Is a Web 2.0 set of standards needed or even possible
Picture credit: Wikipedia
Web 2.0 has been a popular term for around five years or so now but for much of that time few people have been able to really nail it down and define it. Web 2.0 seemed to suggest the idea that the Internet was changing and that overnight websites had to change to include the latest in media and user generated content.
Many companies saw web 2.0 as a marketing tool only: used by web design companies to convince them firstly that though there had been a dot com boom and bust things were now different, and secondly to convince them of course that they needed new websites. Many web designers did use web 2.0 in this way and often web 2.0 was just whatever the web designer chose it to be based on what skills they had and what they could actually do for a customer. At the same time though a movement to really bring about a web 2.0 that meant something was afoot and they had no misconceptions that they were going to revolutionize the web overnight.
The web 2.0 conference now the web 2.0 summit did in fact coin the phrase web 2.0 initially and they have tried to define a standard for web 2.0, that standard aims to make it easier for companies buying websites and web developers and designers to understand what web 2.0 really entails but it isn’t as really as simple as a set of rules as to what constitutes a web 2.0 site.
Part of the web 2.0 standard that the web 2.0 summit push forward is more of an approach than a definite element of a web 2.0 site. This is the network as a platform idea, the idea that a website can get better the more people use it and collaborate. Forums are a part of this as is user generated content; free discussion and free thinking among people who would before web 2.0 never have met, though maybe unknowingly read the same websites content. This has been taken a step further than simple content though, open source and crowd sourcing are ideas that go beyond the web but have their roots firmly in web 2.0.
Is user generated content right for all businesses though? Quite possibly not, some businesses simply want a portal where they can be found by potential customers or communicate to customers, do they need to let customers communicate back? A big part of web 2.0 has been to let customers say what they want with comments and testimonials that often go straight up on site and with social media where a customer can reply directly to a companies communication and communicate with all of their followers: this can be good or bad but with web 2.0 it is perhaps expected by consumers.
A true set of web 2.0 standards would tell businesses and other site owners exactly what a website should and shouldn’t have, what customers can and can’t do and perhaps that pages mustn’t be static and websites must be interactive and must provide more than pages of information. With the ways businesses embrace web 2.0 being different every time this isn’t possible and perhaps there are still a few businesses for whom a non web 2.0 site with static html and no way to communicate or interact is right, not that any examples spring to mind.
ABT Websites Offer Superior E-Commerce Design
Those looking for a web design company often struggle with their choice because they know little about what they need or want. Choosing a web design company in this way is like choosing a car based only on the name without actually seeing the car or knowing about it. You could easily buy a car that is totally unsuitable for your needs and with website design every web design company is different and will meet different needs. Someone who wants their own personal blog setup won’t go to the same company as a retailer who needs a new transactional e-commerce website for their business.
For those looking for e-commerce web design, Northwest Florida based ABT Websites are worth talking to, they certainly know a lot about e-commerce web design. Pensacola businesses going online for the first time can be sure of the best advice from ABT Websites to make sure they end up with a website that is easy to use for customers and importantly easy for them and their staff to maintain. A good e-commerce website shouldn’t be difficult to change or add products to; it is a vital part of web design. Pensacola retailers also need sites that say “trust me”. There are certain things that visitors to a website look for when deciding whether to trust and buy from a site; miss out on any of these important elements of web design and you find sales are almost zero; something as simple as including a picture of your business on your site can boost sales as through this element of web design so Pensacola businesses can show they have a physical presence and are established businesses rather than garage start ups.
Now although the first stage may be the e-commerce web design, Pensacola retailers may then need to know how to best run an e-commerce website. Even with the experience of running a bricks and mortar business, retailers will find you need certain skills in running and marketing an online business that you can’t learn overnight. Unlike most e-commerce web designers, ABT Websites offers e-commerce consultancy and ongoing support to their clients. Adding and managing products and making the most of their highly featured sites is basic training that can be done, but they can also show you how to make the most of cross selling opportunities and using promotions including sales and price promotions. This can all be taught and explained by ABT’s designated e-commerce consultant.
Marketing online is also very different to marketing offline, you can potentially reach far more people, but those people also have much more choice, coming up with a unique selling point and using internet marketing to get people to come to your site rather than another is vital. ABT can show you how to use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to increase visitors and even help you set up a highly profitable affiliate program to reward other websites for sending you visitors that then buy from you.
Benefits of WordPress
A basic WordPress website with a CMS and pages is entirely visible to search engine robots and can be set up in a shorter amount of time. The value a web designer can still offer when building a WordPress site is graphic design skills. WordPress has plenty of free themes that look great but, you do see the same ones again and again online and this also gives away that a site is a WordPress site that some businesses may want to avoid as they are still associated with amateur bloggers. A great looking site can be designed for WordPress and still look unique. WordPress can do more and more with the ever increasing amount of plug-ins available that allow an E-commerce sites, jobs boards and various other niche site types to be setup and run through WordPress.
Easy content management. WordPress can be easily updated whenever it is required and only takes a short period of time to do it. In a couple of clicks, you can easily add a new page or a new post to your website.
Enhances SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Each time you add a new post or article to your website, WordPress instantly creates a URL. It lets you create URLs that are made up of keywords that search engines love. This is what allows the search engine crawlers to rank you.
Blog platform. This is an excellent platform choice to maintain your blogging posts on. It allows you to receive comments on your content, which turns the content into conversations, and Google loves conversations.
Plug-ins and Widgets. Plug-ins are small software programs that allow you to perform different kinds of tasks on your website, such as Google Analytics, RSS Feeds and newsletters. Widgets are basically a block of content and mini interactive features that can also enhance your website. Sometimes plug-ins are developed as widgets so that it can be easily added to your site.
The best part of WordPress is that with each new version, it gets better.
Small Businesses miss out without professional websites
Panama City, Florida has many great local businesses, but could these businesses do more with the right website? First of all, if you are a small business, do you have a website? And second, if you do, is it professional both in how it looks and how it works? If your website is not SEO friendly, people may not be able to find your website or if they are able to find it and your website doesn’t have a clean, functional design, people may get frustrated and choose not to do business with you. So let’s talk about why, as a small business, you need a website and what a great looking professional website does for you.
You could be Business to Business or Business to Consumer or a mixture of the two. The internet has developed to a point where not only other businesses judge you on your website but consumers as well. So if you have a website that looks unfinished, people may come to the conclusion that either you haven’t been in business for very long or that you just can’t afford a professionally done website. As a small business you need to have a professional looking and working website to represent you in a positive manner and give consumers the confidence to do business with you. If you are a business in Panama City, consult with a web design company to discuss what your design and functionality needs are for your website. They will help you by asking you the right questions to make sure you get the most out of your web design.
