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What is Web 2.0? How is Business Using It?

You may have heard the Millennials generation using terms such as Wiki, Furl, Facebook, Flickr and wondered what are they talking about. These and more are components of Web 2.0, and no this is not a new Internet hardware architecture.

Web 1.0 involved companies, webmasters and individuals developing websites and posting various content. You could look at the content and maybe buy something online but little more. Then certain applications or apps began showing up that allowed you to add your own content to other’s websites, to interact with other visitors collaborate with team members and much more. The result uses of the Internet vastly expanded and Web 2.0 evolved.

The Future Explorations Network developed a Web 2.0 Landscape (you can download the PDF containing this image at their site).

It is likely that this Landscape is already out of date since new apps are appearing continuously. If you want to find out more about specific apps, go to the Centre For Learning And Perforce where you will see a display of the top 100 web 2.0 apps.

Now let us look at how organizations are using Web 2.0. McKinsey Consultants conducted a Web 2.0 survey of senior corporate managers. Key points from the survey include —

  • Respondents show widespread but careful interest in Web 2.0 trends
  • Expressing satisfaction with their Internet investments so far, they say that Web 2.0 technologies are strategic and that they plan to increase these investments
  • Companies aren’t necessarily relying on the best-known Web 2.0 trends, such as blogs; instead, they place the greatest importance on technologies that enable automation and networking.

While McKinsey’s survey presents corporate wide applications there are many smaller intra-corporation Web 2.0 uses such as project management, team building, best practices sharing and others.

In a recent executive survey of marketplace trends by Forum Consulting Web 2.0 was identified as a key trend–

Using Web 2.0 Technology: Now, Not Futuristic: Web 2.0 technologies are used for both internal collaboration and as an interface with suppliers and customers, enhancing communication, collaboration, and intimacy among employees and the marketplace. Web 2.0 is certainly not just for tech-savvy teenagers: 79 percent of organizations view the collaborative aspects of Web 2.0 as a way to increase corporate revenue and/or margins.

Businessweek offers a Tip Sheet for using Web2.0. I agree with most, but see item pointed.

There are many opportunities for using Web 2.0 but there are risks that intellectual assets may seep out to competitors. There must be a delicate balance between promoting innovative use of Web 2.0 applications and protecting corporate assets. A worthy read is Cisco’s Internet Postings Policy.

Now you are ready to blog, wiki, Digg, and Furl, but be careful out there.

Do your visitors know what you’re talking about?

I reviewed a bio-technology site recently which was written in language I didn’t understand.

I did study sciences until I was 18, and have a doctorate (though in ancient philosophy and science, not 21st century science), so I’m not uneducated, but I still didn’t understand it. And I wouldn’t be the only one. According to the Campbell-Ewald Health research of 2006, only 55% of Americans can understand the content on pharmaceutical sites, because the average site requires 12 years of education. Many people browsing such sites will have less exposure to language than this.

The problem for me was simply the terminology used.

Some of the scientific language used could have been rephrased into simpler English, but some of it was essential. To play with language for a moment, it was essential both because it was necessary, and because the science it was describing is the essence of the company.

This problem isn’t true just of scientific sites, of course. Every industry has its own language and terminology. While it is vital to convey the nature of your company, it is also important that your visitors can understand what you’re saying.
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Thinking About Thought Leadership

It all started with consulting companies, then moved to software/technology companies and now is spreading to all types of companies. Thought leadership, simply put, is giving away content. This could be developed from what your leaders know, case studies or the musings of gurus and subject matter experts you hire.

Why do this? It drives traffic to your corporate website and enhances your company’s reputation as one that buyers may want to do business with. Think of thought leadership as stealth advertising and promotion. The content may not, and some say should not, mention your company. But the association is still made and by sharing your knowledge you build credibility.
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Want to know what the corporate giants do?

Are you interested in corporate intranets? What about finding out what the world’s biggest blue-chip companies do behind their firewall? How do they manage information and communication across such big organisations?

IBF are hosting a 24 hour online collaborative event focused on intranet innovation, and are expecting hundreds of the world’s largest organisations to join in, sharing best practices and learning from each other.

Astonishingly, this is a chance to visit some of the world’s most advanced intranets, corporate portals and information workplaces – behind the firewall! This should be an extraordinary event …
[Read more…] about Want to know what the corporate giants do?

Put your brochure in their pocket

Have you considered using podscrolls to communicate more detail about you?

Podscrolls are like presentations, or brochures, and are composed of a series of images, but they are read using an iPod or other personal media player with a colour screen rather than on paper. These were first used by travel guides (Rough Guides), but potentially have a lot of different applications.

Accenture are using them in their Careers section to enable prospective candidates to download brochures for reading later – on their ipods.

Accenture using podscrolls in Careers
Accenture

I can see that this might work for documents or presentations that you’d like people to review, re-read, and think about, and it is certainly convenient – no need to carry about a document in case you’d like to have another look later.

However, the pixel size is small (320*240) so you probably wouldn’t want to put your annual report or financial statements on podscroll.

But do you have manuals – either for your end customer or for your staff – that it would be helpful for them to have available in a size that would fit in a pocket? Or price lists? What about other presentations that people could download and read on the bus without having to get out their PC?

I’m going to be looking out for interesting uses of podscrolls, so if you come across something, do let us know.