In a previous post post, I presented a definition of Web 2.0 as the widespread acceptance and use of technology that allows continually changing or active communication. The main points of the post were:

• The most important aspect of Web 2.0 is not the technology itself, but rather the new culture of free and open communication that comes about because of technology.
• The old era of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) that was supported through biased and untrustworthy advertising is past.
• Web 2.0 technology has birthed a new era of caveat venditor (let the seller beware) since consumers are now able to communicate freely amongst themselves and provide unbiased feedback on sellers' claims. Amazon.com is a prime example.

How can Web 2.0 help your business?

From a marketing perspective, the questions are simple:

1. How can Web 2.0 help us reach more prospects,
2. deliver a more effective message and
3. decrease our message cost?

Is your business Web 2.0 compatible?

Again, the most vital element to success is not the technology itself, but rather the real value your business presently offers consumers. For those businesses who meet this criteria, Web 2.0 technology is tailor made to effectively assist in achieving the marketing goals mentioned above.

Bear with me as I give yet another Web 2.0 analogy. If I buy this 2006 ADR3 race car for $85k, its got the technological capability to win races. However, just because I buy the car does not make me competitive with professional drivers. Assuming I could con my way into entering a professional race, it would soon become apparent, when I crashed and burned on the first corner, that I was an amateur. The technology would do me little good if I did not posses the real ability to utilize its potential.

Likewise, the benefit that Web 2.0 technology can bring is directly proportional to some more fundamental aspects of your business, such as:

• Do your current customers (not you, your employees, or executives) consider the products you offer to be truly unique and superior solutions?
• Do you receive a significant portion of new business through referrals?
• Is it easy for your prospects to understand your unique value proposition?
• Is the leader of your business dedicated to establishing a front facing culture of transparency, honesty and direct communication with customers? 
• Do your employees understand and embrace this vision?

This by no means is a comprehensive list, but hopefully you get the idea. The more "yes" answers you can give to these types of questions the more potential your business has for excelling by implementing Web 2.0 technology and tactics.

For a more detailed look at how Web 2.0 technology can help you achieve your marketing goals you may want to check out our "Helping you achieve your goals" page.

Labels: Marketing-Communication, New-Media-Marketing, Web-2.0

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 8/01/2008 10:06:00 AM | 0 comments

Web 2.0 is a term that has proliferated rapidly over the last few years. The term has become so popular that it's now being used by about anyone for about anything (Web 2.0 Easter greeting card anyone?). For most businesses, it's not necessary to understand Web 2.0 in much technical detail. What is important to understand are the massive social and business environment changes that the Web 2.0 phenomena is driving.

Web 2.0—The Basics

Web 2.0 is simply the widespread acceptance and use of technology that allows continually changing or active communication.

As you may be aware, some of the most common Web 2.0 applications are blogs, podcasts, Content Management Systems (CMS), social networking sites and user forums. Each of these technologies can be defined within Web 2.0 depending upon how they're utilized. Technology is a prerequisite for Web 2.0, but it's the widespread acceptance and use part of the definition that really matters.

Let the Buyer Beware

The most important aspect to Web 2.0, from my perspective, is that it has sparked a grassroots revolution by consumers. The era of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) progressively grew through the 20th century until we languished under a never ending stream of unbelievable advertising. Regardless of consumer protection laws, the reality was that we were largely forced to rely on the naturally biased advertising and promotional information provided by businesses.

The losers in this environment were of course the consumers, but also those businesses who truly did offer unique value and could not afford to carpet-bomb our televisions, magazines and mailboxes. Nor could a business offering real value do much in their advertising to show they were different, since their competitors would make the same claims.

Consumers who wanted unbiased information about a seller relied on personal referrals—the most unbiased and believable feedback available. They were limited however by the finite capacity of their own personal networks.

Let the Seller Beware

Web 2.0 has ignited a new era of caveat venditor (let the seller beware). The rapid change in the marketing environment is not due to legislation or litigation, but rather the widespread practice of consumers sharing unbiased information about a sellers product to other customers and prospects.

A simple example can be seen with books. Outside of our friends' recommendations, we've had to rely on the publisher's information or from the questionably neutral editorial reviews. Now, thanks to Amazon and others, we have access to a large and active community of other consumers who provide us their unbiased feedback. Of course this is not a perfect system, those with ulterior motives can post reviews but we can use common sense to evaluate the reviews collectively and form a more reliable conclusion about a product.

