Companies cutting through the hype surrounding Web 2.0 find a new world of real-time feedback and seamlessness interactivity

By Ivaylo Lenkov

The term "Web 2.0" was coined in 2004 by O'Reilly Media and MediaLive International as a name for a series of Web development conferences. Afterwards, the concept of Web 2.0 resonated with industry leaders and watchers. It quickly evolved into a series of ideas and strategies for more effectively designing next-generation Web sites. There still is a huge amount of disagreement about what Web 2.0 really means and whether the value it offers to businesses really justifies the hype around it.

In his seminal essay on the subject, O'Reilly Media founder and CEO Tim O'Reilly gave a very extensive, though rather "geeky," definition of Web 2.0. It could be hard to grasp for non-web professionals and, indeed, tended to make the idea more elusive to the general public enamored with the idea of an entirely new Internet.

In more simplistic terms, Web 2.0 is basically the blueprint for a new Web development paradigm in which:

- The web is no longer a read-only media. Everyone, including visitors, are encouraged to contribute through read-write functions.

- Assembling content and features from popular sites and applications provides a more inclusive experience.

- Simplified business models and a new generation of development platforms allow software to be delivered as a continually-updated service.

- Social networking and new types of targeted advertising tools make it possible to generate customers at a fraction of the cost of previous versions of the Web.

What are the practical impacts of these paradigm changes?

The read-write web allows people to comment and classify (tag) content on any Web 2.0-enabled site. Comments and tagging contribute to fostering a loyal and active community, which ultimately creates a new and better evangelist to spread word of mouth for products and services of any company. This two-way communication already exists in the form of blogs, discussions groups and web forms.

The ability to assemble composed Web applications allows anyone to provide a better and richer user experience within their own web site. Seamless integration of third party content and/or features extends the average visit and helps convert visitors into customers.

New social networking tools and targeted advertising also allow any web site to get high exposure.

Web 2.0 makes new business models and development tools accessible. This encourages innovation and provides an easy way for anyone with a great idea to implement it without a substantial investment.

These Web 2.0 innovations can then be easily integrated into any site.

As with any emerging technology, there is a lot of hype surrounding Web 2.0. Many of its elements such as blogs, syndication, tagging and social networks already show tremendous signs of mainstream adoption. Others, although creating a lot of buzz, will eventually become a victim of the natural evolution of the web ecosystem. Many of the current Web 2.0 elements are "geek-only" territory. Even if they do bring significant value, it may take many years before they become widespread.

The early adoption of Web 2.0 was driven mainly by computer professionals, sophisticated Web designers, and open-minded individuals willing to try and encourage the new web experience. Now, already supported by Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, and thousands of other companies, Web 2.0 technology is already migrating towards average businesses.

The value for every business is different, but there are some Web 2.0 elements that already have proven useful to some companies:

* Setting up moderated blogs enables two-way communication with customers. Businesses can readily learn what customers think about their products and services, and communicating with them actually generates a more positive experience. Web 2.0, in a sense gives customers a "voice" that enables them to get to know the company better, from the inside.

* Support/solutions forums allow customers to share ideas with other customers and learn from them, thus building a greater sense of community.

* Integrating subscriptions and members-only areas generates a more loyal and qualified user base around products and services. With Web 2.0 tools, businesses can add layers of content available for members only and target content to the appropriate user group based on submitted registration information.

And while the above elements can bring value to a website, participation in the emerging business/social networking (think "myspace" for business) world can, at the same time, increase market opportunities. Building relations is key to growing a successful online presence that can eventually help your business.

* Build business networks around trustworthy and targeted people who share the same values.

* Post meaningful comments on blogs and invite them back.

The dynamics of Web 2.0, coupled with the current buzz, make a quick evolution likely. It is almost impossible-nor is it economically feasible¬-for a company to build every 2.0 element in house. Most businesses look to online services for their Web 2.0 features. Most companies are looking for forums and blogs with publicly available, moderated comments; community-fostering tools to provide community members access to more resources and the ability to actively review usage statistics.

Companies must evaluate several options before committing to one. It's important because switching can be difficult. Although vendors typically use open standards, content migration is not always painless. Those in the market for a Web 2.0 service provider shouldn't be afraid to use a service that is still in beta. Indeed, it's common for Web 2.0 services to perpetually stay in this mode, since it makes it easier to incorporate leading-edge features. Most Web 2.0 services are constantly upgrading. The "beta" sign is more a statement that "we are improving regularly" than a "we are not always working" statement.

Companies looking for Web 2.0-based service providers should research a prospect's availability. Recent failures in some major online services proved that even a mature service can experience problems and suffer outages.

- If targeting a global audience, confirm that the service you plan to use has the strength and resources to provide services where your company wants to have a presence.

Once the Web 2.0 service provider is on board, there are some key steps to getting as much out Web 2.0-based services as possible:

- Submit all relevant information to the blogosphere (technorati.com, memeorandum.com , digg.com) and tag it appropriately. This will ensure that your material will be found when someone is searching for something related to it.

- Regularly review statistics and comments to track the response to material published on your site. Use the input to constantly adjust the content and positioning of your products.

- Use keyword-based geo-targeted advertising (Google, Yahoo) to recruit more valuable traffic to the site. Set conversion targets and analyze results. Adjust the strategy and try again. Use different landing pages for each campaign with targeted keywords. Offer only relevant information. Visitors should seamlessly pass through the information and land on product pages to make the purchase.

- Provide something valuable to members only, i.e. industry research, free downloads, raffles, etc. Build a simple, approachable member registration form requesting all the information you need from potential buyers. Send targeted newsletters to members and convert them into buyers.

- Maintain a clean, elegant and consistent site.

As with any new technology, Web 2.0 is not error-proof. The most common pitfall is the overuse of technologies such as Flash and AJAX. This may create an impressive user experience, buy result in poor ratings or inappropriate indexing in search engines. The other most common pitfall is not moderating visitor-submitted content. Irrelevant comments or competitor offerings in your forum or blog may seriously damage the brand. Site consistency is another major challenge to Web 2.0 integration. Businesses lose credibility when the blog is inconsistent with the rest of the site or the support forum is hosted on a different server with a completely different design and layout. The entire online presence should be consistent, well designed and easy to navigate. It's critical to maintain branding resonance throughout in order to captivate visitors and transform them into repeat customers.

While the Web 2.0 concept may seem like hype, the revolution is very much real. The ability to create two-way communications and an all-inclusive content experience will drive the next generation of Web sites. There will be sites that take full advantage of the proven capabilities of Web 2.0 while avoiding the pitfalls. Conversely, many Web 2.0-based sites will be poorly executed. Either way, at its most fundamental level, Web 2.0 is a brilliant conceptual approach to reaching a new plateau with potential and existing customers. Web 2.0 is real and those who embrace it today will be more successful tomorrow.

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