While I may soon need another source, right now I’m glad I use Twitter. Today, I saw a tweet from @ToddGilmore that mentioned Web 3.0. It was in the context of leaders learning to use social media, but that’s all I could figure out in terms of defining “Web 3.0.”
To arrive at a definition for Web 3.0, we should start by defining Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. Web 1.0 was the beginning of the Internet. Examples included the type of website that one might have posted as a school assignment in the early 1990s. It typically followed the format (and included the phrase) “Hi, my name is (Your Name Here.) This is my website about Topic X” immediately followed by what was essentially an article about Topic X. The information was often accompanied by a graphic (or several) and a primitive MIDI (music) file playing in the background. I may be exaggerating a bit, but that’s the clearest example I can think of.
Web 2.0 is what a lot of people have come to use the Internet for now. It’s the interactive websites that allow us to share the information about ourselves and the world that we might have used to create Web 1.0 (or new information.) Examples include Facebook, MySpace, Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter, blogs, etc.
Likewise, Web 3.0 is an extension of the interactive nature of the Internet that is developing through Web 2.0. Many experts say that it will be focused on and tailored to the individual. It will most likely have an artificial intelligence-like component now referred to as “the semantic web” with which people can search in human terms such as questions and requests as opposed to keywords, as well as a great deal of personalization and even more mobility than there is now.
New Fact: Web 3.0 is the next wave of Internet advancements. It is expected to be user-centered, more human-like, and highly portable.
The idea of Web 2.0 has really caught on although it was unheard of just a few short years ago. Today, Web 2.0 is known as the second generation of the web and since Web 1.0 lots of changes have taken place that can make small business web design a challenge. It’s certainly not impossible, it’s just that in the new Web there are different things that work than before and it is important for small business websites to be aware of the important features of their website in the new generation of the web.
For example, if you are using a Utah web design company to update your website or even design you a new one you want to know they are competent with the features that work best in Web 2.0. A great example is Google Adsense, which basically replaced DoubleClick in the new generation of the web. If you are working with a Utah Internet marketing firm and they are working with DoubleClick still instead of Google Adsense you will want to find someone else to work with. That’s because today Google Adsense is a great way to make money on your website and any web design company should know what Adsense is as well as its importance on the web. Another great example of the change from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 is Britannica Online to Wikipedia. The first was just a regular old encyclopedia website where basic information could be found. Wikipidia however is a super encyclopedia that has information on anything and everything imaginable and that users can add information to in order to make the entry more complete. These are just some of the ways the web has changed and small business websites need to keep up with the changes to stay competitive.
That means things like blogging, RSS, keyword articles, backlinks, and more should be part of a small business’s vocabulary in order to truly understand how a website should be designed. And, if the small business is not aware of the importance of these features on Web 2.0 then Utah web design company should certainly know what they are and how to utilize them. Small businesses find it hard to keep up with rapid changes because these businesses focus on just that, their business, and knowing what’s going on web wide can be a major challenge. Nevertheless, it is very important for small businesses to pay attention and stay abreast of Web 2.0 and its changes so they can keep their website up to date and going strong.
When it comes to ecommerce business, a lot of the professionals rely on the trends to determine what is going to be successful. Many people do not look at this, but it might be important depending on what type of business you are getting into online. Below are simply some interesting trends that may impact your business. Generally, ecommerce, despite the economy is still a good business decision when done properly.
Fact #1: Ecommerce is continuing to grow rapidly
Source: usa.usembassy.de
While the sales have slowed down in recent years, the industry of ecommerce in general is still thriving. There will likely still be growth this year. Since 2001, there has been an average of roughly 25 percent increase each year. This number is expected to lower this year but I doubt that it will be in the negative.
Fact #2: There are continuing to be more internet users each year
Source: impactlab.com
It really is to no ones surprise that there are more internet users now than there was back in 2000. In fact, the internet usage for North Americans has seen an 132.5% increase since then. So basically, it is safe to assume that this number is not going to go down anytime soon. It is probably safe to consider that those who used the internet the last several years will not quit now and the younger generation is growing up and utilizing technology as well.
Fact #3: The Age is lowering, but will rise again
Source: wikipedia.org
Source: december.com
This is probably one of the more interesting statistics that would relate to ecommerce. It is generally stated that no one from the older generation uses the internet. However, this is a common misconception according to this trend. Generally, the average age for internet users has become lower. However, you may be shocked to know that as of 2000, the beginning of the internet burst of users, the average age of an internet user was 41 years old with an income of $65,000. This is likely because they had more access to computers. However, this number has lowered to an age of 29.78. The reason for this is the younger generation seems to love technology in general. They have really caught onto the internet and use it for a lot of their communication. This will continue and the average age number is expected to grow as the generation of internet users gets older. You will also find this number increasing as more businesses begin to do business online as well. Generally though, this number is probably not as low as some may expect. The average internet user is very capable of making purchases online. This is good news for ecommerce.
Fact #4: More purchases are being made online each year
Source: census.gov
According to statistics, people are continuing to buy more online each year than they had previously. Often times, we are finding that even common items are being purchased online. For example, in some cities you can now buy your groceries via a website. This means that as people make that transition, there is more and more money being transacted over the internet. Overall, businesses are growing in terms of how many sales they do online in comparison to how many are being done in the store. This is a good indication that people are buying more of their products online instead of in retail stores. There is no suggestion that this will slow down anytime soon.
