What is Web 2.0?
Many small business owners are still not sure what Web 2.0 is. The following video should begin to fire off the connectors that will bridge this gap, and help you understand how your customers control your success. If you are a small business owner, it is imperative you start this journey of better understanding and harnessing the power of Web 2.0.
Social Media simply means that users contribute to help create a website’s content. This concept is not really new; it has been around since the birth of the Internet (back then it was called “message boards” and “bulletin boards.”). However, using social media and social marketing (referred to as Web 2.0) is the hottest trend these days—and it’s a trend that’s not likely to go anywhere soon.
Web 1.0 had a static, one-way interaction with internet surfers. The webmasters and designers provided all the content and the people who surfed clicked around reading other people’s published works. Internet surfers were merely spectators.
Fast-forward: today, Web 2.0 is thriving! Anyone with an internet connection can create and contribute amazing content without knowing anything about web design, html code, etc. People can easily add photos, videos, comments, tips, reviews, articles, statistical data—you name it and the “collective” is adding it. Just look at the growth in blogging and e-zines and the rise of sites like Facebook, Myspace, Squidoo, Flickr, YouTube, Epinions, Wikipedia. This is not about to disappear.
So what does this all mean to the small business owner? A lot! It means people are gathering by the millions online to find like-minded people to have conversations with, and are creating niche communities where they will share, visit and return (all the while consuming products and services faster than ever before). If you are not smack dab in the middle of all this interactive energy, then the chances of your business not surviving may not be far away.
The good news is that this is all very easy to grasp, and the tools available make it inexpensive and easy for anyone to participate. If you are a small business owner but are nervous and scared because you are not tech-savvy, don’t be intimidated because times have changed and webmasters have designed the internet so anyone can contribute. This is a huge opportunity for you and your business to find the vibrant interactive communities that are just dying to know about you!
