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12.04.08 Power.com Offer Single Site Access For Most Social Networking Sites  By Joe Hall Ok, let me first start off by saying, Power.com is awesome! What is it? Power.com is a one stop shop for social networking and instant messaging. Think about it this way: with Power.com you have the ability to navigate and use Myspace, Facebook, Hi5, Orkut, MSN is live. Yahoo Messenger, AIM, and soon Gtalk, all at the same time. Power.com will attempt to reach out to an American audience for the first time, since this Brazilian based startup first caught the attention of funding powerhouses Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Esther Dyson. And I am willing to bet that its going to go over very well. Consolidating Web 2.0 services is a hot trend at the moment with companies and tools such as pidgin and friendfeed helping manage a barrage of different networks and protocols. Now don't get me wrong despite my initial positive reaction, I do see some areas of improvement, therefore let me break it down for you. PROS: • Extremely easy to use: Unlike most social networking gizmos, this one doesn't require registration. When a new user visits the site they are asked for their login information to one of their accounts at either Myspace, Facebook, Hi5, or Orkut. And that's it, there's no registration form or account authorization required. • Everything in one place: The site's dashboard allows for users to view most recent messages, friends, and status updates. It is also very easy to hop from network to network, or merge them all together in one.
CONS: • Cluttered Layout: The dashboard has a slightly cluttered layout. To a certain extent this can not be avoided when a tool aggregates data from multiple services. However, they could do a better job at consolidating menu options. However it should be noted that one really cool feature is that they are employing a drag-able dashboard like the famous iGoogle functions. • Dashboard Color: Ok, I know that this is probably more of a matter of preference. But, honestly every good marketer knows that orange is a "hot" color that often times evokes subconscious emotional triggers. Warning, fear, and distress are all emotions associated with hot colors. Think about the "cool" blues of MySpace and Facebook, or the neutral white space from Google. Those are inviting and relaxing colors that encourage users to return. I think Power.com has a potentially bright future for itself. However, if it plans to evolve to compete with the ever expanding social web then it must constantly work to integrate new platforms and services that will empower its users, they are off to a good start. Comments About the Author: Joe Hall is a web developer, writer, marketer, and artist that has worked on both the national and local levels around a variety of diverse topics and technologies. Most of his work has been focused on developing the tools needed for small businesses and nonprofits to become empowered on the internet. Describing him self as "web-head", Joe, engages the internet with a passion and desire to bring change and new opportunities to his clients and users. Joe is the founder and owner of JOZSOFT. JOZSOFT provides multimedia web development and internet marketing for web based and traditional companies. He is a guest author for Marketing Pilgrim. |
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