1. Better UI design
The no.1 purpose of web-design is credibility. Basically anything less than a professionally designed user interface, will lose most of the site's credibility.
That’s why platforms like Medium managed to attract mainstream brands:
...And that’s also part of the reason why these brands wouldn’t even look at Steemit.
Compare these 2 profile UI designs. This one on the left is the Slack profile on Medium. The one on the right is @BookingTeam.com's profile here on Steemit.
So the first thing we need is an overall redesign of the UI: better profiles, better buttons, better typography, more white space, etc. And we need all that just for credibility.
2. Verified accounts badge
In order for Steemit to attract influencers and celebrities, it has to offer them protection against fake accounts. Right now there are plenty of Steemit users, impersonating celebrities.
How do I know this really is Scott Galloway? I don't... so should I follow him?
How would a celebrity differentiate him or herself from a fake account that's reaping all the rewards from their celebrity?
3. Multi-language support
There are many non-English speaking communities that would love Steemit. In fact we run a Romanian blog and we've crossed over to Steemit: @startupacademy. But after promoting it to our 15K subscribers, many of them complained that they don't speak English.
This is a problem for many influencers, that prevents them from bringing their audiences over.
And the user experience is not that great either. Multiple languages in the same feed could get really confusing.
4. A user-friendly way to cash out
Let's face it... cashing out of Steemit is a hassle. I understand the incentives to be invested long term, and I'm sold on that!
But an easy way to cash out would not only give new users more confidence in the platform, but it would also give influencers more confidence to invite their followers over from other platforms.
5. Official high-quality explainer videos
For Steemit to go mainstream, people need to get it. Fast! No second guessing... no doubts. That's why professionally produced explainer videos would be a game changer.
Remember the Dropbox video? If not, take a look.
That video was produced in 2009, and got over 25 million views. It is regarded as one of the primary reasons for Dropbox's mass adoption.
It explained a new concept at the time, and it did it clearly and effectively. That is what we need for Steemit. We have the budget, so let's do it!
We all love Steemit, and are trying to do what's best for the platform. This is just my feedback, and I do hope it is constructive.