Capitalising on the Web 2.0 Revolution

If you've been amazed at the rapid rise of internet communities such MySpace, YouTube and Squidoo then it's likely that you're aware of the new trend in using the internet as a platform to meet friends and build business contacts.

The term that has been coined to capture the development of social interactivity across the internet is called 'web 2.0', and web 2.0 portals are springing up across the planet faster than you can or I can type.

Now web 2.0 is a fundamental shift in the way that people are using the internet, and it won't ever replace the old 'web 1.0' sites. That is, 'static' websites that offer useful content but are not being updated.

However since web 2.0 sites are continually updating themselves with topical information, the Search Engines Google, Yahoo and MSN are picking up these sites as avenues of more current information.

Some examples of web 2.0 portals include Blogs (Blogger.com), Mash-ups (Google Maps), Social Networks (LinkedIn.com), Tagging (Del.icio.us) and Wiki (Wikipedia.com).

Web 2.0 communities represent a spirit of free and open communication, and are also referred to as social media technologies.

The biggest factor about web 2.0 technology is the way it is being used as social proof. For instance, visit a Blog and you can leave comments about the topic that is presented or discussed.

Alternatively, visit a community site and start to form your own social network where you can add friends to your social group, be involved in group discussions, and provide comment on topics that you know. Forums are a recognised social presence on the internet and are a common web 2.0 technology.

If you run a niche website, you don't need to run an entire community forum to benefit from the Search Engine traffic. Web 2.0 niche portals can transform your static 'web 1.0' website into the new world order of web 2.0 technology.

For instance, using web 2.0 niche portals you can invite your visitors to leave comments or add a link to their website via your web 2.0 portal.

Alternatively, people can view a video wall related to your niche themed site, and may be attracted to click on the Adsense advertising around the articles around your site.

Finally, if they can't find what they are looking for on your site, a Google Search box can assist them to look for more relevant information directly from your site.

While web 1.0 websites are being left in the dust by the Search Engines, with web 2.0 niche portals you can easily upgrade your website and start capitalising on the web 2.0 revolution.

For more information about web 2.0 niche portals and and how you can use them on your site, visit: Web 2.0 Niche Portals . Article is copyright Bradley Smith 2007 Web 2 Niche Portals

The Principles of User Interface Design in Web 2.0

It is important to consider what Web 2.0 is all about. Basically, the new generation of the web focuses on a user interface design that is easy to use and understand. One that makes online shopping super easy and keeps customers returning. Web 2.0 also makes advertising over the web easy and as problem free as possible. A few of the principles of web 2.0 design are discussed below to give you a better idea.

Anyone will tell you that Web 2.0 is significantly different from Web 1.0. There were just a lot of changes and most of them had to do with user interface web design. Boston website design now focuses on Web 2.0 practices. New practices focus on local search too. Boston web design is now incorporating the tenets of Web 2.0.

Ease of Use First and foremost Web 2.0 applications should be as easy as possible to use and the website design as a whole should promote easy interaction by web surfers. There is no need in the new generation of the web to have websites that just don't flow well or websites that utilize Web 1.0 technology. A new web is here and it focuses on Beta versions of software to help increase usability and navigation. Web 2.0 really is all about learning how to please customers and keep them returning time and time again. Of course, this takes practice and some mistakes occur, but all of this learning will lead us into a web 3.0 world with a whole lot of knowledge and a completely new web!

Design Websites today are very versatile and the design is focused on the web surfer. It is important to have easy to read websites that flow from different fonts and styles to streaming video and more. When a design firm offers to design your website ask them about Web 2.0 and how they plan on designing your website so that it flows in a Web 2.0 world. Most web designers should know what you are talking about and be able to give you a quick response. Stay clear of those who don't know what web 2.0 is!

Features Websites in this generation offer more features and simply make the online experience more enjoyable. That is really what Web 2.0 is all about because the more features there are the easier it will be for web surfers to get whatever it is they are looking for.

Ten Free Ways to Market Your Site the Web 2.0 Way

You really want to understand Web Marketing 2.0, without buying hundreds of guides? Learn how to make connections online. The easiest and fastest way to make that connection as a noted authority is to learn the art of giving.

Most Web 2.0 sites that will help you market your site will Only work if you make a conscious effort to share your resources. Think of it as traditional networking amplified and assisted by web tools. Realize, though, that the technical details of how to maximize social bookmarking, blogging, RSS, collaborative tools and widgets are all useless without the new underlying first rule of the Web.

"What's the new rule, Tinu?"

Well, in order to receive, you'll have to start out by giving. The trick is to go beyond the golden rule of doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you, into an even higher rule of doing to others as they want to be done unto.

And if you can figure out how to anticipate needs, you've got a bigger head-start than any me-centric marketer, no matter how far ahead they may be in experience.

