- Image by fredcavazza via Flickr
There was once a time not that far back in Web history where the norm were static sites, consisting of one person or company’s information. Any situation where contact with people related to a website was required, it was only possible if a contact number or email address were added to the web page. The aspect of being “interactive” was not one considered prior to website creation.
Times have changed, and with them came interactive web design with the capability of becoming money-making businesses with an option for getting questions answered online, participating in various activities and other innovations of the social media realm.
Blogs: A term coined from “web logs.” They started as a means to journal about ones life and have quickly evolved for use with online businesses. They allow for communication with potential clients in a way traditional websites don’t. Popular software for blogs include: Word Press, Blogger, etc.
With the sheer volume of people on the internet daily, there’s no end to the potential number of subjects and interests being researched. This gives a blog owner an opportunity for their own information’s access not only a probability, but also provides them with a means of adding profit to their blog as well.
Social Networking: Although not a new concept by any means, the internet has brought social networking to a different level entirely. No longer does this term refer to meeting in person for a weekly meeting revolving around a certain interest or pastime.
Starting primarily with the advent of instant messaging, the entire concept has grown in leaps and bounds. Now there are sites dedicated to nothing but social networking; from MySpace, which is used primarily by musicians and the younger crowd, to networks divided by interests, ethnicity, and just about everything in between.
Most social networking sites, however, don’t have specific distinctions such as these. Members simply join the site, and find their own interest groups or niches within which they feel compatible. It is through these sites that many people choose to enter their business information into their profile or information page.
Popular choices for social networking sites include: MySpace.com, Facebook.com, Linkedin.com, Squidoo.com and Twitter.com.
RSS Feed: Also known as “Rich Site Summary” and “Really Simple Syndication” RSS is a web-feed format that enables your subscribers to receive updates to your blog, website or other information directly to their chosen feed aggregator or reader.
Your readers simply enter your feed’s URL into their reader, or they can click on an icon in any browser to begin the subscription process. Most web hosting packages or blog sites will have everything you need to create this option for your readers.
Social Bookmarking: Just as you probably have found yourself frequently bookmarking your favorite sites to your internet browser, social bookmarking is the process of bookmarking and categorizing your personal site preferences as well. The difference is, social bookmarking allows you to share these preferences with other people online.
This invaluable tool can be used for research purposes, as a means for doctors, lawyers and other professionals to easily share pertinent information or files, or simply for friends and family to share links of mutual interest. Popular social bookmarking sites include: digg.com, del.icio.us, reddit.com and stumbleupon.com just to name a few.
Podcasts, Webcasts and Video: You may be asking yourself if you or your business really need these included on your website. Whether as a part of your blog or your main website, the fact of the matter is the higher the quality of your content, the higher your chances of receiving a good page ranking with search engines. This makes is easier for you or your site to be found by those people searching for what you have to offer.
By having such things as different types of audios or videos on your site, you’re not only providing your visitors with better quality information which keeps them on your page longer. You can also give things your own personal touch, providing a voice or image for your potential clients and customers to connect with.
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