If you are a small-business owner and you haven’t heard about Google SideWiki yet, check this video out:
There’s no denying that the Internet has come a long way since its humble beginnings. The Web has rapidly become a far more interactive and integral component of our lives. In a single day you could use the Internet to video chat with friends 3,000 miles away, share photos of your new puppy on your blog, Tweet about your business, watch your favorite TV show, share documents with co-workers, get directions to a new restaurant, buy a book online, download music, learn about your family tree, and so much more!
People have an innate need to be involved with the world at large, and the Internet affords them that opportunity. They crave dynamic, relevant Web sites, and if site owners don’t put forth the effort to create sites that are useful and interactive, people will find their own ways to connect and comment.
In fact, Google has created an application to help people do just that! SideWiki is Google’s newest endeavor that allows people to annotate the Web sites they visit. Essentially, users will be able to share their opinions, provide helpful hints about navigating through extensive information, and link to relevant news. Though many people are excited about this new wiki, there is still a great deal of controversy regarding its basic premise. Web site owners should have the right to choose whether their visitors can comment or leave feedback that others can read. SideWiki disregards owners’ preferences, and allows site visitors to post freely (and anonymously), possibly even spreading lies and maliciously attacking the owner and business. Regardless of the controversy, it looks as though Google has the upper hand, at least for now, and the rest of the world will have to play catch up.
In an effort to build a stronger community with current and potential customers, we at NetBiz.com are working hard to reach out via this blog, our official NetBiz Twitter and NetBiz Facebook pages, and of course, our Ask NetBiz marketing Q&A.
So, we want to know: what are you doing to make your Web site more interactive?
