Ether has very much potential to achieve higher overall trading volume and can definitely compete to Bitcoin.
Compete yes, surpass it? I seriously doubt it, but time will tell. Keep in mind there's so much mainstream-media coverage about Bitcoin compared to the occasional bits and pieces about alt coins. People unfamiliar with the world of crypto will always stick with the most popular coin.
Imo Ether will surpass Bitcoin by Easter. More tech is being built on it, its better tech itself and micro-transactions are possible.