Surviving Web 2.0

The Internet has been through several stages. At first, it was a handy place to put up an advert. After a few years, those ads had morphed into online stores, information hubs and price comparison sites. As of March 2009, Ofcom reported that broadband access was present in 68% of UK homes - so it's no surprise that a new trend is emerging.

Web 2.0 is the unofficial title given to a new breed of interactive websites and online applications, focused on dynamic, user-generated content or 'social media'.

Surely it's just a trend?

Web 2.0 may be a fashionable buzzword, but make no mistake - it represents a new era of online interaction from which there's no going back. Facebook has over 250 million users worldwide, half of which log on every day. The UK Government recently announced plans to get broadband into every home in the country by 2012 and ComScore statistics show that 80% of UK Internet users accessed at least one social networking website in May 2009.

Why does it matter?

There are well over 200 million blogs in the world.34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands and - according to SES Magazine - 25% of search results for the World's 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content.

Whoever said that British people don't complain was a liar. Or perhaps lived in a time before Web 2.0. Either way, social media has meant that a single comment, tapped into a PC, laptop or mobile phone in the heat of the moment can wing its way to thousands of people all over the world in a matter of minutes.

Worse still, if you have the misfortune - or shortsightedness - to get on the wrong side of more than one customer, social media has the power to bring them together. Think back to the statistic regarding search engine results for large brands. One example is Fasthosts Hell - an unofficial customer support blog set up by disgruntled customers of a well known hosting company. It ranks second in Google for Fasthosts' own brand name.

Another example can be found by tapping 'Gordon Brown is' into Google's predictive search feature. When you're done laughing, imagine the same screen but substitute Gordon Brown for your own brand.

Web 2.0 represents a new, transparent way of doing business where the only way to get ahead is to provide a good product or service and treat your customers well. The best PR on the planet can only go so far in a world where information flows instantly and your customers are all connected.

So what can I do?

You can do one of two things. You can ignore it and hope for the best, or you can embrace it and make it work for you.

So far we've concentrated on the negative, but Web 2.0 brings with it a host of exciting opportunities for those willing to take them on.

Social media enables you to engage directly with your customers, on a level that would have been impossible even 5 years ago.

- With zero investment and a little effort, Twitter and online forums enable you to build brand awareness and chat directly to hundreds of potential customers every day.

- Facebook enables you to keep up with your most valuable clients, provide them with a quick and easy way to contact you, and canvass opinion directly.

- With LinkedIn, you can network online and find business opportunities without even leaving your desk.

- Through blogging , you can provide valuable information, driving relevant traffic to your website and demonstrating your industry knowledge.

- Viral marketing through social media means a good pitch can make it in front of a large audience, without the vast advertising sums of larger competitors - a prime example is the brilliant and much publicised Will It Blend campaign.

- A social website will allow your visitors to leave comments, rate products, add reviews and more - writing your content for you, and delivering much more value that your company alone could.

Smart companies will 'survive' Web 2.0 by developing a strategy to partake in some or all of the above.

So, tread carefully and you have nothing to fear. Play your cards right, and Web 2.0 could be the best thing that's ever happened to your business!