Business Owners Collective
Characteristics of Ideal “Web 2.0” Site for IT Business owner.
I personally look at a lot of different types of websites and from my experience there seems to be some common mistakes in designing good websites. The first question you should ask your self is “What do you want people to due once they come to your website?” Based on results I think that business owners are really unclear on what they want to have happen when people go to there website.
I would say the majority of websites that I see look like digital business cards. For example most websites will list what a brief company history or about us, how to contact: phone number and e-mail, and maybe they will have a way to get a newsletter. This approach is really “old-school”. What is the compelling reason for people to stay on your site?
The most successful sites that I see usually have a since of community and they are sites that people want to keep coming back to. For example: You tube, MySpace, FaceBook etc… One of the reasons these websites are so successful is that they have a since of community and that there is an opportunity for people to comment, ask questions, contribute information and even edit the content on a site.
So what are some characteristics of a quality Web 2.0 site that people want to be involved with?
Everyone is talking about Web 2.0 but if I ask 10 people to define what Web 2.0 is I would get 10 different answers. So let's take a minute and define what Web 2.0 is.
From Wikipedia: “Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, “collaboration” among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social networking sites, Wikis, and bloggs. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and endorsers use the Web.”
Put in simple terms I would say that Web 2.0 is two-way conversation not a monologue. So how do you create a conversation with people that are coming to your site instead of using your site to broadcast a monologue?
Here are some characteristics of what a Web 2.0 site should look like.
Characteristics
A good Web 2.0 site should have regularly updated “valuable” content: Your web site is not just a digital brochure. If your site looks like a digital version of a yellow pages ad then you are going to miss out on marketing opportunities. When was the last time that you updated your content on your site? This is a very common mistake people make with their website. Especially IT companies. If I go to your site and I see a picture of a CRT monitor I know that it has been a while since they've updated there site.
I know what you're thinking: “I am busy and I don't have time to update my site” Yes. I know. And I do not want you to be the one to update your site. The people coming to your website should be the ones contributing quality content. This is the whole concept of blogging. Or said another way “Here's my opinion” “Now what do you think?” It is human nature for people to want to give there opinion. So why not leverage that principle to improve your site?
Also search engines love blogs especially if the content is relevant. This is a sure way to increase your hits. Check out www.wordpress.org
Have an offer on your site that would give away a piece of high quality information for free. For example put a give away of an e-book on “The top 10 mistakes people make when they upgrade software.” A great marketing strategy is to use www.aweber.com to set up auto responders that would send out the e-book in 10 separate articles at a frequency of one tip every other day. This helps you in building a community and being the preferred advisor in your niche. Also “aweber” asked the subscriber to choose into the receiving information so you can set expectations up front on how frequently you will be sending information or how they can get additional information.
Are you using RSS (Really Simple Syndication): If you publish a news letter once a month you have 12 times a year that you would notify a prospect of things that are new or that they might find relevant. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were notified every time a change occurred? Well that is what RSS feeds are designed to due. A perfect example is iTunes. If you are a subscriber to podcasts every time there is a new podcast episode iTunes it will automatically download into your library and you can listen or watch at your convenience. You can also use RSS for news articles, software updates, and just about anything else that you would want to capture. Take a look at www.iGoogle.com or Google Reader as a great example of how to use RSS. www.FeedBurner.com is a great way to create RSS.
Search Engine and User Friendly: You may have really good content but most people are not going to see your site unless you hand them your business card. As a general rule the better and more credible the information the better search engine results that you will get. Search engines want to provide the most authoritative information possible so if you can carefully define yourself as an expert in a niche and you can be an authority in that niche then you can receive a better ranking on search engines. Websites are becoming more like stocks from a marketing point of view check out http://www.alexa.com/ Play by the rules because if you don’t the search engines will kick you off…..
Do not Spam. If you do spam then you are going to be black listed. Lets face it people don’t like getting spam. When was the last time you got a spam email that added real value to your day? Also this goes against the general rule of having the end-user choose into the content.
Site must be interactive: Remember you want your site to be a conversation so you should have a place for people to comment and in addition a place for them to edit the actual content on the site. A perfect example of that type of site is www.wikipedia.org . You can use “wikis” to create an entire new dimension to your site if the strategy is used correctly. If you really want to start to understand the value in wiki’s read the book “Wikinomics” by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. www.wikinomics.com/book/
Automatic notification to your customers and prospect of content to updates: Outside of RSS, Bloggs, Newsletters, and Auto responders you should be able to send out a message about something that happened in your organization that would benefit your community. For example you may be launching a sister site or you may be having a 50% off sale etc…. You certainly don’t want to be sending out an email every week like this however if you build your community correctly and your content is valuable these types of communications should be well received.
General tips and sites to check out.
Add video content like screen casing check out http://www.jingproject.com/ it’s free.
How to pick you website colors? Check out http://kuler.adobe.com/
How do I write on my website? Best book on how to communicate your ideas. “Made To Stick” Why some ideas survive and others die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. http://www.madetostick.com/
PS: If you would like to know how to get a free audio down load of the book “Made To Stick” or you would like help implementing Web 2.0 strategies please
I would say the majority of websites that I see look like digital business cards. For example most websites will list what a brief company history or about us, how to contact: phone number and e-mail, and maybe they will have a way to get a newsletter. This approach is really “old-school”. What is the compelling reason for people to stay on your site?
