Google May Kill Off The URL Bar In Chrome: No More Direct Navigation?

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According to an article Conceivablytech.com, domain owners worst nightmare might occur if Google as the article suggests,  is considering modifying its Chrome Browser and might kill off the URL bar altogether.

According to the article:

“Google is working on a “major” overhaul of its Chrome browser… which could eliminate the URL bar altogether.”

“The most dramatic modification is something Google calls a “compact navigation” model. The idea is to eliminate the two line navigation layout which currently has tabs on top and the navigation buttons, menu and URL bar below.”

“The compact navigation model would only have one line and place the navigation buttons, a search button, tabs and menus next to each other. The URL bar is gone and the URL of each tab is not visible at all times, but only displayed when a page is loading and when a tab is selected. In effect, there are now multiple URL bars that are integrated into tabs.”

“””Google noted that this layout has the advantage that it saves content area real estate, that search can be used as a “launcher and switcher”, that it can be applied in a flexible way on larger screens and possibly be switched with a classical navigation layout and that apps can provide a better user experience “with full control of their content area.” As downsides, Google mentions that the URLs are not always visible, that navigation controls and menus are not located within the tab and lose context sensitivity, and that that tab strip is rather crowded. There is a note that these layouts aren’t final and that the designs may chance, but it appears that Google is trying to find ways to reduce the browser interface even more.””

You can read the full article here.

I’m about as far away from a tech guy as you can get but I have no understanding of how a browser can eliminate the URL bar altogether.  I can certain see how it can continued to be marginalized but eliminated?

Google Chrome now has over 10% market share.

About Michael Berkens

Michael Berkens, Esq. is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheDomains.com. Michael is also the co-founder of Worldwide Media Inc. which sold around 70K domain to Godaddy.com in December 2015 and now owns around 8K domain names . Michael was also one of the 5 Judges selected for the the Verisign 30th Anniversary .Com contest.

Comments

  1. Jeff Schneider says

    Hello Mike,

    Would not surprise us, they want Total Domination ! This if done will land them in anti competition proceedings in our opinion, or at least should??

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  2. RK says

    How about all the domain owners/investors unite against goog and place a link or banner of their millions of domains that says something like :

    – learn why goog is evil
    – why goog is bad for business
    – does goog invade your privacy
    – does goog kills other businesses
    – why goog displays it’s own sites at top
    – etc etc

    This banner/link should be highly visible and when clicked takes visitors to a site that is non-profit but exposes goog by telling people truth about it.

    Or if we don’t want to have this banner/link, perhaps then an exit pop-up is a better idea that opens when visitor leaves our domain page.

    Imagine millions of domains daily telling this to millions of visitors and it will expose goog like nothing else can do.

    If domainers unite, they can fight goog back but gain can domain owners unite?

    Thanks.

  3. Jeff Schneider says

    @ Rk

    We have what we think is a perfect solution in our site being launched with current business plan as is. Check it out !

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  4. Tim Davids says

    I just cant see that flying. How many people would want their kids surfing and not be able to see what site they were on.

    Google seems to be heading to a walled garden which will open the door for more competition.

    Regretfully, Tim Davids (pigeon Shit Group) (Paper Airplane)

  7. Tim Davids says

    “Google might soon take cookie from a 12 year old girl scout without paying for it.”

    no way…they’ll give her .03 cents for it though 🙂

  8. Chris Beach says

    Have I misunderstood their “Compact” model?

    “…the URL of each tab is not visible at all times, but only displayed when a page is loading and when a tab is selected.”

    Why would I want a whole bunch of tabs with no label? If I’ve got ten sites open, how the hell am I going to know which is which?

  9. Joe says

    Not being able to clearly see the url would be phishers’ dream, while one of the gimmicks browsers implemented a few years ago was to highlight the domain in the url bar for this very reason. I really don’t see this take off.

  10. jp says

    Um, so then what if you wanted go to a particular URL? Just search it and end up sonwhere confusingly similar? Could be trouble for goog.

    And how about all the tv ads that take advantage of urls like go to something.com/something?
    Or the other tv ads that use urls to track geo effectiveness like in Baltimore the ad or an informercial says go to product328.com but in san Diego the same ad tells people to go to product882.com so they can tell which geo locations are having the most effective ads. Google still likes advertisers right?

  11. John says

    Mike, I read the article and it’s not what you may think it is. Here’s how it works:

    The URL bar in a sense is just put in the tab to save space, which will expand when you put your mouse on it. So you can just type your URL into the tab. you’ll have as many URL bars as however many tabs you’ve got open.

    It does not eliminate direct navigation at all. They’re just trying to save space by eliminating the wide URL bar that just keeps sitting there after getting to the site.

    K guys move on, nothing to look at! 🙂

  14. FX says

    no matter how you slice it, google has been working hard to eliminate direct nav traffic for years now and we’re all seeing this effect.
    it started with Google toolbars in FF and IE and now with their own browser chrome.

    Global data from a non tech site
    IE 50.5%
    FF 24.5%
    Chrome 13.36%
    Safari 6.35%
    .. others

    Done ever assume that google just started going after direct nav traffic with Chrome. They started with FF and added toolbars by conditioning the surfers to stop using the nav bar and instead use the search box.

