MySpace gets makeover to boost membership

16-06-2008

by Emmet Ryan

Social network MySpace is revamping its site in a bid to spur growth and help users engage better with one another.

The global leader, albeit narrowly, in the social network field is making the changes to broaden its audience. MySpace's president Tom Anderson, who members will know as Tom -- the friend you have whether you want him or not, said the moves are being made to break the perception that the site is just for teenagers and young adults.

Competition from rival networks is undoubtedly also a factor for the move. Both MySpace and its chief rival Facebook receive around 115 million unique visitors monthly.

The changes will see improvements made to the search function on the site with results on other users, music, video, the general MySpace site and the web as a whole sorted into separate tabs. The social network, which is owned by News Corporation, is also updating its customisation options for profiles, allowing users to edit profiles to better meet their needs. A new navigation bar is being provided to enable easy access to messaging, friends and other community features from wherever users are, not just on the homepage. The new features will begin appearing on Wednesday.

All of these changes are being done to make it easier for the average internet user to customise the site to their liking and make it simpler for these users to find features on the site. "We felt like we reached a point where MySpace in its original incarnation had peaked in a way," Anderson said in an interview. "We were wondering how we can expand our market and appeal to new people. We looked at some of the reasons why someone might not use MySpace."

MySpace also plans to reduce the number of ads displayed in hopes of letting the higher-priced premium placements stand out.

It's doubtful that the changes being introduced will really affect MySpace's ability to break out of its core demographic. What Anderson and co. will hope however is that the changes will attract more young people and give those already using the site more of a reason to stay there.

Growth-wise MySpace is still doing nicely but the site's management is aware that in order to stay on top of the pile it has to constantly look for ways to get an edge. Competition from the likes of Facebook and Bebo mean that the social network can't rest on its laurels and assume users will stay loyal. All of this is good news for members of these sites; greater competition means a greater probability that social networks will look for new ways to entertain and facilitate members.

The moves by MySpace are responses to competition in their own right. Facebook announced a revamp last month that involved many similar adjustments to those just announced by MySpace. This counter move from the News Corporation owned social network might force yet another reshuffle by its rivals.

The real question is not whether these changes will result in a membership boost for MySpace. It's what will the likes of Facebook and Bebo do to ensure this makeover does not affect their market share? That's what should excite social network users.