by Al Polanec, Blue Archer Principal

You may have heard the term “Web 2.0” if you frequent common websites like yahoo.com or google.com, and wondered just what this term meant.  Ask any techno-junkie, and you are likely to get a less than concise answer.  Reasons for this are many and beyond the scope of this article, but one of the primary ones is that not everyone even agrees on the use of this term.  But that doesn’t help us very much, so I’m going to take another tact in this short article: my goal is to boil down what this concept of Web 2.0 means for your business, rather than get into a comprehensive review of all the details involved.  But first, the Web 2.0 Executive Summary:

The most common definition for Web 2.0 is that it is the next generation of the Internet. The old paradigm for the Internet was one in which data was posted in one silo, and then consumed by another silo.  An example of this is the static informational website, or “online brochure” that is read by customers.  Web 2.0, on the other hand, is defined as an environment in which users come together to create and share content.  One thing everyone seems to agree upon is that Web 2.0 is definitely more interactive, and seeks to merge these traditionally separate silos of information provider and information consumer.  Although technology plays a definitive part in this process, it has not been the leading factor in bringing these changes to the Internet about.  Rather, changes in thinking about how we can utilize the infrastructure already in place was a much more dominant influence in this new paradigm. 

So now that we know a little bit about Web 2.0, what can it do for us?  We can start by looking at some of the best examples of data and information sharing out on the Internet today:  everything from social networking sites like facebook.com to classified advertising like craigslist to the general information store that is wikipedia, all of these sites boast a common theme.  They rely on user-generated information for their content. 

So how can your business or non-profit transition from a “brochure-ware” website to a true “Web 2.0” destination?  Your first and easiest step is probably to use software you already have.  If you are reading this, you probably have or are considering implementing a Content Management System.  CMS systems like AccuCMS allow you to not only control the content of your own web site, but also open up many avenues for interaction with your customers or prospects.  For example, setting up a page for each client, and an associated user with sufficient access rights allows your clients to post information about a project, orders, or information of any type in a space that can either be private to a select group of users, or else public for anyone to see.  Forums, discussion groups and Blogs can also be easily integrated into your website’s pages, allowing for even more flexibility and interaction.  If your partner firms initiate similar initiatives, you can either link to or include information from their websites with your own using a variety of methods.  No matter what method you choose, the more closely you interact with your constituents, the more value you can provide to them, and they can provide to you.

Information sharing isn’t just a nebulous Web 2.0 concept, it’s an inexpensive and effective way to provide value to your customers.

For more information, Al Polanec may be reached at 412.353.1049, or at apolanec@bluearcher.com.