Leveraging the power of Web 2.0 to Increase your Sales and Conversion Rates I
Executive Summary
Web 2.0 is the next generation web technology that is designed for people to share information and interact with one another using forums and platforms that are of exclusive interest to them. Web 2.0 is much like a cyber equivalent of birds of a feather flocking together and then interacting with each other online. Our cover story this month explores the fine nuances of Web 2.0 and shows how you can benefit from this new trend by directly tapping into its powerful resources.
From Publishing to Participation
Social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, RSS, social bookmarking, forums and folksonomies—you have probably seen these terms highlighted on the Internet and your local print media. Web 2.0 empowers users to share a collaborative experience in which each point of view, perspective or position carries equal weight. This user experience extends well beyond personal hobbies and interests and is expertly used by both individuals and businesses alike to promote their business interest. Regardless of what the motives are, communication in all Web 2.0 applications is always two-way between group members and occasionally between the site moderators or administrators and the users in order to maintain decorum and a sense of responsible participation.
User Generated Content and Web 2.0
What drives the Web 2.0 revolution? Answers may differ depending on whom you ask but there is unqualified consensus on the fact that the underlying driving force of Web 2.0 is user generated content. This content can take the shape of online text as in blogs and blog comments, videos as in YouTube and Google Video, photography as in Flickr, music as in e-snips, lists of favorite web sites as in del.icio.us and even opinions on current topics such as Digg. Web 2.0 has yet another important dimension best described as the personal profiling platform through sites such as MySpace, FaceBook and Linkedin. The Internet user today is no longer the silent onlooker but an active participant thus taking center stage in the midst of rapidly evolving cyber action. Simply put, anytime you go online and participate or share something of value or interest with other like-minded users, you are in the Web 2.0 arena. The new wave of technology and innovation has arrived and is finally here to stay.
Web 2.0 and the Internet Entrepreneur
As the owner of a successful Internet business who is keenly interested in taking the business to the next level, you stand today at the crossroads of converging technologies that not only demonstrate but also deliver the promise of growth and expansion. IN the next part of our Web 2.0 primer, we will select a few Web 2.0 applications and show you how to harness its latent potential to support your business activity in a positively productive manner.
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