Microblogging giant Twitter has announced that it will go through a major product redesign to target more mainstream social media users.
According to sources, the company has been getting ready to present the first update to Apple product applications after the iOS7 operating system is released (and it has). With over 200 million active users, Twitter plans to gain more with this change.
The upgrade will include a new look, as well minor changes in line with the world release of iOS7 on 25 September 2013. Big improvements are expected in the next few months.
It has been two years since Twitter last made a massive interface. In the latest version, there will be various content-focused streams to substitute the tabs and users can also browse through these by easily swiping with their fingers. There are streams focused on shared photos on the social media network, as well streams for interactions among users.
Generally, Twitter intends to boost the visual experience to attract more mainsteam users. Based on experience, the company plans to keep users who might not immediately understand what the website is about.
There are people who register and explore for a few hours or days then never come back. Twitter attributes the loss to lack of visual appeal, hence the changes. Twitter is mostly text-based and users have to click to view photos and other visual presentations. With the new changes, these will appear in the stream, making users compare it with rival Facebook.
Some of the updates to Twitter for iOS7 include:
- finding out what's trending in the music world by looking at the #music station on iTunes Radio
- using "Shared Links" to enjoy links that have been posted by those you follow
- finding Tweets about topics and people using Siri
- sharing web pages, images and others directly from built-in apps, like Safari and Photos, and third party apps like Everlapse and Frontback
- Updating Contacts using the @usernames of people to whom you're connected
Some industry observers speculate that Twitter plans to take away many of Facebook's users by incorporating visuals with tweets and posts -- a characteristic for which Facebook is widely known. Other experts suggest that the changes are more likely spurred by associations between television and social media, which proved to be effective in driving more clients inward.