  16. Michael Castello says

    I don’t use Chrome for a lot of reasons. I think Steve Jobs is the person/company that supports domains and believes in empowering people. The Safari browser even puts in the .com if you type a single word in the URL. Try it on your iPhone or iPad. Google’s got to hate that.

  19. megaCO.lon says

    @ Tim Davids

    Regretfully, Tim Davids (pigeon Shit Group) (Paper Airplane)

    – – – – –

    i love it, love it, love it!!!

  21. Kevin says

    Eventually with the speed at which nano and cpu technology is advancing, you’ll just interact with enormous databases of information with a personalized client side computerized search assistant like HAL in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. I don’t even think the current platforms for websites and domains will be anything like it is today. Humans need domains. Computers just need the IP address to find servers containing relevant data.

    Everything you want will be created in realtime in the customized way you like seeing things displayed, not how a website makes you see data in their manner of styles. Keyboards will be gone too. The majority of search info will be audio response based. You’ll just talk your search to your super smartphone, tablet, TV, PC, etc. and all the data will be fetched and created into a website style of your choice or a fast and simple audio reply in the blink of an eye. You’ll say “HAL what’s the best Italian restaurant in NYC?” and voila, he’ll tell you. And you’ll trust his opinion. No need to go to a dozen review sites. HAL will compile everything based on a myriad of data sources. “HAL, play the top 10 songs.” etc. No more typing will be necessary.

    This is still a long way off. But not too long. Perhaps 10 to 20 years from now. Look how far we’ve come in just the first couple of decades. Everyone is overwhelmed with information already and the only solution will be enabling computers to become more virtually “robotic servant” like to handle it all for us.

    So continue to enjoy the ride, but know with technology nothing lasts forever, and right now there are techie wizards in tens of thousands of garages all over the planet brainstorming incredible ideas and innovations yet to come that will disrupt all aspects of the Internet, including our beloved domains. 🙂

  22. LS Morgan says

    Just a guess here, but I would bet big that the vast, vast majority of “direct navigation” traffic as it’s relevant to domainers (and should probably be called something like “Keyword Curiosity Navigation Traffic”) comes from IE… The people who still browse that way aren’t going to be the types of people who use anything other than what Microsoft furnished them on their Wal Mart PC.

  25. Gazzip says

    “Sounds like excellent news for phishers.”

    Very good point Kevin, that alone “should” be enough to stop it from ever happening…but will it?

  26. Jeff Schneider says

    Hello Mike,

    Is this the Dreaded Post ? It is extremely important that Domainers wake up and smell the coffee!

    The big search engines have been appeasing Domainers on the front of the stage and on the back of the stage wondering what they can do about Direct Navigation ?

    We must all understand one major point! Direct navigation threatens their Business Model.
    They are wondering how to handle this 800 pound gorilla ? They have decided they need to handle this very GENTLY, yet figure out how to keep the genie in the bottle.

    We all know Direct Navigation cannot be stopped even by the Goliaths who rule the roost. It is here to stay. Appeasement is their only option. Meanwhile Domainers go into denial of the underlying issues and things move on.

    We have an ace in our deck, and it is called Underlying Market Forces, which in the end dictate to ALL BUSINESS MODELS the road ahead. Whats next ??

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  27. Mike says

    Google is effed up. I will not use Chrome because of their blatant attempt to kill off the File Menu. They out right refuse to go along with standards that every other application has and so they have at least one less user. So let them kill off the URL bar…. more and more people will dump Chrome like I did.

    Google is going to collapse under its own weight soon anyway.

  28. Mark Fulton says

    The concept design is not proposing the URL bar be killed, but rather to hide it when not in use.

    This would require 2 clicks instead of one to enter a URL or a search. Doubt that would happen.

  29. Samit Madan says

    No URL bar, no direct nav, what is going to happen to prime generics which earn of direct nav? No more parking revenue?

    Or at least 10% of the traffic gone (chrome users), till such time as all browsers adopt this. One major reason why i prefer FF to Chrome.

    And I agree, opens up the door to phishing and other related issues.

  31. GenericGene says

    Blocking the domain bar won’t work, goodness me blind freddie could tell you that –
    DBOStrategies are here, I have been using them since 1998 –

  33. BrianWick says

    .com Direct Navigation of generics and common use terms will not go way no matter what models are out there to hide it.
    Chrome cannot hide traditional advertising – billboards, newpapers, magazine, TV, …

    There is a dotted line between the death of PPC and Google/Yahoo in my opinion – in Chrome can probably be equated to Vista. – after all Google is an international diversified mismangement company and could be a dinosaur sooner than we think.

  34. Hal Meyer says

    Hello… you think?

    Google and domainers are natural enemies. Google wants all web traffic to funnel through them. Domainers want traffic to their URLs.

    Glad this is finally becoming clear to domainers.

    In the meantime, keep feeding the beast! Keep monetizing with them, keep feeding them your data!

  35. Sri says

    @Kevin
    [quote]So continue to enjoy the ride, but know with technology nothing lasts forever, and right now there are techie wizards in tens of thousands of garages all over the planet brainstorming incredible ideas and innovations yet to come that will disrupt all aspects of the Internet, including our beloved domains. :)[unquote]

    Absolutely right!