Thinking change regarding the web
By now, most people have heard of AJAX. It seems to be at the heart of all the Web 2.0 talk. Most people can’t define what web 2.0 is, but will tell you that it is a revolution that is changing not only the web and how we do business. Phooey I say. Just like the new PC technology 30 years ago was supposed to change and did change the world, it really wasn’t until it was used (due to Macs and later Windows) in certain ways that it really started changing things. The technolgy itself did not change things.
The web is the current focus though. Many sites are claiming to be Web 2.0 and many developers will develop a Web 2.0 site for you. The focus is on the technology and creating a site using it. The problem is, the site may not be needed or may not have much to do with your business. If that is the case, who cares. It doesn’t make your site better to use Web 2.0 technologies if they are used just to use them. There are plenty of static web sites out there that are more relevant than most web 2.0 sites.
The phenomenon is the sites that use the web as their main business in confounding ways. Myspace and youtube are great examples. Just about everyone I know has used both of these sites. These types of sites have helped cause almost a gold rush of similar sites clamoring to get a piece of the pie. Even these aren’t really the revolution changing aspect that I am approaching.
For most businesses, creating a YouTube or MySpace type site doesn’t fit their business and business goals. These types of sites aren’t useful to them. But, the next step in site evolution may be. So what am I hinting at? Bingo.
We recently did a portal website that allows Ohio users to find a bingo hall close to them. This site was created and then used for a commercial for a new game show on ABC - National Bingo Night. The actual game show had it’s own website that allowed people to download bingo cards to play, and win, from home. The show itself didn’t do great and got cancelled fairly quickly. The website on the other hand did absolutely wonderful. The number of unique visitors to the abc.com web site more than doubled in May from the same month a year earlier. According to MediaMetrix and Nielsen NetRatings, the site finished as the number one entertainment TV site for May.
Those types of number would make any business happy. That isn’t even the part that I believe is a complete shift in thinking. The interesting part is that they are bringing the TV show back on the air, mostly because of the web traffic. So they are doing a TV show to support their website! That is huge. Essentially, the brick and mortar focus of the business is actually taking a supporting role for the website. The website has now become the main focus of this business and is being used to get visititors and ultimately use that for revenue.
This is such a big concept that it is hard to really appreciate the scope of it. Let’s put it another way by using history. In the early part of the 20th century people could buy a car. They didn’t have many choices and they were expensive. There were no good roads, so it wasn’t the best way to travel. Most people still walked, rode bikes or horses. Then, Ford created the assembly line and suddenly anyone could get a car. That was so significant that we now have major roadways covering our country and most people own at least 1 car. This is the kind of shift that this type of business change can mean.
There are sites already using this type of thinking. Webkinz and Bella Sara cards are the ones I’ve seen. Webkinz are cute stuffed animals and Bella Sara have trading cards with horse pictures on them. Neither of these are outstanding or extremely different products. For each though, there is a website that kids can log onto and enter a code that came with their product. Now they can use their product online playing games and interacting with others. Ah, using the myspace idea but now they have a business (selling some product) that is meant to get you online. By itself, neither the products or the online sites would be spectactular. Together, they are overwhelming. Care to try to find a webkinz or a bella sara card pack on sale? Good luck. They are so extremely popular that stores cannot keep them in stock. It’s all so that the kids can get their card or animal registered on the web. How much in advertising or other products can the millions that are on these sites be worth?
So the shift I see is getting a business to create a web site that is more the focus of business and their current business is the support. Definitely a radical shift in thinking, but this appears to be the next step in the evolution of business and the web and their synergy. Almost every business can open their minds to these types of new ideas and create a truly viable and unique website that can not only enhance their business, but possibly become more of their business than originally thought possible.
These are the types of sites we are currently working on and encouraging clients to pursue. If interested in discussing how your business can take advantage of this new thinking and web climate, contact us.