The most successful sites that I see usually have a since of community and they are sites that people want to keep coming back to. For example: You tube, MySpace, FaceBook etc… One of the reasons these websites are so successful is that they have a since of community and that there is an opportunity for people to comment, ask questions, contribute information and even edit the content on a site.
So what are some characteristics of a quality Web 2.0 site that people want to be involved with?
Everyone is talking about Web 2.0 but if I ask 10 people to define what Web 2.0 is I would get 10 different answers. So let's take a minute and define what Web 2.0 is.
From Wikipedia: “Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, “collaboration” among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social networking sites, Wikis, and bloggs. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and endorsers use the Web.”
Put in simple terms I would say that Web 2.0 is two-way conversation not a monologue. So how do you create a conversation with people that are coming to your site instead of using your site to broadcast a monologue?
Here are some characteristics of what a Web 2.0 site should look like.
Characteristics
A good Web 2.0 site should have regularly updated “valuable” content: Your web site is not just a digital brochure. If your site looks like a digital version of a yellow pages ad then you are going to miss out on marketing opportunities. When was the last time that you updated your content on your site? This is a very common mistake people make with their website. Especially IT companies. If I go to your site and I see a picture of a CRT monitor I know that it has been a while since they've updated there site.
I know what you're thinking: “I am busy and I don't have time to update my site” Yes. I know. And I do not want you to be the one to update your site. The people coming to your website should be the ones contributing quality content. This is the whole concept of blogging. Or said another way “Here's my opinion” “Now what do you think?” It is human nature for people to want to give there opinion. So why not leverage that principle to improve your site?
Also search engines love blogs especially if the content is relevant. This is a sure way to increase your hits. Check out www.wordpress.org
Have an offer on your site that would give away a piece of high quality information for free. For example put a give away of an e-book on “The top 10 mistakes people make when they upgrade software.” A great marketing strategy is to use www.aweber.com to set up auto responders that would send out the e-book in 10 separate articles at a frequency of one tip every other day. This helps you in building a community and being the preferred advisor in your niche. Also “aweber” asked the subscriber to choose into the receiving information so you can set expectations up front on how frequently you will be sending information or how they can get additional information.
Are you using RSS (Really Simple Syndication): If you publish a news letter once a month you have 12 times a year that you would notify a prospect of things that are new or that they might find relevant. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were notified every time a change occurred? Well that is what RSS feeds are designed to due. A perfect example is iTunes. If you are a subscriber to podcasts every time there is a new podcast episode iTunes it will automatically download into your library and you can listen or watch at your convenience. You can also use RSS for news articles, software updates, and just about anything else that you would want to capture. Take a look at www.iGoogle.com or Google Reader as a great example of how to use RSS. www.FeedBurner.com is a great way to create RSS.
Search Engine and User Friendly: You may have really good content but most people are not going to see your site unless you hand them your business card. As a general rule the better and more credible the information the better search engine results that you will get. Search engines want to provide the most authoritative information possible so if you can carefully define yourself as an expert in a niche and you can be an authority in that niche then you can receive a better ranking on search engines. Websites are becoming more like stocks from a marketing point of view check out http://www.alexa.com/ Play by the rules because if you don’t the search engines will kick you off…..
Do not Spam. If you do spam then you are going to be black listed. Lets face it people don’t like getting spam. When was the last time you got a spam email that added real value to your day? Also this goes against the general rule of having the end-user choose into the content.
Site must be interactive: Remember you want your site to be a conversation so you should have a place for people to comment and in addition a place for them to edit the actual content on the site. A perfect example of that type of site is www.wikipedia.org . You can use “wikis” to create an entire new dimension to your site if the strategy is used correctly. If you really want to start to understand the value in wiki’s read the book “Wikinomics” by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. www.wikinomics.com/book/
Automatic notification to your customers and prospect of content to updates: Outside of RSS, Bloggs, Newsletters, and Auto responders you should be able to send out a message about something that happened in your organization that would benefit your community. For example you may be launching a sister site or you may be having a 50% off sale etc…. You certainly don’t want to be sending out an email every week like this however if you build your community correctly and your content is valuable these types of communications should be well received.
General tips and sites to check out.
Add video content like screen casing check out http://www.jingproject.com/ it’s free.
How to pick you website colors? Check out http://kuler.adobe.com/
How do I write on my website? Best book on how to communicate your ideas. “Made To Stick” Why some ideas survive and others die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. http://www.madetostick.com/
PS: If you would like to know how to get a free audio down load of the book “Made To Stick” or you would like help implementing Web 2.0 strategies please
Add a Comment
-
Comment by Susan Taylor on August 30, 2008 at 12:27am - Great article. Did I miss the ending? I want the free book!
About
Blog Posts
Characteristics of Ideal “Web 2.0” Site for IT Business owner.
I personally look at a lot of different types of websites and from my experience there seems to be some common mistakes in designing good websites. The first question you should ask your self is “What do you want people to due once they come to your website?” Based on results I think that business owners are really unclear on what they want to have happen when people go to there website.
I would say the majority of websites that I see look like digital business cards. For example most websites… Continue
I would say the majority of websites that I see look like digital business cards. For example most websites… Continue
Where to view my Posts:
My blog content can be found on the main Network page as well as on the Upstart Solutions support page at
http://support.upstartsolutions.net
See you there!
http://support.upstartsolutions.net
See you there!
Posted by Katie Blando on August 28, 2008 at 1:30pm
Badge
© 2009 Created by Katie Blando on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of Upstart Solutions to add comments!
Join this Ning Network