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Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is more of a state of mind than an actual technology or product. It is about how web sites interact with users. The “2.0” implies that this is a second generation of web site in the same way that actual products have a version number associated with them.

The two main aspects of Web 2.0 are that the web pages are responsive (more like a desktop program than a web site) and that the person visiting the pages also adds content.

The responsiveness of the web pages comes from using things like Javascript and CSS to alter the page directly in the user’s web browser without having to request a new page from the internet for each change. There may also be an interchange of data with the server but in the background while the user is still typing or doing other things.

For example Google Maps allows the user to click and drag on the map. The newly revealed parts of the map are retrieved from the server quickly without having to redraw the entire page as was the case with all of the other on line maps.

The second aspect involving user added content ranges from things like user reviews on Amazon product pages to blog sties where the blog owner visits their site to easily add content and visitors can leave comments on each entry. Other sites like Flickr.com allow users to upload photos and make galleries and again other users can add comments and interact on line with the other users.

Even the technologies that allow this sort of site are not exactly new. But as the number of people with their own computers and good connections to the internet has grown along with the general ubiquity of the internet, these sorts of sites are becoming more popular and are creating more of the excitement than traditional corporate sites.

Just adding one or two web 2.0 type features to a site can make it feel much more vibrant and “now”. We can find ways to add this sort of functionality to your site to make the visitors experience much better and keep them coming back.

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