Web 2.0 Means User-Driven

Web 2.0 sometimes refers to the cool interactive Ajax features you see on sites that allow you to send and receive information without reloading the page. These tools allow webpages to act more like desktop software in their richness, responsiveness and usability. For an example, check out what happens when you click on one of the small shirt images on the right side of this page from Abercrombie & Fitch's website.

Of more interest to me is the other definition of web 2.0 which gets at the exchange of social information enabled by the web. I'm not so much interested in Facebook or MySpace or other purely social sites (though I do use LinkedIn extensively). What interests me is how the web can enable feedback to companies about their products and services so companies can reap the benefits of becoming user-driven.

In a recent post called How to Evolve Your Irrelevant Corporate Website, Jeremiah Owyang talks about his vision for enhancing the credibility and relevance of your corporate website by inviting open participation from your customers on the site. He says, in part:

"Content will have both negative and positive views about your products
This one is hard to swallow, but how do you build the most trust? By being open, authentic, and transparent to the marketplace. We know from research that the highest degree of trust comes from those ‘like me’, a savvy marketer will allow content to appear from peers, customers, and the market. These will not always be a product rave, in fact it may be downright criticism, the goal? To take that feedback, and demonstrate in public how you will improve your offerings in plain view."

A lot of companies find themselves in the position of having forums, discussion groups and developer communities that are not sponsored by them or hosted under their domain. A lot of them probably don't take these networks seriously. Jeremiah is saying, though, that this is wishful thinking. We've always known that word of mouth and independent opinions are more powerful than formal marketing programs. Web 2.0 is just the latest reflection of that reality.

But what if a few disgruntled customers (or competitors posing as customers) post one-sided rants on the site? Well, they can already do that on sites you have no control over (and less visibility into). And you can always delete outright lies or spam on your own site. (I delete a couple of spam posts on this site almost every day.) The key is that if you believe your product or service is good then you should trust that your customers will, in the main, say so. And if you believe that, why not give them a soap box from which to say it loud?

 
And of course this is not just about marketing credibility. Becoming more user-driven and allowing your customers to talk openly and directly about your products in an open forum may also give you the insights you need to make your products better. Imagine that!