Online Marketing Glossary: Web 2.0
Tuesday
Aug 12, 2008
Web 2.0:
- Also referred to as the Semantic Web. In this iteration, sites, links, media and databases are “smarter” and able to automatically convey more meaning than those of today.
Okay while I’m not going to argue with Alexandra’s definition here, I will say that it’s different from the explanation I’ve always been given about what “web 2.0″ is. It’s my understanding that web 2.0 is all about social interaction and user generated content. Sites like YouTube and Yelp are great examples of content-rich sites that are reliant entirely on the users who submit that content.
____
Glossary Definition From ABC’s of Online Marketing by Alexandra Wharton, Issue 22, Revenue Magazine
Free Toolsday for June 24th
Tuesday
Jun 24, 2008
It’s an old story. A new business opens and it’s all the rage. You see an ad for the business and something catches your eye. You’re interested in trying the business, but first – what if the ad’s lying? You want to talk to someone who’s used them before… somehow who can tell you an honest, unbiased opinion of the service you’re about to shell out your hard earned money for.
Welcome to the 21st Century. Welcome to Yelp.
Yelp has become the digital water cooler review – a place for the average joe to get on their soapbox and tell the city what they thought of a business. The site is entirely user generated content in a true Web 2.0 style. The reviews for the most part are honest and really helpful. Like all UGC sites, Yelp has cultivated a community of regular reviewers who live to try new places and review them for the troops on Yelp. Based mainly in California, Yelp has extended to hundreds of cities across the country, and you can add reviews for any business anywhere. Not listed already? Any user can add a new listing for a business or service and review it first.
Yelp also has the right idea in terms of the businesses being reviewed – a business can claim their profile to ensure the details (hours, location, etc) are correct, but that’s about all they can do with a free account. Businesses can send a few messages to reviewers, but they’re strictly prohibited from arguing negative reviews or trying to pay for or otherwise influence good reviews.
Businesses can pay for more privileges, but are still not allowed to strong arm or influence reviews. A few of the paid benefits include choosing the order in which reviews are displayed to put the best reviews forward and having an ad show on the pages of similar businesses suggesting your business as an alternative. I’ve found in looking into this that the sales staff at Yelp are all very friendly and accommodating in giving you the traffic data for your business’ review page so you can judge just how much this sponsorship is worth.
I’ve had great success trying restaurants and other services based on the reviews from Yelp. And it’s a great tool to get off your chest what pissed you off about that hotel you stayed in or that nail salon you went to – and let others know what to expect from these places.
