Photobucket recently redesigned its entire website and I thought it might be a good idea to compare its new layout to its old one. The other thing I noticed was that they adopted the same advertising concept as Myspace. They modify their whole layout for a sponsor. The first one being for the release of the Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End DVD.
New Photobucket Design (Above)
Old Photobucket Design (Above)
The entire website takes on a new style that matches the sponsor. The background images were changed, the header was altered and even their logo was modified to match! They also added several banners in addition to all the design changes.
I think people tend to ignore standard web banners to a degree, so sponsors are looking for new ways to really get you to notice what they are promoting. Changing the look of a major websites design to match your product is a great way to get noticed!
The Redesign of Photobucket
The overall design, layout and colors of the new layout are much better in my opinion and here are some other improvements I noticed.
1. Header was streamlined and simplified and a more prominent and better looking join now button was added.
2. Room was made in the header for a large banner for sponsors
3. Search bar was moved inside the header and the login was moved to the top right above the header
4. Videos and images were added to the home page to draw users into the site more
5. A news section was added on the right to broadcast important updates
6. The about us text and a secondary join button were added under the news items
I think their new design gives them a fresh and updated look and I am sure their profits have increased dramatically due to the new layout changes.
Nice Site, Not so Nice Logo
The new site as I mentioned looks great, but I was hoping they would update their logo. I think its one of the ugliest logos I have seen a major company use and I was surprised they didn’t give it an update. Some one probably said that it was a major part of their branding and while thats true I think you can update the look of your logo and still have it be recognizable and powerful just like Apple and many other companies have been doing all these years.
Let me know what you guys think of the changes!