Web 2.0 Influences ‘Normal’ Business
2nd July 2009
Over the last few months, as I talk to our clients and prospects, all of whom are generally within the SME and micro-business sectors; I’ve noticed that there is an increasing desire to become Web 2.0 enabled with their own websites.
Now I’m not saying that your average small to medium sized business owner knows what Web 2.0 is and as a result is specifically asking that we “Web 2.0 enable” their own website (if that’s the correct phrasing).
Far from it, and why should they after all we’re into ‘geek territory’ here are we not?
However such people are often enthusiastic Users of Web 2.0 technology themselves whether they realise it or not; and having seen the benefits of it, are thinking,”Wow I can see how that [feature] would work really work with our own company’s website.” Which is where I, with my business, start to get get involved.
Okay I Give in! What Are You On About?
Well without getting into the technicalities of what Web 2.0 technology actually is (I suggest googling “Web 2.0″ to find some definitions including this good one from the O’Reilly site); what is Web 2.0 and how does it affect my needs on my company’s website?
The easiest way is to define what Web 2.0 technology is for we normal folk, is to think of the User generated content available through the likes of YouTube, Zimbio, NowPublic, and Blogs; think of the online interactivity and communities that exists through sites such as Facebook and MySpace; think of social connectivity through services such as Twitter and finally, think of how Users organise and share their web pages through sites like StumbleUpon, Digg or Delicious.
If you think of these web services and participate in one or more of them, then you’re using Web 2.0 technology.
So What?
So how does such technology start to creep into the requests that we get from business owners?
Well it’s quite simply the fact that people are using the social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube more and more, and are seeing the practicalities of Web 2.0 technologies and as such are asking us to mirror a particular feature from on one of these sites.on their own.
Such a request can be along the lines of “I really like how it’s possible set-up an event and then invite people to it by email who can then respond with an R.S.V.P.” (as can be done on Facebook) or “We’d love the ability to upload video files to our website from our camera, whereupon they are viewable on our website” (as can be done on YouTube).
Prior to Web 2.0, your average web User wasn’t privy to such features and unless they were particularly focused on what they needed, were oblivious to the feasibility and ease of deploying such features to their website.
Just goes to show you how a handful of ‘big’ websites are starting to influence the average business website owner.
Static Websites are Dead
Dead as a Dodo
In my opinion it’s because of this trend, which shows no sign of slowing by the way; the typical Users’ expectations of what the web is all about and what it can do for them is changing rapidly. People are expecting a level of interactivity, changeability and cross platform compatibility (browser, phone, smart phone) from the websites they visit, that has not been seen in the last 10 years of the web.
In a nutshell, this means that competition for traffic amongst all websites will become even fiercer and it’s only sites that can satisfy the expectations of their Users in the way that Web 2.0 currently does, who will survive.
In terms of business websites this means that the typical company website which is typically nothing more than an online brochure, will need to change in order to survive and to remain a formidable contributor to a company’s marketing mix.
So with this in mind, if you’re a business looking to develop its web presence as a serious marketing or service delivery channel, appoint a company who knows what the future landscape will look like.
It’s an investment worth making.
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Tags: Web 2.0, Web Design
