Much of what makes a social website good is hidden below the surface. As part of the Web 3.0 we have seen an explosion in the amount of "social websites" (a name I use loosely and include apps) that attempt to capture and engage users. There is no shortage of people looking to hit the next home run in the social world with a new website or app that they came up with in their garage.
Sadly, however, websites and apps have come and gone like dandelions in the wind. Many have even been particularly enjoyable or have received significant attention. For example; the obnoxious Yo, the contact sharing app Bump, the news aggregation site Digg, the laughable Google+, and of course the recently revived myspace. A few more can be found here.
With these fun, high-profile sites, we see that it isn't necessarily enjoyment nor attention (though you may argue Google+ is by no means enjoyable) that make a social website successful... but what does?
The essential element to succeed in social is the ability to engage users in meaningful ways with a product or service. For example, allow users to:
- Fund a product
- Critique product
- Collaborate
- Purchase a product
- Teach and be taught
- Market a product to others
At the same time, users are quick to abandon a site if they feel their privacy is being infringed on. Along with that, with the plethora of social sites available, each platform has to look fresh and provide content that is relevant and focused on the user.
So.. the social website must allow users to engage with a product, AND maintain a certain level of privacy and protection, AND keep content relevant and focused. No wonder we have seen so many failures in the social world.
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