It’s who you know ...

After years of working on the Internet and in the publishing business there is one lesson I’ve learned about life on the web, and that is, it’s all about people.  This seems contrary to what the web outwardly appears to be.  Ask anyone and they will probably tell you the Internet is all about data, information and content – a virtually endless encyclopedia of useful (and sometimes useless) information.  While this is true, information by itself is useless unless there are people to view it, and the more specific the information the more important it is to have the “right” people viewing it.  On the Internet information ranks second in importance to people, and that is what the next generation of websites and services is focused on: it is the essence of Web 2.0.

If you travel in web circles you may have heard the term Web 2.0 thrown around. If not I can tell you it simply refers to the next stage of maturity happening on the Internet.  The first stage of the Internet, Web 1.0, was the  amassing of terabytes of information and billions of web pages; the second stage, Web 2.0, is all about making it simple and user friendly for human beings. 

Early business and organization websites resembled online books or brochures – pages and pages of static company data that loudly and repeatedly waved the company flag. But the truth is, people are looking for more.  They are looking for faster, easier and more convenient ways to do business.  They are looking for fresh, up-to-date information and services that can help them increase their bottom line and save them time during their busy work days. 

Effective website design begins with identifying and categorizing the people a business or organization already knows and interacts with. Graphic-heavy, slow loading websites are giving way to simple, easy-to-use, customer-friendly sites designed for repeat visits and repeat business.  Most contemporary company websites are simpler and more powerful, retaining existing clients and attracting new ones with dynamic and interactive online services.  Online ordering, order status, inventory look-up, self-service web tools and other customer support services are replacing the flashy eye-candy that was once prominent on the web.

The new generation of websites also include a content management plan designed by the sales and customer service department.  Aside from regular product and service support information, the content plan should include regular updates of news and service information relevant to the clients and their industry.  Marketing managers will get more out of traditional advertising if they can use the website as an interactive way to support their efforts.  People expect and want some level of customer service on the web, whether it’s the ability to check on a project status or monitoring a delivery, getting online will improve customer service and reduce costs. n

Joe Perraton is president of Point One Media, Inc. and can be reached at <jperraton@pointonemedia.com>.