Web 2.0: Way of the Future or Marketing Gimmick?

The term Web 2.0 has come to dramatically increased usage over the past few years. Many people have since begun to appropriate this hot new buzzword for their own websites while others are not quite so eager to embrace this new concept, considering it little more than an inappropriately named web-marketing gimmick. It has clearly polarized the web into two opposing camps, of adherents on the one hand and skeptics on the other. Yet in spite of all this-or perhaps because of this-there is still plenty of confusion and controversy surrounding Web 2.0. What is it exactly? And are the changes to the way the Internet has come to be used in recent years really significant enough to warrant this name?

The phrase itself is attributed to O'Reilly media, the company who coined it in 2003. Subsequently, the first Web 2.0 conference, which was held in 2004, brought it into widespread public consciousness. A series if conferences hosted by O'Reilly media has made the term even more popular than ever and facilitated the adoption of it by many industry pundits. The term as it has come to be used by O'Reilly media, refers to what many in the Internet industry perceive to be the second wave of Web-based communities and hosted services, following the first wave of communities which flourished during the initial Internet boom. These web sites encompass social networking sites, wiki sites and folksonomies-all of which share the trait of encouraging and facilitating content collaboration and sharing among its many users.

Perhaps some of the confusion surrounding the use of the tem Web 2.0 stems from the fact that it does not actually signify a change or an update to the technical specification of the World Wide Web as we have come to know it. Instead it more appropriately describes the widespread changes that many systems developers have implemented in the way that they use the existing web platform. The founder of O'Reilly media, Tim O'Reilly has himself termed it a business revolution in the computer industry that was caused by the move to the Internet as a platform. He further goes on to say that attempts to come to grips with the rules for success on that new platform is an integral part of Web 2.0.

On his own blog, which can be found at http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/10/web_20_compact_definition.html, O'Reilly wrote a compact yet more detailed definition of the term and refers to Web 2.0 as his view of the network as a platform that encompasses all the devices that are connected to it. According to him, Web 2.0 applications are the applications that are in the best position to take advantage of most of the inherent benefits of that platform. The means by which they can achieve this is through the delivery of software to the public that is continuously updated and generates its content through the merging of data from many different sources, which may include the individual end user. The Web 2.0 applications in turn generate their own data as well as services in a way that other users can readily mix according to their own needs. This paradigm clearly goes beyond the nature of Web 1.0 into a network that is built upon as O'Reilly calls it "(an) architecture of participation". The end result is a richer web experience for the end user by way of applications that actually get better the more it is used.

To further illustrate the differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, it may help to view Web 1.0 as primarily focused on the connectivity between computers and a way to make technology work better for computers, while Web 2.0 strives to link people together and make technology work better for people.

While some people would disagree with this last illustration-and indeed claim that the opposite is actually more accurate-the fact remains that the Web 2.0 is increasingly reliant on the varied input from its users and the dividing line between people and technology is becoming more and more blurred as time goes on.

While computer mediation is still-and will probably remain for the next foreseeable future-an integral part of the new paradigm, the utilization of the collective input from its users will bring about a continuous improvement of the particular application based on the same users' interaction with it.

The clear shift in focus from "technology" to "people" is perhaps no better illustrated by the change in technological demands from the '90s to the present. While many users previously focused their requests on solutions to very specific technological demands, the overwhelming clamor nowadays is for applications that allow for far more end user intervention and input.

The controversy rages on as to the validity of the term Web 2.0, but by all indications it seems that it is here to stay.

Thanks to Mikhail Tuknov is a search engine optimization specialist providing web site search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (PPC) management and web analytics services.

The Top Three Tips To Implement Blog Marketing With Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is basically a bunch of new Internet software features that can help you in your Internet business. I'm sure you've heard of some basic Web 2.0 features such as the RSS, podcasts, social bookmarking and social networking. If not, do read up more on them because these strategies are being practically used by a lot of Internet marketers trying to make their way in the world of the Internet.

Blog marketing with Web 2.0 features have loads of advantages for your business such as bringing you loads of traffic to your blog, increase the number of your subscribers, improve your website conversion rate, give your sites a lot more exposure to search engines and much more.

To properly implement blog marketing strategies with Web 2.0 features you have to:

1. Understand Them

You have to study each Web 2.0 feature and understand how they work in blog marketing. You must ask yourself these questions:

- How can RSS feeds make visitors come back to your site? - How do social networking sites work? - How can social bookmarking help to improve my traffic? - Are there other Web 2.0 features that can help me improve my site's recognition?

