Chapter 1. The Mindset Shift: From Web 2.0 to Web 3.0
What Is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 began when Web users started to drastically change the way they were using the Web on a day-to-day basis. The main trends that shaped Web 2.0 include content sharing, creativity, segmentation, social components, and added functionality. Some of the added functionality is peer-to-peer sharing of files, easier communication and networking on various social marketing sites, video sharing, and blogging. Web directories evolved to social tagging, personal Web sites shifted to blogs, and online versions of encyclopedias morphed into Wikipedia. In the Web 2.0 world, collaborating on social networks and sharing information helped shape the trend relatively quickly.
As a marketing advantage, there are four key components to Web 2.0:
• Social networks are the sites where people come together and share ideas, thoughts, and comments. Examples: Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace.
• Social media are the places where you can share content with the world in hopes of spreading awareness. Examples: YouTube, Scribd, and Flickr.
• User-generated content was what sparked much of the discussion on Web 2.0. This is where users create, manage, and update information. Examples: Squidoo, blogs, and Wikipedia.
• Social news and bookmarking have allowed users to organize their Web experience. Examples: Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon.
The Limitations of Web 2.0
For many people, Web 2.0 is the king of the mountain. On the contrary, I want to rip it apart, tear it to shreds, and show you all the loopholes, which, in turn, become fresh opportunities.
There are five essential limiting factors of Web 2.0:
• Oversaturation
• Misconceptions
• Time
• Modes of Interaction
• Openness
Oversaturation
Let’s start with the limiting factor that should command the most attention: oversaturation. The problem is that everyone and their third cousin are on the Web 2.0 bandwagon.
As a society, we have become so obsessed with Web 2.0 that it has become oversaturated! All of this saturation causes an exorbitant amount of unnecessary noise.
The key limitation to Web 2.0 is that it has become oversaturated.
Here are some examples:
• Your grandma calls you and says she’s been told she needs a blog so that her friends can stay updated on her travels.
• Eight-year-olds are posting videos on YouTube.
• Photos of your kid’s birthday are shared with the world on Flickr.
You might argue that, as a result, these sites are receiving a lot of good traffic because everyone is logging on. You are correct. However, how targeted is the traffic going to be? This is a key concept you will hear throughout the book. Targeted traffic is the advantage that strategic marketers are seeking.
When it comes down to it, the key is drilling down to find the best interaction. Facebook is an excellent place to network, meet new people, and do business. But Facebook is a powerful marketing tool only when you know how to use it to reach out to specific people or groups of people.
Misconceptions
Common misconceptions about Web 2.0 have also caused difficulties. How many times have you heard that MySpace is just for teens and porn? The statement is nowhere near correct; however, there are millions of people who firmly hold that statement to be true. Those are the people who are very tough to reach using Web 2.0 marketing methods.
The media portray Web 2.0 in one way. The fact of the matter is that some people can ruin it for all of us. You get some crazy 14-year-old from China creating a virus, and suddenly everyone thinks that their computers are infected and that they can’t open any attachments or even browse the Web.
Time
Time is also a limiting factor. As we become more and more connected, we get more and more distracted by all the noise, like comments being made on our blogs, questions about our photos on Flickr, or updates on Wikipedia. One trend that never seems to change is that people continue to get busier and have less time for interaction.
Both consumers and businesses continue to demand more information, and they want it faster, making it very challenging to keep up. Once they think they have found their preferred method of communication (e-mail), an even better method comes out that is even faster (to be talked about shortly).
Modes of Interaction
I understand that this way of thinking may be contradictory to what you might be thinking: Isn’t the goal of Web 2.0 to create new modes of interaction? I define modes of interaction as the different places and devices that people use to gather, search, network, and exchange information. People are gathering in different places around the Web and interacting in different ways with each other. But these modes of interaction have decreased the human touch. Do you even pick up a phone on a daily basis? If you need something, you pop off an e-mail. If you have a question, you search Wikipedia.
Once you start getting bogged down with e-mails, Facebook messages, and instant messages, you start to look for a solution to simplify things, and a bad taste forms in your mouth. Then you reach the tipping point, making you jump ship and focus on something else. In other words, there is just too much out there, thus causing confusion and a lack of adoption.
Openness
Lastly, the openness of Web 2.0 has become a striking limitation. Most humans are naturally private. When you have a Facebook account, a MySpace account, and a Flickr page, your privacy drops quickly. If you are an avid user of Facebook or read the news, you will remember when Facebook changed their policy to state that they own your content even after you’ve canceled your account. They did change that policy back, but it’s still quite vague in their favor. We enjoy sharing details about ourselves, but there comes a point where it just gets weird or creepy. Take, for example, Google Ads on Gmail. You actually will see ads based on the text phrases you’re typing in your e-mail. So if you happen to write “personal development,” you will see targeted ads with that phrase!
What Is Web 3.0 Marketing?
Web 3.0 marketing describes the next wave that is already taking place and is the shift from Web 2.0. The key driving factors to Web 3.0 marketing include browsing habits, browsing methods, more intelligent information, the experience we’re looking for, and the openness of the Web. BlackBerrys and iPhones, portals into Web 3.0, are ruling the day. Simplified: Web 3.0 marketing is the convergence of new technologies and rapidly changing consumer buying trends.
Live, streaming video is outpacing static video, and companies like Twitter, Plurk, and Jaiku are growing much more rapidly than Blogger, WordPress, or TypePad. The Web 3.0 marketing world is where customized, intelligent information is available at our fingertips, on any device, from anywhere in the world!
The Five Key Components of Web 3.0 Marketing
• Microblogging is the ability to share your thoughts with a set number of characters. People are busy with limited time, so why not get right to the point of the story in 140 characters or fewer? Examples include Twitter, Plurk, and Jaiku.
• Virtual reality worlds are places users visit to interact with others from around the world in a 3-D setting. Meetings are being conducted in these spaces, and trade shows are being replaced with virtual reality shows. Examples include Second Life and Funsites.
• Customization/personalization allows visitors to create a more personalized experience. They are starting to expect their name to appear at the top of Web sites, personal e-mails, and even advanced checkout options that suit their buying habits. As the Web becomes more and more intelligent, personalization will be the norm. Examples include SendOutCards, Google, and Amazon.
• Mobile plays on the fact that there are billions of cellphone users throughout the world. This number is much larger than those that use PCs. Consumers are surfing the Web and purchasing products right from their mobile phones. They are also using their phones and becoming instant journalists by shooting raw footage of random acts. Examples include iPhones and BlackBerrys.
• On-demand collaboration allows users to interact in real time by looking over documents, collaborating, and making changes in real time. Software as a service also fits into on-demand collaboration as it allows users to leverage only Web-based solutions. Examples include Google Docs, www.Salesforce.com, www.Slideshare.net, and www.Box.net.
Let’s review the limitations of Web 2.0 so you can see how these start fitting nicely into Web 3.0 marketing:
