Today's Web is abuzz with a concept referred to as Web 2.0. The intersection of social actions and human managed content online, empowering business trends through the actions, choices and persuasions of Web users. You’ve probably heard of some of these technologies: blogs, podcasts, tags, RSS, social bookmarking, wikis, and more. A business owner who is not aware of these services is running a race they will lose to their competition over time…imagine racing against a Ferrari in your horse and buggy circa 1880. Technologies change, and business owners who recognize this win the race.
SEM & SEO
The art and science of search engine marketing is the combination of managing paid contextual advertising (SEM) and directory ranking results (SEO). SEM contributes the bulk of Google’s and Yahoo’s revenue, and when combined with SEO, can be very lucrative for business owners. With a small investment of resources, business owners can reach highly targeted and qualified prospects, cause higher directory rankings on search engines, and generate an enormous amount of business.
Blogs & Podcasts
A blog is a Web site allowing users to enter chronological entries; posting, editing and publishing their own content in a format that is easily viewed and automatically fed into the world’s mailbox . Search engines, such as Technorati, disseminate blogging posts and RSS feeds through mail programs and PDAs. Like blogs, a podcast (named after Apple’s iPod) is an audio chronological entry that can be syndicated through RSS. Usually in MP3 format, podcasts allow on-demand listening at your computer, cell phone or other mobile device.
Social Networking & Wikis
With social networking sites, people share their ideas and thoughts with others through sites like MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn (for business people) allow users to gather based on interests, demographics, or the desire to influence business or social issues. These sites are a powerful way to get a message out through the viral influence of ‘community.’
A wiki is a popular Web site that allows users to make additions to and edit any page of the Web site collaboratively. Wikis are most widely known for aggregating the knowledge of the masses, such as Wikipedia, a popular encyclopedia.
Folksonomies & Tagging
A “tag” is a keyword that acts like a category and a user may “tag” a page, image, article or multimedia content. Tags can then be used to search or organize the content on the Web for others. Folksonomies are collaboratively created, open-ended labeling systems that enable content to be organized by the masses rather than by a set group of professionals or algorithms, reflecting the public’s opinion of content organization.
Know When to Get Help
Trends come and go, but you should spend time working out a technology plan and considering the impact these innovations will have on you and your clientele. Emerging service providers, such as Webxites, offer small-to-mid sized businesses access to a staff to support and implement these technologies.