Emerging Web site technologies enable two-way communication

One of the most important marketing tools for most businesses is undergoing significant change. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, the Internet has been considered "interactive marketing." However, the typical business is approaching the Web more like a static brochure than an opportunity to have a dynamic conversation with visitors. Savvy Web marketers are harnessing emerging "Web 2.0" technologies to forge closer relationships with customers, prospects and employees. They are doing this by embracing the concept of "distributed authoring," which makes it possible for Web users to add and edit content online. This establishes trusting relationships by helping them connect, collaborate and share knowledge and insights. Several emerging technologies are gaining momentum: Blogs. Most blogs are online journals that marketers are using to keep customers and prospects up to date on industry news, trends, tips and special offers. Many organizations that publish a newsletter now include much of that same content in their blog. Why wait to send customers valuable insights? Because most blogs offer readers the opportunity to post comments, they provide an opportunity for two-way communication that tells Web users their input is valued. Blogs typically have a conversational tone, which brings a brand closer to the market and creates a sense of fellowship. Additionally, blogs help improve a Web site's search engine performance, particularly if the content is relevant and has sufficient keyword density. Really Simple Syndication. Usually shortened to "RSS," Really Simple Syndication is a tool that has gained momentum as a result of the overwhelming volume of new content hitting Web sites everyday. Basically, RSS helps Web users track new Web content that is of interest to them without taking the time to search for it everyday. Instead, links to news, blog posts and Web site updates that they care about are delivered directly to their desktop. By giving Web users the ability to subscribe to receive updates, RSS rewards marketers for providing great Web content. Whether advertising, customer relationship management, direct marketing, internal communications or public relations, RSS returns the power of information delivery back to the hands of marketers. One of the reasons that RSS has been compared favorably to the use of e-mail is that it is completely opt-in with no possibility of forcing someone to receive an RSS feed they didn't request. Wikis. The popularity of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that is completely generated by Web users, has prompted marketers to explore how to harness the power of community building and collaboration. Using wikis, end users can now collaboratively produce how-to guides and tips and tricks associated with a company's offerings. In fact, they will whether the company is ready or not. Rather than resist, companies can join in the conversation and perhaps even use a wiki for product design collaboration with consumers. At a minimum, wikis enable greater collaboration within the marketing department while more progressive organizations will use wikis to engage the audience directly. Tagging. Tagging is assigning "keywords" to categorize content, such as the photos on Flickr or bookmarks on del.icio.us. Consumers of the content -- and not just the originator -- participate in defining how the content is described. Both the author and Web users assign the tags by what makes sense to them with more popular content being displayed more prominently based on user interaction and feedback. Searching tags enable users to re-find information of interest and also allows other users to discover new content online. From a marketing perspective, tagging is an opportunity to listen to the market. Marketers already have a position in their minds for their offerings. But true positioning only exists in the customer's mind. Search engine keyword counts and popular tags are windows into understanding the customer's perspective, which can help better serve end users with high value offerings. Podcasting. The popularity of iPods has contributed to the rise of online audio and video clip postings, called podcasts. Similar to blogs, podcasts are typically published by individuals on subjects of niche interest. They are disseminated through individual Web sites, RSS feeds and social networking sites such as Apple's iTunes. Marketers can use podcasts to reach highly targeted niche audiences, which can strengthen the organization's positioning as a thought leader and provide an opportunity to describe the related products and services being offered. Podcasts can also be used internally for training or orientation. Recording the information and sharing it internally ensures the message is delivered consistently. By harnessing these and other emerging technologies, marketers can move their Web sites into the 21st Century. Instead of using the Web primarily to disseminate information, leading organizations are using social networking technologies to facilitate conversations among Web users and the organization. The place a company should start is to ask whether its Web site is truly a two-way communication channel.