This post was written by SmartBrief’s Doris Nhan.
SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social-media practices and issues.
Last week’s poll question: What do you think of Twitter’s new home page design?
- I don’t use Twitter, 65.10%
- Love it, 22.15%
- Complaining about it now, but I’ll probably get used to it, 10.07%
- Can’t stand it, 2.68%
It’s no secret that many Twitter addicts rely on third-party services, such as TweetDeck and HootSuite, to manage their accounts. There’s a reason for that. So when the microblogging company announced its very own revamped design, techies everywhere had to applaud. Twitter finally caught up to its own invention, unveiling a home page optimized for real-time multimedia browsing.
Twitter’s design features a split-screen pane (similar to other services) that incorporates video, pictures and more. I have to say, I’m excited. And so are many SmartBrief on Social Media readers, it seems. While a good chunk of the 149 SmartBrief on Social Media readers who responded to our poll say they don’t use Twitter, the majority of those who do say they love the new Twitter redesign.
But I’m more curious about the 13% percent who say they either can’t stand it or are complaining about the redesign. More specifically, I’m wondering how they use Twitter and what they used before the redesign — whether they relied on third-party services, or tweeted exclusively from Twitter’s home page.
Maybe you hate the new design because it kills original Twitter’s classic feel — one easy stream without the frills. Or maybe you hate it because third-party services are still better. I can understand longing for simplicity (or superiority), but I’m also a champion for Twitter at its fullest p0tential. Twitter offers a way to connect you instantly with people, trends and news of your choosing in real time, and this new design opens more doors. And without it, Old Man Twitter surely would have outdated itself.
So, what do you think? Is Twitter’s new home page a winner or a flop?