Catching Customers in the Sea of Web 2.0

By Rick Sloboda (@cmswire) Sep 7, 2007

Businesses need to dig deeper to connect with customers in the expanding sea of Web 2.0 user-generated content.

The rapid rise of social networking and blogging is churning out information at record rates, creating a flood of independent ideas, views and expressions.

Web authority Technorati reports there are more than 100 million blogs sailing the Web, with 175,000 new blogs diving in each day. What’s more, bloggers are updating these sites with more than 1.6 million posts per day, which translates to more than 18 updates a second.

Numerous community sites, like Digg, Netscape, and del.icio.us, empower users to vote the good stuff to the surface and sink the rubbish. Yet, despite the popularity of such sites, they just can’t filter the vast bodies of information fast enough.

The end result is a bloated Web. It’s information overload. It’s information pollution. Call it what you will, one thing’s for sure: the Web’s a noisy place.

Meanwhile, many business owners and marketers try to rise above that noise with, well, more noise. They don’t “take their noses off the grindstone” to ponder the new information age. They don’t stop to ask the right questions, forget about answers. That’s probably why so many go with the classic knee-jerk reaction: scream louder.

It’s a line of attack habitually employed by everyone from amateurs to the brilliant but misguided to high-priced marketing dinosaurs. A marketing agency in the U.K. states on its website: “And those who shout loudest will be heard longest. The noisiest win!” Rah, rah…rah.

Enthusiasm is wonderful, but there has to be something behind it. Businesses need to acknowledge the Web has long been past the point of saturation, and respond accordingly. Cranking out more clatter only adds to the wall of noise. It doesn’t get you heard. It doesn’t differentiate you. And, especially if you’re in the consulting or service industries, chances are it won’t engage your audience and foster lasting relationships.

Thanks to years of extreme conditioning, consumers have become remarkably well-versed in tuning out distorted noise. In fact, a newly released eye-tracking study by usability expert Jakob Nielsen reveals most users simply don’t fixate on design elements that resemble ads. It’s become second nature.

Make a Mark with Relevance and Substance

To gain credibility and thrive in the information-laden Web 2.0 world, which according to Netcraft comprises more than 135 million websites, businesses need to say goodbye to empty marketing hype, and say hello to relevant, in-depth website content.

Would you want to do business with polyester-clad Fast Freddie with the big jewelry, big voice and big handshake, dishing out one-liners? Or would you prefer to conduct business with someone of substance, who takes the time to consider and acknowledge your needs, and explains in detail exactly how he or she can help you?

To get your message across and truly connect with your market, you need to clearly define, develop and convey your communications — and do so in an authoritative manner. That’s achieved by producing original, in-depth web content that reeks of expertise.

Don’t be labeled a commodity, which, by definition, is something supplied without differentiation across a given market. Almost anyone can spend 15 minutes and throw a couple of paragraphs together. So, whether you’re updating your website, planning your next newsletter, or writing your latest article, always strive for quality over quantity.