Facebook buttons get a facelift

Will Facebook seem as friendly when it’s not giving us all those thumbs-up? We’re about to find out. That’s right, the thumb is going away.

The Facebook thumb is embedded on 7.5 million websites. It is probably seen an average of 22 billion times every day. Facebook ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ buttons on websites are an effective means for referral traffic and get people sharing information about your business to their social network.

A new look

Facebook expects that the redesigned ‘Like’ buttons will encourage more sharing across the web. The company has already seen it working with early adopters like the Huffington Post. Check them out to see the new button in action!

The Facebook thumb icon has been around since 2010, and at 3 years old, maybe it is time for a makeover. After All, screens have changed a lot in that time, and the Facebook thumb has had some serious resolution issues. The new design, a white “Like” on the Facebook blue background with a counter showing the number of likes, is designed for high-resolution screens. The share button is undergoing a similar facelift.

If you’re using the old icons on your site, you’ll automatically be upgraded as the new design rolls out. Isn’t that convenient? Facebook has also made it easier for you to use the “Like” and “Share” buttons side by side. Using them together can get nice results in referral traffic.

I give this change a thumbs up. How about you?