The modern website can do some amazing things for your business. It’s truly evolved from an online brochure into one of the major marketing engines and key drivers for growing your business.

To understand how we got from simple marketing sites to complex modern web applications, let’s take a quick walk down memory lane.

The web, in its 1.0 flavor, offered static content and little interactivity. A business would translate its traditional marketing collateral into a series of web pages (brochureware) that were rarely updated, and communication was generally one to many (broadcast). This technique was cumbersome and costly to maintain. It also didn’t scale well as sites grew.

To combat this problem the web evolved in the late ’90s into its 1.5 flavor. The introduction of web programming languages (such as Perl, ASP and PHP) and database connectivity allowed for dynamic content that was centralized and easily updated via a web administration system versus a developer. The underlying theme here is that content became easier to manage and publish more frequently. Databases allowed for the introduction of two-way communication on websites via message boards and self-help applications like FAQ’s and forms. The first generation of web software applications — such as content management systems (CMS) and Ecommerce — were introduced. Unfortunately, the cost of entry generally prohibited most small to medium companies from adopting them.

The next evolution (or should I say revolution?) on the web was Web 2.0. For the first time sites allowed users to interact with the website and contribute to its content. Search engine optimization (SEO) became a major factor in any redesign — site structures and content were highly optimized to gain higher organic rankings on search engines. Community features were introduced, including blogs, ratings, wikis, comments, threaded discussions and groups. Technologies such as web services, XML and RSS were added to allow content to be decentralized and syndicated. Sites also became a little smarter, offering different ways to navigate content by offering related or suggestive content and filtered navigation.

So, the question is, where are we now? What is the term being used to describe the next generation of web applications? And what technology separates this evolution from its predecessors? The term that the industry has settled on for the next generation website is the “Semantic Web”. Wikipedia has a great summary of this:

The Semantic Web is an evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content. It derives from W3C director Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of the Web as a universal medium for data, information, and knowledge exchange.

Google’s iGoogle platform is a great example of this technology. It allows you to create your own, completely customizable web dashboard. You can add custom content tailored to your specific needs via RSS feeds, applications and widgets (from Google and 3rd parties). All of your settings are saved for repeat visits. At its heart the Semantic Web is the introduction of the “smart website.” Content is highly targeted to individual needs and desires and can be accessed via any number of media, including the traditional web browser, PDA or smart phones. It is the dawn of a new and exciting era online — one that empowers us with access to personalized information on demand, helping us keep up-to-date in the increasingly fast-paced lives we lead.

As I was thinking of a title for this blog I considered using the “… is King” analogy but it seems the CMS industry has beaten that term to death.

It’s clear with the major success of sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn that community and social networking is big business. The marketing world is working hard to find ways to leverage this model for clients. It’s no doubt that when community and social networking tools are thought through and integrated successfully the investment can pay for itself rather quickly by connecting you directly with your customer to grow a relationship that allows you to gain amazing insights.

There are a lot of different concepts to consider when looking at social networking for brands. Instead of listing them all I’m going to borrow from (and summarize) the framework provided in Razorfish’s 2008 Digital Report using their “The six “C’s of social influence marketing” model.

• Content
  Content can come in many forms: video, wallpapers, badges, avatars, widgets and information. Authenticity and transparency is critical. Allow your content to be de-centralized (Syndication via RSS or embed).
• Customization
  Include elements where users can define themselves. Allow users to generate and customize their own content (blogs, comments, threaded discussions, etc). Empower consumers to express themselves.
• Community
  Give users a reason to interact. Provide unique content, value or engagement. Leverage relational social networking content on brand sites.
• Conversation
  Build a network of advocates. Using advocates to build new relationships = sales. Accept negative feedback and conversation. Intervene in a problem before it escalates.
• Commerce
  Must be soft sold. Consumers do not want a hard sell; any integration from your e-store must be subtle not blatant. Offer coupons, related content or links to store.
• Commitment
  It requires ongoing customer communication. Solicit feedback on products & services. Add more value to customers. Enhance brand reputation. Enable brand advocacy.

Before looking to embrace the benefits of community and social media you need to consider a solid strategy. A commitment to community requires an all or nothing approach. Provide your customer with a framework and tools that enable conversation and interaction. Don’t forget to invest in updating content that is rich and authentic and adding features that will keep your users coming back.