Facebook Fan Page Redesign

I’m currently annoyed with trying to update my Facebook Fan Page via the new design. I’m sure part of it’s user error (it always is ), but here are my initial thoughts about the redesign:

Eh. Not Excited Yet:

1. It puts the wall front and center. Note, you can have non-fans default elsewhere. I think you can have fans default elsewhere too, but thus far, that option isn’t working for me. Unless you’re a Prom King brand, your wall doesn’t get much action. Why make the fact that no one has written on your wall for days or months so prominent?
2. It puts the wall front and center. Aka it also puts the updates you’ve made to your page front and center. Same reasoning as #1. Will brands feel the need to update their page more?
3. Pages now have status updates. Like regular profile page updates, these show up in your fans’ news feed. If you’re thinking SPAM, we’re on the same page. Will this encourage/force brands to update more? Will twitter make their app work for fan pages so you can tie your twitter updates to your Facebook status? Will this help twitter gain additional popularity?
4. Page status updates now show up in fans’ news feed. Again, are you really interested in what a brand has to say over what your friends have to say? How many users will be more selective over which brands they become a fan of? How many users will tweak their settings to have Page updates not show in their news feed?
5. You can’t move all your boxes like you used to. In the old design, all your boxes were movable. This meant that you could put your fan box at the bottom if you wanted. With the new design, similar to regular profile pages, some boxes are not movable. Trust me, no one cares when my brand was founded.
6. Some tabs aren’t movable. The Wall and Info tab are always #1 and #2. Does anyone really care about info? No. They want pictures and the fun stuff. The stuff you created via FBML (aka facebook’s version of HTML).
7. Insights remained the same. I wish they would make it easier to see the metrics by month or week vs. only comparing and showing day to day metrics.

Things I’m Excited About:

1. Like regular profiles, you can break your page into tabs. This makes it easier and faster for a user to navigate. No more scrolling to find pictures in a tiny box. Now, pictures, videos and events all have separate tabs.
2. Status updates now show in fans’ news feed. If used well, this is awesome. Previously, no one knew if you updated your page, added an event, pictures, video, etc. unless they visited your page or you sent out an update. Seriously, how often do you visit the pages you’re a fan of? Yea, that’s what I thought. And those updates? I know for a fact you don’t read them immediately and you certainly don’t act on them. Hopefully, this will help fan pages become more valuable for brands and utilized more by fans.
3. Facebook is starting to help and cater to brands. They are continuing to find better ways to integrate and welcome brands into their world.

After the bugs are fixed and all fan pages switch to the new look, we’ll see where this takes us. How much would you like to bet that this change pisses users off and groups are formed in protest like last time