Where Can I Get Web 2.0 for My Small Business?
October 6, 2008
Several small business owners have asked this question. Well, sometimes it’s hard to respond.
For me Web 2.0 is a mindset or a philosophy. It is a way of creating dialogs with your audiences via the world wide web. Everyone participating becomes a contributor. Finally there is a level playing field for like-minded individuals. Small business owners, hockey moms, pet lovers, etc. can become thought leaders and create their own communities if they have passion for a certain topic or field and they are willing and able to share their interest and knowledge.
We don’t have time for this knowledge sharing stuff and online networking some small business owners say. Could I just put up my website and update it once or twice a year? Yes, you can. But you may miss out.
Web 2.0 has opened new avenues for keeping up with global connections as well. I have been able to re-connect with people in different countries via social networking tools. It is amazing – they can get glimpse of my life and accomplishments by looking at my profile and I can see what they have been up to. I can see their current photographs and family life…and avoid asking embarrassing questions.
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4 Responses to “Where Can I Get Web 2.0 for My Small Business?”
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Hi, I run Brownbook.net, its a web2.0 business directory that lets any business encourage its customers to give them testimonials.
Businesses are using it to do just what you suggest, connect more closely with customers, get a dialogue going, and use that to encourage new customers.
We have a very near feature that lets you click to invite people to review your business and directs them to exactly the right page to do it. As a business owner you get alerted any time anyone leaves a new review too. You can also tag your business (very web2.0) with relevant keywords that help you get found, even if you’re in a very obscure (“long tail” in web2.0 parlance) industry.
Don’t want to harp on or make this a massive sales pitch, but for small businesses its well worth a look.
http://www.brownbook.net
(check out our blog also for what small business owners are saying about us)
http://blog.brownbook.net
Thanks
D
oops, should have mentioned this cos it speaks to your point about updating your site (maybe you want to combine this with my previous comment – save having two comments from me)
… unlimited updates, as often as you wish, no charge, you do it all online, and they appear instantly. Unlike the ‘traditional’ directories that take ages to get round to making updates when you ask them.
D
(PS: A good topical post, thanks.)
While I agree that Web 2.0 is a philosophy or a state of mind, it is made possible by some very specific tools.
WordPress is my favorite blogging tool, which allows any small business owner to easily create a simple, professional looking blog on which they can tell their story.
Particiapting in social networks, and commenting on other blogs allows them to build a reputation as a subject matter expert and as you said, stay in touch on a personal level as well.
I love WordPress too – you can even create a very professional website for your small business on this blogging platform.