The Impact Of Product Strategies On The Viral Growth Of Internet Businesses

The exponential growth of users on internet sites is a much desired outcome but one that is difficult to orchestrate. The research proposed will examine how internet based startups achieve viral growth. In particular, this study will attempt to identify how user attitudes influence the sharing and usage behavior that drives viral growth. This paper focuses on the social networking sites Facebook and Friendster. By comparing these two sites that have similar product offerings and launch dates but have resulted in very different user growth patterns, one can further the understanding of how to achieve viral growth.