Google has been online for almost 19 years now.
Facebook has been for 13 years.
During that timeframe, both companies have become dominating giants.
In 2017, Google is the top ranking website in the United States, and the world. It’s closely followed by YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Facebook is ranked number three world wide, per WeForum, which cites data from Alexa.
Google, YouTube and Facebook are all routinely used marketing tools in manufactured housing — and all other kinds of marketing too.
Besides having the world’s top 3 visited websites, Alphabet/Google and Facebook account for 99 percent of revenue growth in digital advertising in the U.S. in 2016, according to the analysis of IAB estimates.
Overall the U.S. digital advertising industry grew 21.8 percent in 2016, says Pivotal Research.
“The big point is that if Google and Facebook are the primary interfaces to buyers, over the long-run they own the relationships and the related data,” Pivotal Research Senior Analyst Bill Wieser told Business Insider via email. “Every partner they work with is subservient.”
Internet Utilities, Advertising, and Monopolies
Wieser isn’t the only one who sees potential problems. White House Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, has long been saying that the internet giants need to be regulated like utilities, and treated like monopolies.
In fact, as The Intercept points out, Facebook’s founder even Mark Zuckerberg called Facebook a “social utility” for the longest time.
“I think there’s confusion around what the point of social networks is. A lot of different companies characterized as social networks have different goals — some serve the function of business networking, some are media portals. What we’re trying to do is just make it really efficient for people to communicate, get information and share information. We always try to emphasize the utility component.” – Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg told Time in a 2007 interview.
However, as they also point out Zuckerberg appears to have taken away that slogan in recent years, likely at the advice of legal council, hoping to avoid just what Bannon and others are considering.
When Bannon says he believes there should be laws put in place to help regulate these things he does not mean by letting the government take complete control. Rather, they could cap advertising fees and prices, since many see it as an essential place for people to advertise their businesses (see disclosure, second image, above).
Rumors have it that Zuckerberg, who announced a road trip back in January, might be gearing up to run for the White House. Is part of Bannon’s strategy to head off a potential POTUS Trump 2020 rival?
Google and Facebook Are Growing Offline As Well
Regular Daily Business News readers will know that Google and Facebook both have physical stakes in the market as well. Google is planning to build 300 units of modular housing that will be used for temporary employee housing; and Facebook – although their building method has yet to be confirmed – is planning to build a whole “village” or town called Willow Campus.
The manufactured, modular and prefab housing industries are deeply impacted by these operations. The Daily Business News will continue to lead the charge in providing coverage on this and other issues that impact a business, investments, or career like yours. # # (News, analysis.)
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