Web 2.0 is a marvel of the modern internet technology revolution. As an increasingly large number of webmasters become aware of Web 2.0, it’s become almost mandatory for new website developments and upgrades. But what exactly is it, and what does it do?
Even technologically savvy people seem to grapple with the differences between ‘old’ and ‘new’ internet platforms and what they actually offer. You need to fully understand Web 2.0 to appreciate the impact it can have on potential visitors to your site and on the way you do business with them.
The evolution of Web 2.0
Web 2.0 evolved from the ashes of the 2001 dot-com crash. Many analysts at the time dismissed the web as gimmicky and over hyped, urging businesses to abandon the cause. However, others began taking stock of those dot-coms that survived the crash and started to note their similarities. This was the beginning of a business revolution within the computer industry: understanding the rules of online success.
Thus Web 2.0 was born. This resulted in the proliferation of much of the online content and presentation styles we take for granted today: forms of domain name speculation, content management systems (CMS) and web publishing. The infrequently updated Web 1.0 websites were comprised mainly of directly translated printed material. But as interest in interactivity increased, the prominence of CMS waned and led to a need for a new way of doing things.
Web 2.0 today
The web is entwined in the way companies do business today, right across every aspect of an organisation. Technology has evolved to adapt to these new ways of doing business. The need for seamless user involvement and increased interactivity has led to the development of online resources like search engine optimisation, tailored user experience, wikis, and blogs. These are all prominent features of what we now know today as Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 doesn’t actually refer to, or represent, any advancement in the technical specifications of the internet. Rather, it refers to the ways that software developers and end users use the web. Web 2.0 doesn’t have a solid boundary, but a ‘gravitational core’ around which a set of principles and best practices orbit.
So what’s in it for business?
Web 2.0’s customisation options enable users to tailor the aesthetics of a website to their own personal tastes. Unadulterated ideas, information, and feedback can be transmitted with ease via the use of wikis and blogs. And importantly, Web 2.0 offers tailored subscriptions – a ‘smart’ email marketing option that allows a wide range of recipients to receive personalised information in one easy burst.
These customised experiences, increased interactivity and customer involvement are vital ingredients of the emerging ‘Closed Loop Marketing’ approach (see article ‘Closing the Loop’) that many businesses are adopting.
It’s likely that you’re already using at least some of Web 2.0’s features. But there’s a good possibility that there are a wide array of other 2.0 features you could be harnessing. These could attract extra visitors to your site, keep them there and allow you to interact more closely with your customers than ever before.
The key lesson from the 2001 crash is that adopting a best practice approach is critical to online success. And the place to start is with expert advice. Why not have a chat with one of icemedia’s expert usability consultants? You’ll discover a wealth of opportunities that can open up to you with the use of Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 – at a glance
- a set of best practices for web development
- not a technical specification
- user-tailored site aesthetics
- two-way interaction (wikis, blogs)
- podcasts
- content syndication (RSS, Atom)
- software applications through a browser
- tailored email subscriptions