The more questions you ask yourself, the more you are inclined to find out how these Web 2.0 techniques work.

2. Apply Them To Your Blog

When you know how these Web 2.0 features work, apply them to your blog and let your visitors know that you have these Web 2.0 features that they can make use of to make them feel as interacted as possible with your blog.

It is best to get articles or ebooks that show you how to apply these features step-by-step, so that you won't get confused. Or, you can just hire a web programmer or designer to help you apply them.

3. Test, Test and Test

One thing about Internet marketing is, you can't just bet that once you have applied a technique, you can see it working. Testing out a new addition to your site is important because you have to find out in which part of the site is the most optimized position to make it work.

For example, your RSS feed logo can be placed at any part of your site for your visitors to subscribe to, but testing it at different parts of the site for a certain amount of time can make you gauge where most of the visitors sign up for your RSS feed at. Once you have found that position, you can then just place the feed there as its final position.

Once you see these Web 2.0 techniques working on your site, you can then focus on other Internet marketing related strategies like how to turn your visitors into your subscribers or buyers, writing a good web copy, how to improve sales and so on. These three tips are the basic fundamentals for you to focus on when you are into blog marketing, so never forget about them when you apply Web 2.0 strategies.

Thanks to Jo Han Mok, is the author of the #1 international business bestseller, The E-Code. Unlock the code for unlimited online profits for yourself by visiting his website today at: http://www.SuperFastProfit.com

Essential Web2.0 Designing Trends

Web 2.0, as described by many, is often used to describe a resurgence in the web economy, a new level of technological interactivity or a social phenomena deriving from new types of online communities and social networks. In whatever ways they might be described, the new web 2.0 sites show a remarkable change in the patterns of design. Certain common styles and trends can be observed in most of these sites, that has probably included designing too as a part of web 2.0 definitions.

The basic patterns that most of the web 2.0 sites follow are:

a. Simple Layout: The layouts generally stick to 1-2 column formats. This provides a cluster free navigation and easy sorting of the contents. These pages read in a straightforward way from top to bottom, and you don't find your eye skipping around trying to work out what to look at. It's a much calmer and more solid browsing experience than in times gone by.

b. Centered Orientation: In comparison to the liquid layout or left-aligned fixed-width layout of yesteryears, the new designs call for a center-orientated layout.

c. Content Designing: It is often said, that the mantra of web 2.0 designing is "Design the Content, Not the Page"! Well, this can also be observed in quite a lot of cases. It is no longer designing a blank page to be filled with content later. Rather it's about designing the content, to make the site look more in sync with its theme.

d. 3D Effects: This is another of the very commonly found designing component for all web 2.0 sites. Glossy effects, reflections, bright colors and drop-shadows, are the latest designing trends.

e. Background Colors: As already mentioned, the page backgrounds are not the main aspects of designing any longer. Rather, they are generally filled with soft natural colors, gradients or simple diagonal or horizontal stripes. These simple backgrounds help to further enhance and highlight the importance of the already designed content.

f. Cute Icons: As with strong color and 3D effects, appealing icons and buttons can add that bit of polish to help give a page a high-quality feel. But used too much, they'll have the counter effect, cluttering the page and confusing the user.

g. Big Text: Important sections of the site are generally written using bigger texts. This is surely to attract the user's attention. However, not all the text should be using the same bigger fonts, simply because then none of them would be bigger than the other.

h. Big Input Fields: Bigger input fields are seen in the recent web 2.0 sites. This probably helps to validate the content design and the bigger text part of layout. Moreover, it somehow emphasizes the user interactivity of the web 2.0 sites.

i. Stars and Badges: Last but not the least, comes the bright stars and badges that have almost created a revolution in the web 2.0 designing. Almost all the sites that claim to be web 2.0 essentially include a bright star or a badge somewhere on their site. Mostly seen in their declaration of a beta release, the stars and badges can also be found in buttons and contents.

In addition to the orthodox definitions, these new, classy and smart web-designing trends also help to define a new breed of websites, the ones known to us now as the web 2.0 sites.

Thanks to Judy Hunter, is a technology and internet freak, an avid blogger and trend analyst who writes for 123Greetings.com and quite a few other websites. She also specializes on relationship management.

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.