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Web 2.0 What Is It?

Web 2.0 … undoubtedly you’ve heard the term but do you really know what it means? Well, I’m going to share what it means to me and how I use it to grow my businesses. 

So … back in the early days on the internet (Web 1.0) we mostly used our websites to “broadcast” our message. Whether we were providing free information or selling something we were simply “telling” our readers something by providing them information (brochure style) and it was truly a one-way conversation. When you think about early websites they were pages and pages of information with lots of navigation to … yet more pages and pages of information and so on … right?

With that said I’d say the main difference in Web 1.0 and the Web 2.0 concept is that even though we are still broadcasting our message and information to others we also want to be able to interact with our visitors and readers. By interacting I mean we want to be having conversation with them … two-way conversation … in an environment where we actually encourage our visitors and readers to tell us what they’re thinking and what they want from their online experience with us.

Using Web 2.0 techniques is a great way to really get personal with your readers and build rapport and build credibility. Remember … people do business with those who they know, like, and trust.

Let me share my favorite Web 2.0 tools available on the internet.

1. Forums and Message Boards. I believe forums were the first websites that took on the Web 2.0 mantra of interacting and getting to know each other. There are literally thousands of forums where you can meet and interact with others who share your interests. To find some forums that discuss topics that are interesting to you and/or are a fit for your business type the words “forum + topicname” in the browser. If I wanted to interact with other wine lovers I would type “forum + wine” in my browser and see what comes up. That should help you find some forums to join and to start meeting and interacting with some people who share your interests.  
2. Blogs. A blog or “weblog” as they were first dubbed is a tool that allows you to have a website that instead of reading like a brochure full of one-way information will become a place where your readers and customers can come and interact with you through the “leave a comment” feature that is at the bottom of each article or “post.” As the blog owner you will want to ask questions in your posts and encourage your readers to leave their questions and comments in the comment section. You will also want to actively “interact” with them by actually answering and responding to their questions and comments. People enjoy being part of a community and as time goes on you will get to know your readers and hopefully they will even get to know each other and find your site a nice place to “hang out.”
3. Social Networking Sites. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are a great way to get to know others and interact with them. By setting up your “profile” and disclosing some things about yourself personally it will give you a way to be a little more personal and eventually give you a means to introduce others to your business. Much like forums social networking sites come in every different “size and shape” and you can find networks for just every topic imaginable (i.e. music, wine, WAHMs, parenting, dogs/animals, etc.). As you get to know someone by interacting on these sites it’s natural that you will eventually become interested in each other’s business. You can find these sites in much the same way by typing the words “social network + topic” in your browser bar.
4. Social Bookmarking Sites. A social bookmarking site is a place where you can “bookmark” your favorite sites and pages of a site much like you would on your own computer where you store them in your “favorites.” The difference is that these are then stored online in your account on these sites allowing you access to them from any computer instead of just from your own computer. Another difference is that you can make your favorites “public” and your bookmarked favorites will be accessible by others who are members of the bookmarking site. On most of the sites you can also make “friends” just like you would on the social networking sites and you can share your “favorites” amongst your friends and vice versa. Digg, Del.icio.us, and StumbleUpon are three popular bookmarking sites but there are literally hundreds to choose from.
5. Media Sharing Sites. Media sharing sites are sites where you can upload and “share” pictures and videos. The most popular example is YouTube, the video sharing site, but there are actually a lot of these sites online. Flickr is another example and is known more as a photo sharing site. Much like the other examples I’ve given you it’s a place where you can meet and “follow” others and there’s a social aspect and interaction on the site through the photos and videos.
6. Yahoo Answers. There are several Question & Answer sites online and my personal favorite is actually Yahoo Answers. You can go there and either search for answers to a question you have or you can post your question and other members will come along and answer your question. Again, two-way interaction and a way to meet others who share an interest in your topic.
7. Micro Blogging. Micro blogging is probably the newest of the Web 2.0 techniques online today. If you’ve never heard of Twitter you need to at least go check it out. It’s a site where you can broadcast your message or question to the other members … but the “micro” part is that you only have 140 characters to do so. You can find people with similar interests to you and you might “follow” their “tweets” and you will so have “followers” who are interested in hearing what you have to say too.

So to sum it up I’d say that the whole idea of Web 2.0 is to have interaction and two-way conversation while you’re online. Warning! It can be addicting and if you it can eat up valuable work time if you let it. My suggestion is to figure out how much time you have for each of these techniques and then stick to your schedule. Web 2.0 is a very powerful way to become successful online if it’s used properly so please let me know if you have any questions. If you are also using Web 2.0 successfully please share your tips and ideas so we can all learn and grow from the conversation. I’d love to hear your thoughts! *SmiLes* Suzanne