Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Business in North Dakota in the 1890s looked a lot different
from today. Everyone might meet down at the general store on Main
Street to pick up necessities or luxuries and to share the news of
the day.
Some fear that the human contact that used to be an essential
part of business will soon be as old-fashioned as those handlebar
mustaches. Economist Thomas Friedman describes such contact as
"friction," and suggested that the internet would smooth it all
away, as we all got more accustomed to browsing through online
shops, making online purchases, and paying our bills
online.
Technology -- and shopping -- may have changed, but human beings
have not. We still crave interaction, and now the internet, far
from smoothing out the "friction" of human contact, creates new
ways for us to interact. That's the secret of Web 2.0.
Web 2.0, at its basic, is about two-way use of the
interent. The internet is now the most basic source of
information for most Americans. We got online to get phone numbers,
compare price information, and see what a business is like before
we drive to it.
But we -- and this incudes your customers -- also go online to
share our own ideas and information. We type in a review of a
business, comment at a blog, correct a wiki. We add our own
images to a description of an item, make a suggestions
at a forum, ask and answer questions
online. That's Web 2.0.
If it's time for a new website or an update to your current one
(and if you're not sure, then check out our 10
Signs that Your Website Needs a Makeover ), then you might
want to add some Web 2.0 features.
Onsharp can integrate a blog into your business website, for
example. That lets you share new information, useful suggestions,
and new product arrivals. Your customers can talk with you and with
each other in the comments. You can share more about your staff,
your philosophy, and your expertise, while also getting a
new opportunity to listen to your customers.
The web doesn't have to be a passive experience. Call us today
to discuss how to include Web 2.0 features in your web
strategy.