Looks Like it`s Back to the Drawing Board for Yahoo 360 - Other Options
(Page 3 of 4 )
Beyond the blog publishing interface, Yahoo 360 offers several other options, which again, are reminiscent of what is offered over at myspace.com.
There's a "My Friends" feature which allows you to network with other Yahoo 360 users and create a web of online friends. Also, there's a mailbox feature, which allows users to e-mail one another from within Yahoo 360. In addition, the folks at Yahoo wisely decided to include an "Invite" button which allows existing users to recommend Yahoo 360 to their friends. And lastly, there are "Search" and "Setting" options which are a staple of any respected publishing or social networking platform.
My overall impression of Yahoo 360's beta offering is this: the powers that be at Yahoo made a reactionary move when they created the interface. There's really nothing original about the product offering, and while they were right in emulating the top online blog publishing interface and the top social networking site, there is no way that educated online users will defect from the blogger.coms and Myspace.coms of the world in order to hang out at Yahoo's diluted version.
Couple that with the aforementioned handicap of not having third-party customization availability, and you have a recipe for mediocrity.
But don't fret, Yahoo. Based on my experience in the corporate world of top-tier web publishing, you are not the first entity to take a half-hearted approach at trying to replicate a formula that already works. Now it's just a matter of scrapping this cookie cutter approach, and coming up with a truly original idea that will make web users seriously consider using you for their blogging needs.
But how can Yahoo go about doing this? The first step would be to take a closer look at their top two competitors.
Next: Suggestions for Improvement >>
More Yahoo Optimization Articles
More By Hugo Guzman
