Leveraging the long tail

Have you ever heard about internet marketing? If you have then you might know about the long tail. Now, I am going to explain about web 2.0 another pattern which is Leveraging the Long Tail. It means that the way to maximize the usage of internet marketing. According to Kaw (2009), there are several ways to do it such as :

1. Optimize site with lots of keywords
   Providing more keywords will help readers to understand quickly and easily about the content of the thing which being marketed.
    
2. Provide much of contents
   While too little of contents would not be helpful. On the other hand, the more of the contents with lots of details will help readers to know what we want to tell them.
    
3. Have more fans and followers
   More fans and followers means that they will be able to advertise our product indirectly can be from mouth to mouth or through social networking, for instance using Facebook or Google+ to inform their friends and acquaintances about the product they like.
    
4. Invest in link developing strategies
   Using link from others to let others know what do you think about a certain products will help you gain more popularity and profits by making a good posting in your blogs.
    
5. Spread the contents to other people
   Use the social networking to engage more people to your blogs.
    
6. Utilize the website footprint
   Visiting other website and blogs to occupy more readers to your blogs and website is one way to utilize people to left footprint in your blog.  

For this pattern, I will use Second Life as an example. Second Life is a virtual application which has a similarity with The Sims where your character can buy online products and also building a community there.

Through the perspective of Leveraging the long tail, Second Life has a huge amount of share where people are really want to buy their land there as an investment. It even reached almost 40.000 of residents in Second Life (SL). A good Return Of Investment (ROI) also become a main benefits of long tail for SL to gain more customers. SL also using a business model like other virtual world used, which is “who is here?” rather than “who is been here?” indicated that the present customer who is currently online is more important than the customer who is currently not online.

Reference

Anderson, Chris. (2007). Why I Gave Up On Second Life

Kaw, Prasant. (2009). Six Ways to Leverage The Long Tail in Your Marketing

 

Perpetual Beta

Another method of web 2.0 is Perpetual Beta. What does it means? It is software which being updated for certain time and since it is connected to the internet, the service would be available and stay updated unless there is maintenance. It allows users to interact in a real time with the software.

For this method, I will explain it with the software called KakaoTalk. KakaoTalk is mobile phone software for communication which has a function like chat and messenger. This application available on Iphone, Android, and BlackBerry for free (only required to download the application)

KakaoTalk provides lots of benefits for the users who need to communicate with their relatives, families, friends and other people who have known you. One of the benefits is this application only required an internet connection. Therefore, you only need to find a WIFI spot or using internet data from your smart phone. Another advantage is that this software is cheaper to use rather than using instant message, especially if you want to communicate with people outside of your area or abroad. This software also has a unique method, which is ask you for a special ID. It means that you do not have to know your friend phone number to be able to communicate, you only need to know your friend’s ID to add him/her as your friend in your KakaoTalk account.

From a perpetual beta perspective, KakaoTalk required updated its service after several weeks. Sometimes this update is required to make the application run smoother.

Reference

KakaoTalk FAQ

KakaoTalk Wiki

Target Serve and Adapt a Simple Model For Audience Development

Software above the level of a single device

Software to connect to the internet recently is not limited with only Desktop PC and laptop, even with our game console or smart phone can access internet almost everywhere. Here, I am going to explain one of many functionality of Web 2.0 which is software above the level of single device. It means that the ability of a software to integrate with multiple applications. In this example, the application which is able to integrate with multiple applications is called Tagged.

Tagged is also a social networking similar to Facebook, the only difference is that the interface of this social networking is a little bit like a dating site even though not all of the member really looking for their partner here.

The synchronization this application has is the integration with Facebook. If you are a member of Facebook, you will be definitely able to log in to this site without any sign up needed.

Lightweight models and cost effective scalability

Another pattern for web 2.0 is lightweight models and cost effective scalability. Lightweight models mean that a web 2.0 application should have a good business models. In addition, Cost effective scalability means that it has the ability to get an income to overcome the costs while it has a wide range of networks.

For this pattern, I am going to explain the integration of multiple applications with an application called Instagram.

Some of you might already know this application. This application is a photo sharing software like Flickr, which popular with its integration with the famous social networking, Facebook. Facebook even bought the stock of this application.  Instagram also has an compatibility with  mobile operating system, Apple and Android.

For the income they get quite a lot since its popularity. They get around 1 billion and almost beat Facebook’s income. But then, recently the Facebook bought Instagrams stock to keep its popularity.

Reference

Instagram Homepage

The Instagram Architecture Facebook Bought For A Cool Billion Dollars

Rich user Experiences (RUE)

There is another pattern of Web 2.0 which is Rich User Experience. What Rich User Experiences means? It means how to enrich the display of the internet to be recognized easily by computer user. Another definition is the combination of Graphical user interface (GUI) with multimedia content. In the past, information around the web is only limited with a text and pretty basic images. Google appears and introduces total new interfaces with a different way of browsing. Many applications made by Google have a good user-friendly interface which resulting in inviting a huge range of user every day.

Gmail

Gmail is created on 2004. Gmail, one of Google application which has a function as email service has an easy to use interface and simpler than other email services, which takes a longer time to load because it has images or videos attached to the site.

Benefits of using Gmail

This email service also has a higher accessible and wider range of database.  This email also feature a video chat, so in case we need to interact face-face with other people, open the Gmail account and use the video chat option.

