Web 2.0's "fool's gold" glitter
By Dwain Jeworski
There's this bright, shiny object called "Web 2.0" that everyone seems to be fascinated with lately.
A lot of the heavy hitters in Internet marketing have been flocking to it like magpies, claiming it's the "next big thing" in Internet marketing. They say if you don't base all your marketing efforts on it, your business is DOOMED TO FAIL.
Yikes!
Before you get caught up in all the hype, let's just take a moment to consider what Web 2.0 actually IS, and whether it's worth two seconds of your time.
Web 2.0: The secret weapon that's going to help you "strike it rich"?
... Or just another hammer in your toolbox?
There seems to be a lot of confusion around the term "Web 2.0" and what it really means.
Simply put, Web 2.0 refers to the rise in popularity of websites that encourage
user input and interactivity, and place heavy emphasis on
community and shared experiences.
For example, well-known Web 2.0 sites include...
- Wikipedia -- The world's most popular online encyclopedia, in which all the content is contributed and edited by its users (as opposed to paid experts)
- Facebook -- A popular social-networking site, where people can find old friends, post pictures of themselves, and share information about their lives with other registered members.
- Digg -- One of the best-known social bookmarking sites, where people share links to their favorite articles, videos, or images. Users then vote on the offerings, and the ones that get the most "Diggs" rise to the top and are seen by the most viewers.
... And that's just a few! Basically, any site that features a blog or forum, or encourages input and feedback from its users, falls under the definition of "Web 2.0."
But what does this mean for marketers?
According to all the current hype, Web 2.0 means TRAFFIC -- and lots of it.
The theory is that the more you interact on Web 2.0 sites like those mentioned above, the more you can expose potential new customers to your brand, and encourage them to visit your site.
And the more links you get pointing to your site from popular, high-PageRank sites such as these, the higher your site will appear in the search engine standings.
... Which means even MORE traffic to your site!
In practice, this is mostly true. Kind of.
Yes, you can drive a lot more traffic to your site from social media and bookmarking sites.
But -- and here's something the majority of Web 2.0 fanatics neglect to point out --
it takes a LOT of TIME and EFFORT to get that traffic.
And on top of that, a question that must be asked is: "What KIND of traffic do you get???"
They can smell a pitch from a mile away
To understand the true value of Web 2.0-style marketing, first you need to understand the type of people who spend a lot of time hanging out at Web 2.0 sites.
These are people seeking diversion and entertainment. They want to socialize with their online friends, watch an entertaining video, or read something interesting or informative.
... In other words,
they're looking for FUN --
not for something to buy!
So if you think you can just waltz into an online community and start talking about your product and how great it is -- and then drive swarms of interested buyers to your site -- you are DREAMING.
The fact is, they'll probably tar and feather you -- then run you out of town on a rail!
If you want to get any traction whatsoever out of Web 2.0 sites, you have to invest a LOT of your time in them.
You need to carefully observe how people interact with each other on the site, and then follow their example. You need to provide lots of useful free advice or other interesting information, so people appreciate your input.
And -- unless people ask you about it -- the ONLY place you should mention your business or your site URL is in your signature and/or your profile page.
In other words,
your sole objective should be relationship building, NOT selling.
As people begin to know you and trust you, they might become interested in checking out your site, in order to learn more about you.
But even if you DO manage to lure a bunch of new visitors to your site from a social site like Facebook or Digg, you have to remember that they're clicking through mostly out of curiosity...
... NOT because they're in a buying frame of mind.
And that means your
"Web 2.0 traffic" isn't going to convert at the same rate you'd expect from the traffic you get from your affiliates, joint venture partners, or pay-per-click ads.
But does that mean "Web 2.0 marketing" isn't worth your time?
That depends... on
you.
Is your business ALREADY a proven money-maker... Or still just a "twinkle in your eye"?
If you have a well-established, profitable business that's doing a great job of turning traffic into sales... And you're getting hundreds, if not THOUSANDS, of high-converting visitors to your site each day...
... Only then should you even
consider getting into "Web 2.0 marketing."
Even though Web 2.0 traffic doesn't convert as well as traffic from other sources, putting your name and business brand out there on such hugely popular sites really IS a great way to introduce your product to new audiences.
It's just that
it takes a whole lot longer to connect the dots between the effort you put into it... and the eventual sales you get as a result.
So if your business is still in "blueprint mode"...
... Or if you do have a site, but it's not getting much traffic yet and few of your visitors are converting into customers...
... Then the truth is, there are probably a LOT of things you should be working on that will yield far more tangible,
profitable results than spending hours each day on a site like Facebook or Digg!
Before you invest a lot of time on "Web 2.0" marketing, you absolutely MUST:
- Do the necessary research to make sure people actually WANT to buy your product!
- Make sure your salescopy and site design are doing the BEST possible job of converting visitors into buyers!
- Optimize your site for the search engines -- which, contrary to some marketers' claims, are STILL the greatest source of free traffic available online!
- Use proven traffic generation strategies -- such as pay-per-click advertising and article marketing -- to drive more qualified visitors to your site (Yes, the old "tried & true" methods still work best!)
- Partner with other successful businesses and do joint ventures to put your product in front of new groups of interested visitors
Once your business is making good money -- and you've maximized all the proven ways of driving qualified traffic to your site -- THEN AND ONLY THEN should you turn your attention to "Web 2.0."
... Because otherwise, I'm afraid you'll find yourself digging WAY too many holes in the ground -- but never striking gold.
Dwain Jeworski is IMC's VP of Marketing. 
top