created, the more people are exposed to the Google ads, which as you know, leads to income.
Gmail is ranked 3rd according to recent comScore data, and is currently knocking AOL Mail down to 4th place. Last year there was a reported 25 million Gmail users. This year comScore data shows over 37 million compared to AOL’s 36.4 million. But with all that said, you may be wondering who is in second place and more importantly first.
MSN holds the second place title and, well… you guessed it, Yahoo! holds the number one position. With that said, does it really come to any surprise? Think about it for a moment. Consider the marketing. Yahoo! and MSN both make their email services known. And I believe they do more so than Google.
Consider for a moment the mass amount of users who haven’t taken advantage the whole iGoogle experience. Remember, if you don’t have a Google account, when you access Google.com, you’re getting nothing but a blank white page with a search bar. In my opinion, how difficult would it be to promote Gmail on the Google Homepage?
Now I understand that the homepage isn’t as bare as it once was. But, seriously… is Google really utilizing the space on their homepage to promote their services? Remember, their free services help generate income. You’d think it was in their best interest to tell people about their basic services such as Gmail, Maps, and News.
The point I make is that these results come to no surprise despite the fact that Gmail blows Yahoo! Mail and MSN Mail out of the water. Gmail is by far more advanced, more capable, and is packed with many more features compared to the others. With that said though, it comes to no surprise to me that Gmail is ranked #3 instead of #1 due to Google’s lack of marketing of their own services. What’s your opinion on the matter? Share your opinions in the comments below.