14 DAY TRIAL // Twitter is debuting a Follow button with an obvious use. The new button enables users to start following an account they like from any website, without having to visit Twitter. Most websites today offer a way of following them on Twitter, but it usually requires the user to visit the site and click on the follow button there.
"Today we’re excited to launch the Follow Button, a new way to discover and instantly follow Twitter accounts directly from the websites you visit everyday," Twitter announced.
"More than 50 sites have added the Follow Button today, making it easy for you to discover the Twitter accounts of your favorite reporters, athletes, celebrities, and other personalities," it said.
"Using the Follow Button is as simple as a single click. You can also see the profile and latest Tweets of the account you want to follow by clicking the username next to the Button," it added.
It may seem like not much of an announcement. There's hardly a website with a Twitter account that doesn't provide a way of easily following that account. Most have a link back to their Twitter profile page so users can start following there, like they would with any other account.
Some have a system for starting to follow without having to visit Twitter.com. The new button though enables all websites to offer this functionality via a single UI and a consistent experience.
As long as users are logged in, all they have to do is click on the new Follow button and everything else happens in the background.
Twitter is launching the new button with 50 partners, mostly big websites which now offer a deeper integration, but anyone can deploy it by inserting a few lines of JavaScript code on their website, just like any other similar button out there.