The Web 2.0 phenomenon and its underlying technologies have significant implications for online marketers. Even as they have mastered the more traditional techniques of online marketing – email, search engine keywords, display advertising etc -- Web 2.0 provides a different set of tools to do all the three things that online marketers concern themselves with: ATTRACT more visitors, CONVERT more into leads/customers and RETAIN them longer.
How Web 2.0 helps in attracting more visitors to the website?
Search-engine optimized Websites: Websites use much more sophisticated technologies like AJAX, Flash and Flex these days. Which these provide interactive and rich user experiences; they tend to have a negative impact on natural search engine rankings. Several Web 2.0 techniques are available that can help provide sophisticated websites, while still optimizing for natural search engine rankings.
Mobile-device optimized Websites: Most websites in Japan get as much as 50% of their website traffic through mobile devices. While mobile access is not as pervasive in the US yet, it is increasing dramatically. However, most websites haven’t still optimized their websites for mobile viewing. Opting for this concept can increase traffic by as much as 20-30%.
Extensive Use of Online Video: In the past, companies had to do with only static graphics and images to attract customers. Now, it’s the turn of high quality, streaming video to don the role of marketing tool for most e-businesses. However, extensive use of online video has implications from the standpoint of network bandwidth consumption, the ability to manage these videos using a content management system. Although the management complexity does increase, it is proven that video is an extremely effective way to attract and engage visitors.
How Web 2.0 helps in converting more online visitors into leads or paying customers?
Interactive AJAX and Flex based User Interfaces: Static webpages are giving way to much more interactive experiences that leverage newer technologies like AJAX and Flex. Firms are coming up with innovative ways to use these technologies to accomplish the following key goals:
a) Pre-sale: For e.g. Sherwin Williams has a Room Visualizer that helps users pick a particular kind of room and paint it with a color of their choice, so that they get to see what it looks like before they buy. Furniture and other home accessory companies are doing similar things of helping users visualize the products, to help them in the buying process.
b) Personalized sale: For e.g. Timberland - the boot company - helps users build their custom boots online (color, size, sole etc). Lillian Vernon offers users the ability to build custom-stockings, emboss them with custom messages etc.
Content Driven Websites: Most e-commerce websites have been and continue to be very commerce-focused. Moving to a “content-focused” website really does require a shift in the way marketing teams think about their websites, and the amount of effort they put into it. There are two main categories of content: Company-generated and User-generated.
It has been shown repeatedly that having rich company and user-generated content, does the following:
- Increases the comfort level of the customer both in terms of company brand and the product/service they are about to purchase – thereby increasing the conversion rates
- Retains customers longer because they come back to provide reviews about the product they purchased, or come back to read other reviews.
- Increases the average time that a visitor spends on the website reading, absorbing and learning by reading the educational content.
- Provides a real differentiation to the firm thereby enabling customer stickiness and increasing margins.
Web 2.0 provides new techniques and technologies for online marketers to attract, convert and retain customers online. Effective use can lead to increased customer satisfaction, more repeat customer purchases, better branding, lower marketing costs and increased revenue.
