Professional networking website LinkedIn has announced a revamp of its site designed to make it simpler to use.

The third-largest social network has completely overhauled user profiles, apparently giving the pages a sleeker user-friendly feel.

Editing profiles is now easier than ever, with a checklist designed to help users run down exactly what they need to do in order to improve their profiles, LinkedIn boasted,.

Faster editing, time-saving searches and staying connected are all pivotal to the update the company said.

"We've made it easier for you to build and manage your identity on LinkedIn. We've made the Profile more scannable. It's easier to build your profile. It's all seamless and increases productivity on the site," said Aaron Bronzan, product manager at LinkedIn, during a press conference.

To compete with social networking giants Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn has made its site and mobile app more visually appealing by being more photo-centric. The mobile app has large pictures anchoring the screen at the top, followed by a list of the most recent entries occurring in your network.

The reboot of LinkedIn may be in response to redesigns unveiled by firms such as Facebook and Twitter in recent months to keep their sites sleek, visually appealing and user friendly.

Nearly a year ago Facebook introduced its Timeline - essentially a yearbook-like way of viewing your profile. Last month, Twitter debuted its revamped profile pages, complete with large format profile photos and easier image viewing.

Even Foursquare is trying to look attractive these days, making photos a larger focus in the mobile app.