For example, if I were to rely on attractive cover and glowing editorial review for Deck Planner: 120 Outstanding Decks You Can Build I might convinced to buy this book. But when I look at relatively low rating by consumers and their mixed reviews, I opt for a better choice.

The important point to understand about Web 2.0 from a business perspective is that our products and services will increasingly be promoted or demoted in the marketplace by consumers, and that advertising and PR will continue to lose effectiveness. Consumers now have better choices of where to get information before making a purchase decision.

The Web 2.0 revolution is only bad news for those sellers who have gotten away with neglecting their customers. In my next post, we'll explore some of the unprecedented opportunities and strategies for businesses offering true value.

Labels: Marketing-Communication, New-Media-Marketing, Web-2.0

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 4/29/2008 09:25:00 AM | 0 comments

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Labels: Search-Engine-Optimization, Web-2.0, Web-Development-Strategy

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 2/01/2008 02:12:00 PM | 0 comments

FAQ: How does Adobe Contribute compare to RisingLine's Content Management sites?

Our WebSite 2.0 sites are based on the open source application CMS Made Simple which is completely different than Adobe Contribute. CMSMS offers all the non-technical editing capabilities of Contribute (in a much more productive server side software model) plus it offers all features and capabilities to develop an enterprise class site.

WebSite 2.0 offers all the features that would be available through a developer using Dreamweaver and a content manager using Contribute with the notable differences that WebSite 2.0 is exponentially easier to use and after we configure it on your Web server doesn't require a technical expert "developer" even for many advanced features such as dynamic drop down CSS menu systems.

Here's a brief list of the major differences of Contribute when compared to WebSite 2.0:

• Contribute is client side software. This means that you will only be able to edit a website on a desktop that has Contribute.
• Contribute requires that every user be licensed. This can be a costly process if there are a lot of users set to update a website.
• Contribute is a website editing tool, not a website development tool. A web developer is still required to build the initial website design (usually using Dreamweaver).
• Contribute edits one page at a time, making complex design elements such as navigation menus hard to manage if they aren't controlled through a single source, like a database, Server Side Includes, or XML file.
• Updating a website's content through Contribute can be a much slower process than using a server side CMS system like WebSite 2.0, since each page must be downloaded (and uploaded) individually.
• User cannot access source code, therefore any function code must be edited in a secondary program such as Dreamweaver.
• Contribute is a proprietary solution that is based on the concept that other Adobe software will be involved in the production process . . . our Content Management software is open source and does not require other specific software for optimal performance. In other words, there are no additional software purchases intended for those who use WebSite 2.0

Regarding editing and adding content to WebSite 2.0 . . . any skilled user or developer can work with WebSite 2.0 at their own level so there is nothing that really can't be done, it would just depend on the skill level of the user.

We have different permissions that can be turned on for individual users depending on their expertise (or you can turn them on/off yourself). For example one user may be non-technical so we might just give him/her permission to edit the content of one page, while another may have more technical aptitude so we would give them permission to create & delete pages, move pages around in the site structure, and edit any page.

A user could also be given the ability to edit the design skin(s) for a site if they were skilled in XHTML & CSS. Also, you have direct access to the code level of the content (and even the entire page if you want it) just by pressing a button on the page edit screen.

Another significant difference is that our WebSite 2.0 sites are coded for optimization with the major search engines. There are a lot of details in the code that we optimize for the target keywords of your pages that would require much more manual coding with a Dreamweaver / Contribute platform.

In addition we configure your Web server for optimal indexing with search engines and utilize Web 2.0 technology, namely Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to increase our clients search engine profile whenever possible. We've written a number of articles on SEO that go into the topic much more: http://risingline.com/blog/labels/Search-Engine-Optimization.html

Labels: Web-2.0, Web-Development-Strategy

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 1/15/2008 09:08:00 AM | 0 comments

With the number of questions I'm getting from clients about why we included Digg and Del.icio.us tags on their site, I'm starting to realize that I'm not doing a very good job of explaining why upfront. So, in an attempt to reverse this trend, here's a bit of an explanation.

Digg and deli.cio.us are two of the most popular services for social networking. As you may be aware, social networking is a huge phenomenon powered by the newest web technologies (aka Web 2.0). For more insight look up "Internet Social Networks" on Wikipedia, but the essence of social networking from a business perspective is that it provides an unique free opportunity for an organization to get their message heard and propagated.