Let's look at 10 of the free ways you can use Give Marketing to enhance your entire marketing strategy.

Give Marketing Tip #1- Giving Sincere and Useful Comments on Blogs.

Don't make the mistake of leaving a message just so you can leave your link. Build relationships.

Give Marketing Tip #2- Giving Testimonials.

Send audio and a picture, along with your most sincere praise when you've found a tool you love. Even if the tool was free. Also great as a blog topic.

Give Marketing Tip #3- Giving a Detailed, Helpful Answer in Forums.

Don't forget to fill out the signature panel if the community allows. Even those that don't will allow you a profile.

Give Marketing Tip #4- Giving a Heartfelt Compliment (Anywhere Public).

Testimonials are a type of compliment, but not all compliments are testimonials. You can give a compliment without giving a full review or testimonial. A compliment can be about how a site looks, ease of use, a positive experience with the owner, or the quality of the packaging the product comes in.

Give Marketing Tip #5- Giving a Contact.

Everyone knows someone another person would like to get next to, so make a list of who you know, regardless of industry, and how you could help them by introducing to someone brilliant you've recently met. The gesture is never forgotten, and fortuitous unions often provide additional kickbacks.

Give Marketing TIp #6- Giving up the Digg.

Digg is a social bookmarking system in which the participants vote on a story. If a friend is involved in a good story, submit it at http://digg.com.

Give Marketing Tip #7- Giving a BUMP.

Digg's community are centered mostly around World News and several aspects of Technology. BUMPzee is the best of the blogging community tools like MyBlogLog and the social bookmarking of Digg mashed together in a yummy chocolate/vanilla swirl. You don't have to be a blogger to use it either, and if the community that your BUMP goes in doesn't exist, at http://bumpzee.com you can create it.

Give Marketing Tip #8- Giving a Plug.

PlugIM is quickly becoming the Internet Marketer's preferred place for marketing tips and news. It has a Digg-like interface, but it's smartly niched for the huge legions of online marketers and the online Business to Business crowd. At http://www.plugim.com you can expose news where all the right people can see it in two minutes flat.

Give Marketing Tip #9- Giving Away Your IQ.

Free IQ is a "market place for ideas," where you can share ebooks, video, audio and article content to a captive audience that is currently oriented largely towards the internet marketing and affiliate marketing communities, and could easily expand into every niche on the web. Who says you have to use your Free IQ juice just to promote yourself?

Give away one little secret. It won't hurt, I promise. At http://freeiq.com/addarticle, you can add a quick review, ebook or article. Quick tip: after you add your article, do a search for Shawn Casey to get two free recorded training calls about the site.

Give Marketing Tip #10- Giving a Trackback or Link Back

Got a blog? Learn about Trackback, a method by which a remote blog can automatically like back to you when you reference a post of theirs. If you don't, give a link to a site you believe in. Everyone loves link love.

Get to giving. It might even be fun in and of itself.

Thanks to Tinu, writes a daily website traffic column. Come to http://www.freetraffictip.com to learn more about all aspects of traffic generation, including blogging, article marketing and get late-breaking search engine news.

Web 2.0 Marketing

Web 2.0 has received plenty of hype and talk amongst avid internet users. But just because it's on the list of "talk about topics" doesn't mean we all know what it is and how it can benefit us. Basically, it describes the next generation of online services delivered through the Web. Since the internet was designed to connect the world, online services have moved up the plateau creating websites that are interconnecting promoting community development. Think of sites like Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, Pluggd and del.icio.us, and you'll get the point.

The idea behind all these ventures is a good one: use the power of the Internet to hook people together to create content, share expertise, and exchange ideas, opinions and preference through social interaction. The fact is people have resources they want to share and things they want to say, so giving them a place to express themselves and a community of users to share it with will result in a system that grows exponentially.

So what has it got to do with internet marketing? How should marketers look at the possibilities of Web 2.0? One of the great ways to start is to ask yourself, what you have to offer. If you are already selling info products and have your own website, this will be a launch pad to boost your business further. But if you are new to the internet business, Web 2.0 sites are ideal because it opens your channel of awareness and reach faster than if you were to have a sole website on your own.

About ElearningCommunity.com eLearning Community 2.0 is a marketplace for Infopreneurs (Internet Entrepreneurs involved in info business) to grow their info business to the next level by leveraging the power of social networking offered by Web 2.0. eLearning Community 2.0 offers FREE-TO-USE platform for Infopreneurs to create, host and promote their info products and services in the form of eCourse through learn-on-demand, live coaching and real-time conferencing.

Thanks to Peony, is a blogger and a coacher. She conducts her virtual coaching via eLearningCommunity. Check out more at http://www.elearningcommunity.com