Transcript IT255: Unit 3

IT255: Unit 3
WEB 2.O APPLICATIONS FOR
SMALL BUSINESS
Web 2.0 Defined
 In order to know how to evaluate Web 2.0, you need
to know how it is defined.
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The term "Web 2.0" (2004–present) is commonly associated
with web applications that facilitate interactive information
sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and
collaboration on the World Wide Web.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
Web 2.0 Examples
 Popular examples of Web 2.0 technologies include:
My Space
 Wordpress
 Flickr
 YouTube
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Digg
 Skype
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Web 2.0 Indicators
 Recognize certain characteristics distinguish using Web 2.0 for business vs the
traditional model of the company providing everything to and for the customer
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You use the web as a platform for delivering technical services.
You consume software services, not packaged software.
Tools and applications scale in a cost-effective way for the way you run your
business.
Your experience and your customers' experience (where you give them
access and client areas for collaborating with you and other clients) is of
paramount importance.
You provide RSS feed capabilities to your customers and prospects and you
use RSS feeds to get exactly the information you want, when you want
it. (Essentially, your email in box is no longer sucking the life out of you.)
You share pictures with Flickr and you're getting better every day at
visualizing your ideas and your world with pictures.
Customer referrals increase.
 http://service.ducttapemarketing.com/2007/09/web-20-and-smal.html
Web 2.0 used for small business
 Possible uses:
 Instead of company newsletters, use TypePad or Wordpress
and create a blog
 Collaborate with your team or clients using cloud computing
solutions such as Basecamp
 Network with colleagues and/or potential clients on LinkedIn
 Reduce costs with software licensing and implement Software
as a Service solutions
 Incorporate wikis to encourage employees to share knowledge
and information about processes or projects
 Implement social networking for advertising
Web 2.0 Advertising
 Advantages:
 Using Web 2.0 solutions for advertising can offer some key
advantages
 Using social networking sites decreases the need to hunt for
the customer
 The social networking sites offer dramatic savings in
advertising costs and budgets
 Web 2.0 advertising gives you complete control over the
branding of the product. You decide how to design your
promotional materials online
 Global access to potential new clients
Web 2.0 Advertising
 Disadvantages:
 If the network connection goes down, so does your ad
campaign and other pertinent information
 Free Web 2.0 solutions could contain security flaws
 Poor backup practices. Reliance on paperless, cloud systems
may not encourage hard copies and additional backup of
critical data
 Posting personal information increases changes of identity
theft
 An even shorter attention span!
Web 2.0 Ideas
 What type of Web 2.0 technologies do you enjoy and
interact with?
 What type may be interesting to incorporate in your
own business plans?
 How will you measure whether or not it is effective?
 How will you balance the level of interactivity to offer
customers vs providing them with accurate and
current information? How will you determine if you
have gone overboard with all the Web 2.0 solutions
for your business?