Since 2004 Facebook has continually expanded and come to dominate the social media market. In it’s path it has left one completely destroyed MySpace, which was for a while considered to be the shining light in social media, and now it seems Facebook could be challenging for Google’s crown as the overall lord of the internet.
Facebook already has a higher number of daily page views than Google and more active users than any other website in history. They also have access to the greatest user generated quality scoring system on the planet; with their “like” option next to absolutely everything that appears in the news feed. Google uses links to judge a quality of a page. But the problem with links is this… most people don’t have a website and far more people have a Facebook account.
So it would seem the field is set for one all mighty battle between these two giants.
What Facebook are Doing Wrong
In my opinion Facebook are no where near Google (at present) when it comes to taking over search. They have announced in their blog that they will start using the “like” button data to start creating a better search facility but until they address some other issues having better quality search results won’t mean a thing.
iFacebook Please?
The main problem that I see with Facebook is it’s lack of ability to keep people on the site for anything other than socialising. For a start, where’s the Facebook home page option? They really need to take a leaf out of the iGoogle’s book and create something which gets people straight onto the site from the moment they open up their browser. I’m sure there are many people with their home page set to Facebook but that home page just doesn’t offer the same advantages of iGoogle, the BBC, or even Yahoo.
Search Result Page
Terrible, for want of a better word. Currently we have three results from Bing with an option for more results on the Bing site. They need to scrap the Bing identity, it was (IMO) a failed re-branding process by Microsoft which Facebook should remove themselves from. And if the guys at Microsoft have any sense they should let them go down that same line.
Facebook Apps
Another aspect that keeps people in the Google camp is the extra services that they provide; Gmail, Calender, Reader etc. These are all great applications that ensure people stay on Google. Facebook apps and the whole Facebook apps system is nowhere near challenging these Google services. What about an official Facebook mail service, with support for external accounts? What about a nice diary app which integrates well with my iFacebook (see above) and also with my other friends diaries. And please start some regulation on the app spam which is currently putting me off ever installing a new app.
Business Spam – No Thanks or We’ll Leave
There has obviously been a rush of people jumping on the Facebook band wagon when it comes to promoting their business. However, I feel this is a big mistake for Facebook to let happen. The reason Facebook is popular is the ability to interact with friends without getting spammed to hell. The problem that Facebook have is that they are on a tight rope. If something else comes along which is cooler then they could find themselves “MySpaced” in no time!
Facebook Advertising
The scope for advertising on Facebook is amazing. The ability to target highly specific demographics and the sheer number of page views makes it (IMO) a far superior platform to AdSense. But, at present the whole ad integration design on Facebook pages is poor. They look cheap, unattractive and they never really reflect my interests which suggests the delivery/relevance process needs work.
In Conclusion
IMO, the first thing that Facebook need to change is the design of the site. It just doesn’t seem scalable to me as it is now. It’s too fussy and “framed”. I’d go for an align left design which could potentially free up width and space for more interaction with apps. Get the apps process sorted and create some great ones which help people run lives and business and integrate this all with a iFacebook home page which lets people customise what they see. Then get a nice “Make Facebook my home page” button at the top somewhere.
I’m sure others have an idea on what can be done to make Facebook better, these are just a few of mine.
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