Web 2.0: Fun or Fundamental?

What is Web 2.0? Experts in Internet technology don't always agree, but Web 2.0 generally encompasses online technologies such as wikis, forums, blogs, social networks such as FaceBook, RSS feeds, podcasts and more.

Although Web 2.0 applications have often been associated with online activities that are considered recreational or social, savvy businesses know that Web 2.0 technology offers a rich, interactive user experience, dynamic content and ease of usability that can provide great benefits for business applications as well.

Web 2.0 and your business

Web 2.0 has been increasingly touted because of its potential value for businesses. A recent survey by "The McKinsey Quarterly" found that more than 75 percent of executives surveyed planned to maintain or increase investment in technology that encourages user participation and collaboration.

Businesses in the survey use many Web 2.0 technologies to:

• Gather customer feedback and improve customer service via the use of blogs
• Manage collaboration internally and with suppliers and partners
• Mine customer feedback for ideas for future products and services

What are the most widely used Web 2.0 technologies among businesses? Wikis, podcasts and blogs are all in vogue, and blogs can help with reputation management by allowing companies to respond to customer complaints. But it is crucial that a company representative monitor and answer the blog's comments — frequently and responsively.

Web 2.0's drawbacks

If Web 2.0 has a downside, it's probably the other side of the coin from its advantages: Just as it is easy for your business to start up a blog, it's easy for your competitor to do so as well.

And in an environment in which customers have an increasingly short attention span, whatever competitive advantage your Web 2.0 strategies bring you can be fleeting — especially when your competitor rolls out a blog or podcast. To benefit from any Web 2.0 implementation, your business must remain agile and creative.

Corporate Express is a single-source international partner that provides a variety of products and services to assist businesses. To learn more about CE's products and services, contact us at 1.888.CE TODAY or visit www.corporateexpress.com.

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