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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.

Web 2.0 is an evolution of that idea, the concept of harnessing the knowledge of users globally to create comprehensive, ever changing repositories that would beyond the capabilities of a single author. The building of this wealth of knowledge takes the form of a virtual conversation which Google utilizes to target advertising that is relevant to the topic on the page. The older DoubleClick system would simply display ads without considering the content on 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 be as simple as implementing a blog with comments that you the writer reply to, or as complex as creating your own new application - interactive games, uploadable media, public customer tips. Don’t make the mistake of looking at this as user-generated content; instead, create compelling content that your users want to add to. Ideally, you want the Mona Lisa on your site - with watercolors and markers available so your customers can make their own doodles to finish it out.

If your small business does not have the resources to create this, you have a different option: become a respected member of an online community, or multiple communities, built around the applications of others. Do you have expertise in selling on eBay? Share it freely in comments at eBay blogs you frequent. Selling your own handmade baby slings? Help young parents in a parenting forum. Every time you post, include a link somewhere discreet to your own website (the signature area or designated website link, in most cases). As your personal reputation goes up, people get curious. You’ll find opportunities to slip information about your business into other conversations. Eventually, the give-and-take of Web 2.0 will start to work for you.

Marketing on the internet is not as difficult as you may think. Find legitimate ways to make money online, or how to increase your website traffic at http://www.nitromarketing.com/blog

- Kale McClelland