It was a fine bright morning on the 20th of May, 2012 and I had just woken up from an 8 hour adventure which transpired with half of me hanging off the bed. ( Some of you might call it sleeping, but I disagree ) I had an urge to write. My head was brimming, mostly with useless crap, but amidst all that chaos there was something that had to be penned down.
After leading you all to believe that I was going to produce some mythical or fantastical piece of work, I have to say, that it was just a Letter. A letter to the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and here is how it went.
After leading you all to believe that I was going to produce some mythical or fantastical piece of work, I have to say, that it was just a Letter. A letter to the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and here is how it went.
Dear Mark,
First of all congrats for the marriage. Just opened FB n it was the first thing that I saw. And also kudos on the IPO. Facebook did great. But I am sure as we both know the immense potential the company has. That it has just uncovered the tip of an iceberg. I have to bounce some ideas off you that my brain cooked up....strangely enough when I was sleeping. Weird I know.
The main aim of any website when broken down to its most simplest of forms is preventing users from leaving the site. So here are a couple of my ideas to maximize that in relation to Facebook : -
1. SEARCH :
Google is a pioneer that we all know. Why is not Facebook the place people go to for searching something on the Web? Why is that people have to leave the site for searching the Web?
The fact is most of the traffic on the web is directed by searching. People go to search engines and then they are directed to the page they are looking for. If Facebook can provide a facility for searching it can lead to the following : -
a. INCREASE IN USERS : A multifold increase in the number of users is inevitable. You are basically getting a big chunk of google's market share. Make Facebook the "Portal" that leads to everything else on the web.
b. ADVERTISEMENT n MOBILE : With a powerful search engine in hand you are finally able to crack the advertisement code. Both on the PCs and the mobile platform. Someone from google said, " Facebook is not a place people go to buy stuff and therefore it can never be as successful when it comes to advertising." So why not make it? Well with a powerful search engine you can be a more potent force than google. You basically know what people LIKE. You can be much better at providing targeted ads incorporated into the search. Plus with a search engine in place you can crack the eluding mobile platform. Ads can be incorporated in searches on the mobile and considerable revenue can be generated.
Facebook already has a search box. An option for searching the web can easily be incorporated. And the options for expansion to news and stuff in the future becomes immense.
2. EMAIL :
The problem with the email service on Facebook is that it is not visible. Otherwise why would nobody want a one stop shop for communicating with their friends and emailing. the solution to this problem would be segregating the email service from the messages. Provide a separate go to place, an inbox, for our emails with some powerful features. Make it visible. This to can lead to tremendous increase in the user base.
These were the two main things I wanted to let you know. A couple of not so important ideas are as follows :
HOMEPAGE : The reason that many people are not making Facebook a homepage is that because it is too cluttered. I would suggest a simplistic design for people who make it their homepage with link to a full blown version of Facebook.
NEWS FEED : There should be an option for disabling feed from all the pages with a single click of a button so as to make the feed more personal.
Well that was all. If you took out the time to read through it then thanks. Hope it was of help. I think Facebook has the potential of becoming synonymous to Internet i.e. a platform to everything the Web has to offer. All the best for your future.
Thanks and Regards
Mani Batra
First of all congrats for the marriage. Just opened FB n it was the first thing that I saw. And also kudos on the IPO. Facebook did great. But I am sure as we both know the immense potential the company has. That it has just uncovered the tip of an iceberg. I have to bounce some ideas off you that my brain cooked up....strangely enough when I was sleeping. Weird I know.
The main aim of any website when broken down to its most simplest of forms is preventing users from leaving the site. So here are a couple of my ideas to maximize that in relation to Facebook : -
1. SEARCH :
Google is a pioneer that we all know. Why is not Facebook the place people go to for searching something on the Web? Why is that people have to leave the site for searching the Web?
The fact is most of the traffic on the web is directed by searching. People go to search engines and then they are directed to the page they are looking for. If Facebook can provide a facility for searching it can lead to the following : -
a. INCREASE IN USERS : A multifold increase in the number of users is inevitable. You are basically getting a big chunk of google's market share. Make Facebook the "Portal" that leads to everything else on the web.
b. ADVERTISEMENT n MOBILE : With a powerful search engine in hand you are finally able to crack the advertisement code. Both on the PCs and the mobile platform. Someone from google said, " Facebook is not a place people go to buy stuff and therefore it can never be as successful when it comes to advertising." So why not make it? Well with a powerful search engine you can be a more potent force than google. You basically know what people LIKE. You can be much better at providing targeted ads incorporated into the search. Plus with a search engine in place you can crack the eluding mobile platform. Ads can be incorporated in searches on the mobile and considerable revenue can be generated.
Facebook already has a search box. An option for searching the web can easily be incorporated. And the options for expansion to news and stuff in the future becomes immense.
2. EMAIL :
The problem with the email service on Facebook is that it is not visible. Otherwise why would nobody want a one stop shop for communicating with their friends and emailing. the solution to this problem would be segregating the email service from the messages. Provide a separate go to place, an inbox, for our emails with some powerful features. Make it visible. This to can lead to tremendous increase in the user base.
These were the two main things I wanted to let you know. A couple of not so important ideas are as follows :
HOMEPAGE : The reason that many people are not making Facebook a homepage is that because it is too cluttered. I would suggest a simplistic design for people who make it their homepage with link to a full blown version of Facebook.
NEWS FEED : There should be an option for disabling feed from all the pages with a single click of a button so as to make the feed more personal.
Well that was all. If you took out the time to read through it then thanks. Hope it was of help. I think Facebook has the potential of becoming synonymous to Internet i.e. a platform to everything the Web has to offer. All the best for your future.
Thanks and Regards
Mani Batra
Well I wrote it down and sent it to Mark. On Facebook obviously. Now comes the fun part. Just last week during the interview Mark gave at TechCrunch conference he announced how Facebook may foray into the world of search. A coincidence? I would like to believe not. I would like to believe that he read that letter, saw the falling shares of Facebook and thought well here is something that could strike gold. I would like to believe that he steals ideas ( talked to Winklewoss twins yet? ) . I would also like to believe that I deserved some credit.
But then I am a person who would like to believe that there is a place called Hogwarts. That there are vampires and werewolves in the world. That there actually is the One Ring to rule them all.
In short please do not believe what I have to say and have fun. Cheers!!
P.S. : The letter was actually written and sent. Everything else...well...welcome to my world. And Mark if you are reading this, Hi from a fan.
But then I am a person who would like to believe that there is a place called Hogwarts. That there are vampires and werewolves in the world. That there actually is the One Ring to rule them all.
In short please do not believe what I have to say and have fun. Cheers!!
P.S. : The letter was actually written and sent. Everything else...well...welcome to my world. And Mark if you are reading this, Hi from a fan.