Web 2.0 and Beyond

Web 2.0 has taken on buzzword status. It's now shorthand for everything that is new, cutting-edge, and gaining momentum online. Web 2.0 can describe particular Web sites; cultural trends like social networking, blogging, or podcasting; or the underlying technology that makes today's coolest Web applications possible. Many Web 2.0 innovations were pioneered by behemoths like Google, Amazon, Apple, YouTube, and MySpace. But even the smallest, leanest companies can take advantage of the new trends, new and open-source programming tools, and new networks. This book presents a wealth of ideas that will enable any business to quickly and affordably deploy Web 2.0 best practices to gain customers and maximize profits.

Web 2.0 is more a series of trends than a basket of things: —More and more, power is in the hands of individual users and their networks. —Web content is distributed, sorted, combined, and displayed across the Web in formats and places not anticipated by the content creators. —New technology now makes rich online experiences and complex software applications possible, and at a low cost. —Integration is breaking down walls between PCs and mobile devices. Web 2.0 is a landscape in which users control their online experience and influence the experiences of others. Business success on the Web, therefore, now comes from harnessing the power of social networks, computing networks, media and opinion networks, and advertising networks. Web 2.0 takes advantage of higher bandwidth and lighter-weight programming tools to create rich, engaging online experiences that compete with television and other offline activities. With examples and case studies from real businesses, this book demonstrates what makes a successful Web 2.0 company, regardless of its size or resources. A non-technical guide, it is aimed squarely at the marketer or business manager who wants to understand recent developments in the online world, and to turn them into practical, competitive advantages.

Tom Funk has been involved in ecommerce and Web publishing since 1995. In his six years managing the Web sites of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Funk saw online revenues triple, and the company's sites were named to Internet Retailer's Best of the Web Top 50. Funk is currently VP of Client Services for Timberline Interactive, a Web development and online marketing consultancy.