Google unveiled two new official Chrome and IE browser plug-ins this morning that make it easy to take the Google+ social network with you wherever you go around the web.
One plug-in adds a +1 button to your browser, making it easy to share a page you’re visiting publicly or just with a particular circle of contacts. The other adds the same red numbered notification badge to your browser that Google+ users see when they are on a Google property. These are smart additions that will help with user engagement and retention over time.
The same functionality is available for Internet Explorer users in the new version of the Google Toolbar released today.
All new social networks are challenged by at least two questions asked by users: why should I use this and how will I be compelled to remember to come back? Google+ has probably not done a good enough job answering the first question yet. Too many people feel like they don’t have a meaningful number of contacts to put into Circles and share with there. But the second question is solved in large part by the notification systems offered at the top of all the Google properties and now by these browser plug-ins.