Social networking is relatively new to mainstream but growing fast and many believe that it will play a key role in the future of the Web. In addition to providing a medium for referrals, it also provides a means by which your site can be more visible to the Internet as a whole through indexes and search engines. Sites with quality, well targeted and frequently updated content are good candidates for success using social networking. For example, Idaho Business Review recently deployed a Web 2.0 site on which they utilize social networking links prominently in each of their online articles (see an example) . There are a lot of dynamics to be in place before a site is going to grow exponentially from its inclusion in social networks, but it comes down to a principle that an old sales veteran once told me, "If it can't hurt, and might help, why not do it?" And of course, having Digg and Del.icio.us links make you look hip.

Labels: Search-Engine-Optimization, Web-2.0

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 2/23/2007 10:01:00 AM | 0 comments

If your company is still sending out hardcopy or email newsletters to your customers, I'd like you to pause for a moment and consider how your customers actually feel about it. In fact, put yourself in their shoes for a minute ... Do you happen to appreciate, or even read for that matter, hardcopy newsletters from suppliers that are probably collecting dust on your desk? Or are you overjoyed when a company you might purchase from once or twice a year sends you an email sales pitch on a biweekly basis? If so, I commend you for being one of the few remnant holdovers from a fading era of marketing.

Speaking for myself, I'm annoyed when ever I receive unsolicited information. So much so, that I practically have to dedicate a stand-alone trash receptacle so as to circular file all the useless mail I receive from companies that I've bought from - not to mention having to shred all the "complementary checks" my credit card company keeps trying to pawn off on me - sorry, a rabbit trail.

Getting back to the point, some companies have obviously noticed that consumers are fed up with unsolicited information; you've probably realized that many firms have started to ask if you'd like "updates" sent to your email after filling out an online form. Although a good first step in lessoning the intrusion of unsolicited information, these requests for solicitation still don't account for or alleviate the horrendous amount of information overload that Americans are exposed to.

Okay, I'll get to the point ... how many email subscriptions can an individual sign up for before they're completely inundated with information? For instance, I used to have email subscriptions for Office Depot, Holiday Inn, ICR.org, Orbitz, and several others before I came to realize that what was once relevant information was now bothersome noise. Chances are, unless you're really a remnant of the old marketing era or just plain bored, you probably feel the same way I do.

So how do modern-day marketers send out non-intrusive information to their customers? A tough question for sure, but the answer may exist in the form of RSS (Really Simple Syndication), a viable media designed to deliver non-intrusive information to a targeted audience. To provide an example of RSS’ benefit, let’s say that "Customer X" enables an RSS feed through a browser, like Firefox," that will deliver keyword driven content via an aggregator or online homepage such as Google Personalized Homepage. This allows Customer X the ability to pick and choose content that is personally relevant to his/her interests. Customer X no longer has to filter through email or take the physical effort to trash hardcopy newsletters. The greatest benefit of RSS is simply time management; Customer X doesn't want you to waste his/her time, and utilizing RSS feeds and an aggregator system is a more efficient method of information sharing for both parties. In a true sense, this is actually giving Customer X the ability to choose what type of information, ahem ... advertising, they want to receive. From a corporate marketing perspective, companies such as yours can't ask for a better situation.

In conclusion, RSS and aggregator technologies are not vehicles to solve all of the world's marketing problems - content, relevance, and credibility are components which must be earned through time and effort. However, RSS and aggregators are great tools to help generate and distribute relevant content so as to build credibility.

I invite you to ask questions or provide critical feedback on this article. I'm truly interested in your opinions/thoughts regarding information distribution and RSS/aggregator technology.

Labels: New-Media-Marketing, Web-2.0

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Posted by Erik Jon Warila @ 8/14/2006 07:45:00 AM | 0 comments

What is RSS?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It's an easy way for you to keep up with news and information that's important to you, and helps you avoid the conventional methods of browsing or searching for information on websites. Now the content you want can be delivered directly to you without cluttering your inbox with e-mail messages. This content is called a "feed." RSS feeds are commonly syndicated from special web pages called blogs.

RSS is written in the Internet coding language known as XML (eXtensible Markup Language), which is why you see RSS buttons commonly labeled with and XML icon: . Other common icons that indicate an RSS feed include:

What is Podcasting?

Podcasting is a special type of RSS Feed that includes MP3 audio files, usually published through blogs. Listening to a podcast simply means downloading an MP3 audio from a link in a blog you've subscribed to. Once you download the file, you can either listen to it on your computer or transfer it to an MP3 player like an iPod to listen on the go. more podcasting information

What is an RSS Reader?

An RSS reader is a small software program that collects and displays RSS feeds. It allows you to scan headlines from a number of news sources and display them in a central location.

