Moving on from our memories of Web 1.0 insights, the next iteration of the World Wide Web is what we are currently used to – Web 2.0.
What is Web 2.0?
The term Web 2.0 was coined in 2004 to easily differentiate between the early days of the internet, and the online world we are used to today, after the dotcom bubble. It puts more emphasis on user-led content, with social media, online collaboration and greater shareability of content. Gone are the static pages of Web 1.0, surpassed by dynamic content with browser technology such as JavaScript and Flash Player.
What is the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0?
The most interesting difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is the removal of the need to install software on your computer, and the introduction of software that is hosted in servers online. These web applications such as Google Docs only require the installation of a browser, freeing up and speeding up your computer in the process.
Web 2.0 is a lot more dynamic, with online content changing rapidly compared to Web 1.0 – just look at Twitter as an example of how quickly the information is updated.
Whereas in Web 1.0 the owner of the website was posting all content to the site, which is then viewed by the user, in Web 2.0 users are invited to collaborate and post their own content as well as configuring their page to their own preferences.
What is Web 2.0 Used For?
Web 2.0 is a much more social iteration of the Web, with a whole host of platforms for sharing your own content, images and opinions. As opposed to owning content, Web 2.0 allows users to share content, with personal blogs and social media pages popping up left right and centre. Facebook first appeared within Web 2.0, which was largely people’s first foray into the world of social media.
Ecommerce changed with Web 2.0, with the likes of Amazon allowing customers to leave their own product reviews, this is another example of how the web was becoming much more user-centric.
SEO in Web 2.0
Arguably, SEO didn’t really exist until Web 2.0. With new sites being constantly created, and the web being much more centred around user experience, a site must be optimised for search engine visibility and user experience in order to see useful traffic.
New sites are also made discoverable to users by other users finding the content on the site and linking to it, this grows the web organically and the structure strengthens with each site that’s added to it.
We will explore web 3.0 in the next Insights on the Equity Digital blog.