Web 2.0 for Webmasters

It's the latest buzzword, used to describe everything from technology upgrades to website redesigns. But what does Web 2.0 mean? And how is it relevant to us as webmasters?

What Web 2.0 is

Web 2.0 started as the name of a 2004 conference, but the term still doesn't have a commonly recognized meaning. One way to describe it is that it's using all the available tools to make the Web a friendlier and more interactive place. Or it's using online tools faster, easier, and better. Google, often named as a Web 2.0 site, is an example of helping people use the Web right.

Another way to look at it is that the Web is evolving, and it's been given a new name. It's similar to how in the 1990s, people talked about the New Millennium, and now that we're here, we draw a line between this century and the past one.

Web 2.0 is the Web with a more interactive purpose. It is not a new and improved version of the Web, but rather an evolving philosophy of how the Web can be used.

Back in the 1990s, most sites provided information published by their owners. While that's still true about most sites, increasingly more sites include or focus on content types that anyone can contribute to, such as blogs, forums, and product reviews. The content then becomes a collaboration by a number of people rather than just by the website owner or development team.

In addition, user-driven sites such as wikis and social bookmarking sites have become more popular. The term architecture of participation was coined to describe such sites. One of the best-known of these is del.icio.us, a social bookmarking site with Web feeds for link collections.

Also included under the Web 2.0 umbrella are applications such as Ajax, a web development technique that helps people interact with the Web faster. A broader definition of Web 2.0 applications is programs that run from websites without users having to install anything.

The following sites have more detailed explanations of Web 2.0:

• Web 2.0: a non-technical essay
• Web 2.0: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software

For user-contributed examples of Web 2.0 sites and a discussion about what Web 2.0 is, see this Matt Cutts blog entry and comments.

Web 2.0 and improving website traffic

People want to express themselves, and it's human nature to want to feel part of something. Many technologies that fall under the Web 2.0 label allow people to do both.

If you provide useful content at your site, people will come to it. They will link to it. They will bookmark it at social bookmarking sites, bringing more visitors and creating more inbound links.

When you provide the means for site visitors to contribute content to your site, you acquire more content for bots as well as for people and more content for people to link to.

Not every site has content suited for a forum, a blog, or product reviews. But even those that aren't can benefit from Web 2.0 by having content that people will want to link to and discuss at other sites. Search engine optimization and traffic building have become easier with new ways available for people to promote your site just because they like it.

Web 2.0 and staying on top

Your site may be doing well now. But if competing sites have better features and usability and more useful content, those sites may become more popular. We can sit back and think that because our site is good now, it will continue to look good compared to other sites.

So what can webmasters do?

• Keep informed about new developments and trends, and observe what you like and don't like at other sites.
• Make your site as user-friendly as possible, from fast-loading pages to ease of use.
• Write about what people want to know. Publish quality, updated content — and give users the opportunity to contribute to the content if doing so fits with your site.
• Update your site with new features that will enhance users' experiences.
• Set up RSS feeds for pages that you update regularly, such as news pages.

For more information about social networking, see these blog entries:

• Give Visitors a Voice and Grow
• Socializing Your Site to Success: Using Folksonomy to Build Traffic