Web 2.0, the second generation of the Internet.
Web 2.0 is transforming the Internet into an even more powerful tool for businesses seeking to leverage technology to drive revenue, increase profits and reduce expenses.
Virtually all businesses will be spending their marketing dollars online in the New Year. In fact, BtoB Magazine found that 79 percent of marketers plan to increase their online marketing budgets for 2008. In doing so, businesses will need trusted and experienced individuals, such as X2 behind them in order to fully capitalize on the following top five hot Web 2.0 trends:
- Interactive web sites
In order to effectively compete and meet the growing demands of today's more sophisticated customer, businesses are fanatically seeking to upgrade their web sites with features that enhance the user experience and deliver a measurable ROI from their marketing dollars. Businesses will focus on shifting their web sites from isolated, static information based destinations to highly functional platforms serving powerful web applications to end users that emphasize online collaboration, sharing, interaction and learning.
- Managed Email Marketing
With email marketing delivering a $51.45 return on investment (ROI) for every marketing dollar spent, according to Direct Marketing Association, businesses will continue to shift greater portions of their direct mail budgets to email marketing. More email marketing campaigns in 2008 will focus on highly targeted offerings, links to rich media content and social networking.
- Social Networking
As online interaction becomes more and more prevalent in society; consumers are turning to online ratings and reviews, testimonials and blogs to educate themselves on products, services and much more. comScore recently found that more than three-quarters of review users in nearly every industry category reported that the review had a significant influence on their purchase. Businesses need to have social networking interaction features such as customer reviews, testimonials and blogs implemented into their web sites for 2008 to meet the growing needs of their customers.
- Video
Whether businesses plan on implementing video to run ad’s, product demonstrations and reviews or as email links, the main point is that they will be using video in 2008 more than they ever have. In fact, 86% of online retailers used some form of video during the shopping experience in 2007, up from 52% last year. While potentially enhancing the user experience, video can also annoy and frustrate visitors. Businesses that use videos incorrectly on their websites can cause pages to load slowly, crash browsers and lose customers and dollars.
- RSS Feeds
RSS is heading closer towards mainstream adoption as more businesses begin to implement RSS feed subscriptions via their web sites. For 2008 the pace of RSS growth is set to accelerate for both consumer usage and business implementation. RSS is geared around segmentation, therefore, failing to offer subscribers options with their subscription or sending them information they didn’t sign up to receive will quickly lead businesses to RSS failure.
Need professional help?
As web sites and Internet marketing become more complex, a growing number of businesses are discovering the value of outsourcing the implementation and management of their Web 2.0 initiatives to trusted service providers that employ a staff of people with a full range of competencies. Call us! on +612 9238 8125 or enquire now. Click Here
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