Semantic Web – what is it, and how did we get here?
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hit The Ice video 
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.
The Prince of Tides 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:
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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.
I think one of the driving forces in Web 2.0 continues to be Findability. Google had it right in the development of the web as a whole, but as individual sites become larger and larger repositories of information, search will once again become the key functionality of all websites.
A robust search for individual sites must do more than use static algorithms. They must change and evolve as the business learns more about what visitors to their site are seeking. Do you know what the top search terms are on your site and do you know what pages were searved up for those searches? If not, you are missing a treasure trove of information about your customers (and its free!).
Mark your right site search is still an important tool on any website. Capturing search terms is also a great way at understand what users aren’t finding on certain pages which can help you refine site structure and navigation.
I’m also big fan of technology that actually keeps you from having to search in the first place. For instance most consumer product sites offer “Find a dealer” functionality. More often than not you have enter in a zip or address before it will give you any results. When we redesigned the Horizon Fitness website we decided to add two helpful features to enhance it: We implemented Google maps to plot dealer results and added Geo-Location technology which automatically orientates the map to your location. This combination resulted in an intelligent “Find a Dealer” tool which saves time and searches. Check it out at: http://www.horizonfitness.com/find_dealer.aspx
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