What can Google do to spur usage with its products?

After reading this blog post, several question leaped to mind regarding many of the newer Google products that have surfaced recently, and why some of them have not gained the marketshare they've probably earned. Well, it all comes down to familiarity with many customers: there are many who argue that Google's Gmail service is the far-superior web-based email product, and it beats Yahoo! Mail and easily creams Microsoft's Hotmail with its speed and ease-of -use. So, two years after becoming available (not to the general public until recently), why hasn't Gmail upped its marketshare?

While this blog post -- and Google itself -- has said that Google's products are generally launched while not complete, I think Google hopes that by version three of four, the kinks will have been ironed out and people will flock to the product, whatever it is. Well, this is misguided thinking. There are plenty of examples of clearly-superior products not making inroads to established competitive products. Many customers are creatures of habit, and once they use a product or service for a while, the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying comes into play.

What about potential Office-killers like Google Calendar and the just-announced Google Spreadsheet application? Can these services gain customers by virtue of simply existing? Perhaps -- Google's search dominance has blossomed over the years due to a superior product and largely by viral marketing (and the press' obsession has not hurt, either). But can this situation translate into usage success for newer Google products? Gmail is gaining popularity and such, and other Google programs are just starting to walk. As usual, time will tell whether Google's past success can translate further into new and future Google products.