At the O'Reilly Media Conference back in 2004 the Web 2.0 rumble began. For years later, it is going full swing, confusing the masses and being flung around with little to no understanding about what it actually stands for. Often used to describe social bookmarking sites, blogs and interactive forums, this explanation only covers half of the truth. Like the World Wide Web when it first appeared, Web 2.0 is like an amorphous entity that is ever changing.

Essentially, Web 2.0 is a communication tool via the web. It allows readers and clients on a particular site to contribute to the site. One of the best examples of Web 2.0 is Britannica Online and Wikipedia. While Britannica is a static resource, in that it was written by authorities and must be updated on the administrator side only. It is both comprehensive and authoritative. It is also unchangeable by visitors to the site. Wikipedia, is the complete opposite of Britannica, user-generated and user-maintained. One might, as a result, consider that Wikipedia would be considered a lesser reference source.

In actuality, Wikipedia is a better reference source than its auspicious opposite because while the articles may not be more accurate, they direct the reader to a variety of other resources which offer a diversity of viewpoints rather than one single author. The multitude of resources is extremely powerful.

You can look at Web 2.0 as the evolution of that idea, harnessing the knowledge of the users to create a more comprehensive repository than a single writer alone could create. Blogs have comments, social networks have links and conversations, Google AdSense targets ads to user preferences while the old DoubleClick system displayed ads without consideration of the viewer or the context of the page.

But how can these concepts help you, the online marketing professional?

Primarily by showing you that you must change the way you think about the Internet. No longer is it a place where you can trap an audience on a website and proselytize to them. Instead, the new way to capture and retain a potential customer is by engaging them with your content, your tools, and your media. Allow customers to have a voice on your site, and you begin to create community.

This can happen by implementing a blog where posts can be commented on, with you as writer can post replies. It can be complex with a professional application like an interactive game, the ability to upload video or audio and public customer tips. You need to start the ball rolling - create compelling content that your customers will want to add to. Think Mona Lisa level of content complete with watercolors and markers available virtually so that you customers can draw doodle to finish out what you start.

If your small business doesn't possess the resources to create this level of complexity, there are other options. Join an existing community in your niche and lend your expertise to the group. Add a compelling signature to your profile that will be posted on every comment and bit of advice you give. Then participate - answer questions, give tips and advice but don't advertise. If people like you, respect you and you add genuine value to the conversation, they will naturally find their way to your website. Web 2.0 has created a give and take on the Internet which has forever changed what is expected for business success. It is new, different and most of all, a lot of fun.

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