1. Easy of Navigation
   Enable user to find the folder (inbox, sent, spam and bin) easily.
2. Provide online worksheet, such as documents, excel and even Powerpoint
   Gmail also has an innovation with creating online version of microsoft office, called google docs. Enable people to work everywhere and does not have to worry about lost their data since its backup in Cloud database.
3. Provide integration with other Google application
   such as Youtube, Blogger, Google+, etc.

However, even though the performance is better than other web services, there are still several issues comes up, such as loading problems and unable to load the page, because of the increase number of users let the server to reach its limit and need to be upgraded. Every time the upgraded is needed, maintenance is done and the user will find these problems.

In the future, there would be a Rich User Experience by letting user to do task everywhere without opening a software.

References

Future of Web 2.0

Rich User Experience

Rich User Experience – Google Mail

What is Web 2.0 O’Reilly

 

Innovation in Assembly

What is Innovation in Assembly means? what is the relation with Web 2.0?

Here is some explanation by bams09media

Basically,  Innovation in Assembly is a pattern in web application which enable user to enhance the functionality of a web application by add some features from another application. This action enable user to access Application Programming Interface (API) in the progress.

Some examples of this are :

1. Facebook API
2. Google Blogger API
3. Google Maps API
4. Gmail API
5. Interpals API

Those above are the usage of the examples of innovation in terms of creating the program. These tools are very effective since user can edit and design their own display. As an example in Facebook API. User can try to use the Timeline application even when the application have not been published. Another example is the Google Maps API. Here, the computer user can try to make their own map version based on the Google maps application. User can put several useful images in the maps through Google Maps API.

Now, I am going to explain about an innovation of social networking sites in web 2.0 called Interpals. This is a new way of interaction with other people. Interpals allowed people to meet their friend from overseas. This website main purpose is for language exchange. People who want to learn other language, for instance, an Indonesian people who wants to speak Korean can be paired with Korean people who wants to learn Indonesian. Another feature of Interpals also allowed people to have a penpals friend from abroad, means that they can send and receive letter to know each other. Overall, this site is widen our network with people around the world.

Issues with Interpals

Sometimes Interpals takes along time to load since the website need to load a massive images and video (if some people are having a video chats). Another issue comes up, such as spamming. In Interpals, you are free to message everyone you know and resulting in spamming emails and money fraud.

For the future usage

There is a possibility that the API will be much more able to add new features in few years later, such as adding videos in a map would be possible. Perhaps Google or Interpals can make their development into further state.

Reference

Retrieved from http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=4

Retrieved from http://www.steffanie-roberts.com/trunk-ly-innovation-in-assembly/

Retrieved from http://lean-soldier.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/interpals.html

Data as The Intel Inside

History of Data vs Function

Data has changed the habit of computer user. User used to search for function of the computer instead of the data itself. For instance, it can be known that they used to rely on word processing to type and produce result.

However, now people are more focused on the data itself. How to preserve their essential information, such as using an external hard drive become the most important part for the computer user. Also, another example for data being the important part is that the usage of database in finding information, this term is used by Google in his searching system.

Benefits for using data as Intel inside

• The maximization usage of the data as an asset
  means that the data itself can be a product to be traded and making some profit.
• New way of business model
  the usage of data itself as a commodity.
• Higher Customer loyalty
  Customer will have a better loyalty since their data is being used.
• Broader market research through data reuse usage
  Widen the range of market and approaching much more customer.
• Multiple data layer enable to get value creation
  means that since there is lots of data layer to protect the essential data, the essential data has its value to be more precious.

Drawbacks for using data as the intel inside

Since data become the most important thing, the usage of data also need a preservation. A little mistake in using the data can make the data itself become dangerous.

• Security issues, as an example, business through social networking, if there is any misuse of the social networking, the private data contains in a profile can be known by unauthorized user and enable them to do hacking.
• Copyright infringement, the usage of essential data which is own by a certain people or organizations. However, copyright infringement can be avoided through the licensing of the important data.

Reference

http://radar.oreilly.com/2007/12/google-admits-data-is-the-inte.html

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/cloud-computing/intel-it-security-issues-in-cloud-computing-radio-show.html

http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/web20-copyright.htm

Harnessing the collective intelligence

Harnessing the collective intelligence is one of the Web 2.o pattern which means to share ideas of the user.

Purpose of Harnessing the collective intelligence :
Engaging user to participate in sharing and adding new information

Benefits

1. Engaging more people to participate, gaining more knowledge from different perspective and building a wider network.
2. Gaining trust from other people, sharing information engage other people to elaborate with the information provider
3. Improving the quality of product, using advice and criticism from other people can improve a quality of product from information provider
4. Reduced cost, using the sharing idea will definitely save money a lot inspite of paying people to provide new ideas.

Problems :

1. Privacy matters, which means that joining in web 2.0 activities following to share with other person can have a possibility to cross the privacy issue.
2. Quality of information vs quantity of information, which means that even though heaps of information are given, it will be a waste if the information does not have any value in it.

Misconception :

• Sharing for information is not always a good thing, it can also become a copyright infringement if the information is being used in the wrong way. For example, a person who has an information about the newest technology can help other people to know technology, otherwise he also able to manipulate other people’s mind by giving fake information.

Recommendation :

• Maximize the usage of web 2.0 tools, such as wikis and blogs to sharing information can help people to gain more knowledge about brand new information.
• Encourage the participants to do reading and writing for sharing info.

Reference link :
http://www.wikiservice.at/upload/ChristopheDucamp/McAfeeEntrepriseDeux.pdf

http://beshayer.com/2011/03/save-money-by-harnessing-collective-intelligence/