RisingLine also builds web sites that can be auto updated through RSS feeds from your own blogs or external sources to provide valuable automatically updated content for your visitors. For the more technically oriented, we also sponsor the site freerssdisplay.org that provides free RSS feed server service for building and styling any RSS feed for display on other sites.

Where Can I Get an RSS Reader?

Some browsers, such as the current versions of Firefox, have built in RSS readers. If you're using a browser that doesn't support RSS, there are a variety of RSS readers available on the web; for some there is no charge to download and others are available for purchase.

One popular option is "Include" which allows your RSS news feeds to be displayed in MS Outlook.

RisingLine makes it easy for your visitors to subscribe to your RSS news updates by including options for your feed to be automatically added to individual's popular home pages just by clicking on a graphic link. If you have a homepage at one of these sites try clicking on the graphic to add our news to your page:

We utilize the great resources of FeedBurner to provide a smart feed that allows people to choose the RSS syndication tool that works best for them. See all the RSS options for subscribing to the RisingLine blog:

How Do I Add RSS Feeds Manually?

If you're using a RSS news aggregator instead of one of the options listed above, each reader has a slightly different way of adding a new feed, also called a "channel." Follow the directions for your reader but, in most cases, here's how it works:

• Click on the link or small XML button near the feed you want. For example, on http://RisingLine.com/blog/ click on the or icon.
• From your web browser's address bar, copy the URL (web address). For example, the URL you would copy for our blog is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/NewMediaMarketing
• Paste that URL into the "Add New Channel" section of the reader. The RSS feed will start to display and regularly update the headlines for you.

Subscribe to RisingLine's RSS Feed

• Subscribe to our New Media Marketing Blog – Stay on top of important web technical and marketing information.

Set your site up with RisingLine's custom Blog and RSS solutions

Labels: Web-2.0

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 7/26/2006 10:32:00 AM | 0 comments

I know that many of you have heard my mantra on why advertising is losing effectiveness in our society, but I recently came across a New Yorker article that brought about a new dimension as to why consumers are getting burnt as a result of mass media ads. To be specific, we consumers are the ones paying for the ads we don't want to see. In fact, a good number of Fortune 500 companies allocate approximately 25% of their budget to advertising. For instance, Proctor and Gamble spent nearly $3,000,000,000 on advertising ~ and that was two years ago. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that those costs are passed along to the consumer. So, when you need to cure that scalp itch with some Head and Shoulders, just remember that a quarter of what you're paying for goes to pay for commercials you don't want to hear.

So by now you're probably asking yourself why this blog is relevant to New Media marketing. Therefore I'll get to the point ... if you're a marketing professional at your firm, think like a consumer and channel your message so as to communicate in a non-intrusive yet informative manner. In the old days, people would gather at the coffee shop to discuss life as well as business; and within their business discussions, they would give recommendations to their peers over a friendly conversation. This might have cost the consumer a nickel for a cup of joe, but they actually enjoyed the fresh roast much more than having an obnoxious guy with a beard yelling at them through a screen about how some special soap will remove grape juice stains from their grandmother's afghan. In other words, as a consumer myself, I don't mind when a friend passes a recommendation along to me because 1) I enjoy my friend's company, 2) I know my friend isn't getting paid to provide this information to me, and 3) I myself am not paying for that information.

Furthermore, today's coffee shop is virtual and the conversations are taking place, you as a marketer need to engage and infiltrate in order to build your brand from an organic level. For example, Apple is a forward-thinking company that understands this concept of transparent community, so much so that they are willing to invite criticism of their own products. Recently I visited their site to purchase a new power chord for my PowerBook G4, I was pleasantly surprised to gather information - FREE INFORMATION - that wasn't filtered by Apple that influenced my purchasing decision. I'd encourage you to visit Apple's Web store to see for yourself:

In conclusion, this New Media marketing revolution must be looked at as a win-win for both consumers and companies because it is not only reducing the communication channel while increasing intimacy, but it is also reducing costs for companies and bringing about the opportunity to lower pricing for the consumer. The only downside to this movement is that many advertisers will be looking for new careers in the near future.

Articles of Interest:

The New Pitch, Do ads still work? by Ken Auletta

Advertising Doesn't Work - Part 2. by Mike Catherall

Fixing the Ad Agency Mess - by Joseph Jaffe

Labels: New-Media-Marketing, Web-2.0

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Posted by Erik Jon Warila @ 7/20/2006 04:07:00 AM | 0 comments