Why App.net is Having a Hard Time in Beating Twitter
The Twitter has changed its API and it was announced on Thursday. It has also been noticed that this is not good news for app.net. This is a subscription based Twitter clone which has proven to be the toughest time for app.net ahead. These challenges are not very easy to overcome due to the recent developments in the IT industry.
Below mentioned are some of the major issues which have been pointed out by app.net:
- Lack of users
It has been observed that Twitter calls itself as an information center but it acts as a social network primarily having social graphs, profiles and conversations. App.net on the other hand charges $50 as a yearly subscription fee. Moreover, it has failed to attract the users and paying $50 is not an easy decision. The statistics show that this site has only 12,000 users.
In comparison with Twitter which has millions of users and thousands of more users adding on a daily basis, app.net must reduce to subscription fees. This is because its major focus should be to attract new users rather than making money by charging them a fee. This would help the site win the trust of the users and they would get associated with the site more frequently than ever before.
- Third-party clients
The users do seem to be convinced with the directory of third-party apps which again has failed to grab the attention of the users. This is because most of them already have multiple accounts on Twitter. They are already familiar with the Twitterrific, Tweetbot, Plume and Echofon. Switching to app.net account is as simple as going from one account to another on Twitter client. In order to deal with the scenario in a better way, it must replicate the Twitter API’s interactions. This may do well to app.net if it wants to grow in the future.
- The challenges in using app.net buttons
In case, app.net is able to attract a lot of web services and other content websites, it has to match the Twitter’s tools to maintain its position. This is because Twitter buttons have helped grow this site on the internet drastically. The users of app.net who would only be able to see a Twitter button on an article may not want to share this article on app.net. Without users, content websites may not be of much use for app.net.
Twitter has now been deeply integrated into OS X and iOS; it does not stop app.net from creating its sign in with Twitter version. However, some websites may offer the functionality of integrating it next to Sign in with Twitter and Facebook Connect as one of the methods to sign into app.net. The features of app.net have to be at par with Twitter. One of the most important advantages of app.net is that it will have a very limited spam.
- The implementation must be faster
The alpha version of app.net has been released and a new waiting list for the new users. However, it must make sure to complete the development and give a ready to use platform to its users. It will attract more users rather than waiting for a long time. Rather than offering a waiting list, app.net must welcome the new users so that they can be familiar with the entire API.
By considering above mentioned factors seriously, it will be possible to beat the Twitter. However, it may not be possible in a few years. The intensive updates and rigorous marketing may help it because it is not easy to make people leave Twitter.
About Author : Jolie is a highly talented IT professional. He has spent about 8 years in this industry as a project manager. Due to his vast experience and skills, he has started to write articles on Social Profile Registration. His work is commendable and appreciated by the readers.
