Web 2.0: What Does It Mean For Your Business?

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Duration: 18:35 • Size: 8.9 MB

Some small businesses are just getting their first web site. Others are thinking about an upgrade. In either case, know the difference between Web 1.0 and 2.0 before you buy.

Discussion Points

1. It's about interactivity and powerful, painless networking
   One Part Communication: Web 2.0 features people talking and writing about all kinds of topics, easily finding each other given improvements in the search engines.
   One Part Technology: It's also heavily driven by the automatic linking, connecting and promoting that takes place automatically on RSS-enabled web sites.
   Yields a quantum leap in return on investment with your web site.
2. The Power of Peer to Peer
   It's all about the RSS baby (with hint of Austin Powers please.)
   We're all busy. Give me an easy way to know when you've added something new on your site, without my having to a) remember to go back and b) look all over for what's new.
3. Be Found!
   You no longer need to spend large amounts of money to advertise you, your products, your services.
   You will be found much higher and easier on the search engines, if your site and your practice is Web 2.0. The technology of track-backs, pings, and leaving comments generates quality links back to you.
   The ease of adding content keeps your site fresh and current, also loved by the search engines.

   Links

   Flickr
   Mary's Blog
   Tom Peters
   "The Washington Posth:ttp://www.washingtonpost.com
   Bare Feet Shop

   BL4YB: Bottom Line For Your Business

   Web 1.0 - Your basic brochure site. It has your information, it doesn't change much, you don't have to pay it a lot of attention. It serves to provide a level of credibility: "Yes I am a real business. Go to my web site and see for yourself." Lower entry cost. Lower maintenance cost.

   Web 2.0 - Your interactive, modern website. Users can use it as they wish. They can even leave comments or submit their own content (as articles or photos or both.) It's gonna demand more of your time and more of your money, but it's going to deliver vastly more ROI, and may even give you a shot at fame!

   What is Web 2.0? by Tim O'Reilly
   People Power vs. Google by Om Malik

   Newbie Tip #1:
   Start getting over your insecurities with interactivity and leave comments on other people's web sites. (Like this one for example.) It will automatically provide a high-quality link back to your site — which is good for building traffic to you!

   Newbie Tip #2:
   Want to subscribe to a web site? First, download the Firefox web browser*. Then, when you are on an RSS-enabled web site (which means it is ready for "Really Simple Syndication"), you'll see a little orange beacon icon in the lower right corner. Just click on it, and save it like you would a bookmark. Then, the bookmark will automatically display the 10 most recent articles posted on that web site.

   Newbie Tip #3
   It this podcast or these notes still sound like a bunch of hooey to you, please listen to the podcast where I spoke on a panel at the International Association of Business Communicators. We explained a lot of these things in details, and you will here lots of examples of how it can play out.

   *Firefox is free, downloads and installs in about 2 minutes, will import your favorites (bookmarks) from IE, and will spare you from viruses and popup windows - for starters.

   

   Tecnorati Tags:
   web 2.0, web design. 2.0, RSS, business, network, peer-to-peer, podcast