If someone wants to understand what is Web 2.0 design he must first be familiar with what is the meaning of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 phrase stands for the supposed second generation of the web that focuses on collaboration and sharing of information among users.
What was previously one-way highways of the old web is now replaced by a community-driven world of Web 2.0.
Some of the things related to Web 2.0 include , RSS (really simple syndication) feeds, blogs, social bookmarking websites and the like.
All of them have common factors of having interactivity and communication between the website owner and the visitors, as well as among the visitors themselves.
If you want to have a web 2.0 website, there are several skills you need to get the job done. Some need a high learning curve, meaning that they are easy to learn, while others need more effort in order to be executed properly.
I have listed down some of the skills needed in creating web 2.0 websites.
1. Need a graphics editor
- this is very important when you wish to create graphics for your website. A good graphics editor can do jobs such as simple photo editing to more complex ones such as creating gradient and reflection effects. Photoshop and GIMP are popular graphics editors used by designers. GIMP is good if you cant afford photoshop
2. HTML
- HTML is basic of web designing and it is must for any web designer needs to have. HTML is a markup language, and just like other markup languages, it tells the computer how the graphics and other elements of the page will be displayed. Basic tags are enough to let normal users get by, but knowledge of more specialized tags are needed by those who want to build better websites.
3. CSS
- is short for Cascading Style Sheets. It is also a must for a good web designer. Having a style sheet for a website makes it easier for designers to design a page by assigning values to tags such as those used in paragraphs, lists and the likes. With a style sheet, a style can be easily applied by using a variable on any part of the site.
4. Flash
- is a program used for creating animations, games and entire websites. Knowledge on how to use this is a must among web designers. While the basic commands will be enough for most users, Flash's ActionScript gives people more control over their creations.
Since the day Tim O'Reilly (founder of O'Reilly Media) first used the term "Web 2.0" rumors have flown faster than fact could catch up. Within weeks there were dozens of so called "definitions." So what is Web 2.0? It's really just a concept. Web 2.0 is the idea that the Internet can be used for bigger business than viewing simple Websites and sending email, if the right technologies are employed. Chances are you've been using Web 2.0 technology for a couple years already via shared multi media, social networking, and online collaboration sites.
Primary tools of Web 2.0 include video sharing sites such as YouTube; Wiki sites like Wikipedia; blogs and various "live face" technologies. We will cover 3 of the quickest, easiest ways to optimize for Web 2.0, beginning with blogs.
1.) SEO for Blogs
Optimizing a blog is one of the absolute best ways to capture Google's most coveted top spots very quickly. You can hit number 1 on Google in a matter of days. Here's how you do it...
a.) First, find a good blogging tool. There are plenty out there. I use WordPress (http://www.WordPress.org.) I originally picked it because it was so quick and easy to setup. And soon I realized the platform does 50% of SEO by its very nature. It's free and you can get thousands of themes, to fit any style you wish, also for free.
b.) Next, make sure your hosting provider can support your blog. I've never seen one that can't. If you are starting fresh, do a Google search for "WordPress blog hosting" and you'll find great packages that only cost $25 for a whole year. Just avoid the freebie hosts since you are almost guaranteed to be sharing server space (and likely an IP range) with sites banned by Google, which can cost you your ranking.
c.) Once your blog app is installed, turn on the "permalink" option from the control panel. This way each posting you enter will also get its own URL. Finally, begin entering posts of 200 or more words, focusing on only 1 or 2 keywords per post. Try to begin each post title with the primary keyword for that topic.
d.) To best optimize your keywords and content follow the steps outlined in SEO cbt's release "Google Domination" (http://www.SEOcbt.com). This is a free computer based training module for SEO do it yourselfers that works extremely well. It was not written specifically for blogs but all the information is perfectly suited to them.
Inside Tip: Register your domain name for a five year period or longer. Just extend it if needed. Google has been known to check "whois" records and assumes the longer the domain is registered in advance, the more "real" the site is.
2.) SEO for YouTube Videos
YouTube accounts for more than 60% of ALL online videos watched in the US. And your YouTube videos can be found in Google's search results just like any normal Web page. This means they can rank number 1 in just days, with the right SEO.
If you're looking to capitalize on SEO for Web 2.0, this is a fast and free way to do it. I won't get into how to upload the videos and optimize the frame size, etc. That said; let's assume you have signed up for your free account at YouTube.com and are ready to upload your first video using their easy to follow instructions. This is all the SEO you need to know...
a.) When forming your title, think in terms of "long tail" keywords, meaning keyword phrases of three or more words. Be sure these are in the same order people would search for them (eg/ "long tail keywords" not "keywords long tail.") Also try to anticipate what the user will type in his search. "How to" is one of the most common search phrases people use in Google and YouTube to get answers quick.
b.) Think of "tags" as keywords and enter them like you would the Meta keyword tag of a web page. Select only the most likely search terms people are using and keep the words in the order people use them. Don't just use random words separated by commas. Use full length search phrases exactly how people search for them. And don't go too crazy here. Excessive tags tend to confuse the YouTube engine. Incidentally, if you have "how to" as a tag, also add "howto" (without the space.) If "how to" returns a bunch of unrelated junk your "howto" tag can better cut to the chase in YouTube's search engine.
c.) The description is where you have the most freedom. It's best to begin the description with your main keyword (and title) as close to the beginning as possible. Something like this works well... "Learn how to..." then follow up with several sentences rich in long tail keywords (the same ones from your tags.) Grammar is not the most important thing in the world but try to make it friendly for people who might read the description before they decide to watch the video. Also remember that Google uses a natural text algorithm that can spot unnatural keyword spamming a mile away.
Real Life Example: I just saw a commercial on TV for a spy movie and someone threw a knife. I went to Google and entered "how to throw a knife" (without quotes.) The top three matches include a YouTube video and Wiki entry. Wow! Welcome to Web 2.0!
3.) SEO Using "Live Face" Technology
One of the biggest reasons for the dot com crash of '01 was that Websites became way too impersonal. One of Web 2.0's strengths is the ability to help people relate to people once again. One of the most successful technologies leading the way is "Live Face."
Live Face allows a video spokesperson to meet, greet and inform your Web page visitors. As far as SEO benefits, any sort of video has usually involved heavy RealTime or Flash files that block search engine spiders and hurt rankings. Now however, there are services like Live Face for Web (http://www.LivefaceForWeb.com) that can add full length videos to your site without it interfering with onsite SEO one bit (due to the file's location) while greatly enhancing offsite efforts such as acquiring the highest quality one way and reciprocal links.
Most sites employing this technology report conversion increases of up to 5x. This means they are converting up to five times the number of sales they did before using Live Face technology.
Real Life Example: The SEOcbt.com site mentioned earlier uses Live Face for Web and they hit number one on Google for all of their major keywords within two weeks of site launch.
That's a good start to SEO for Web 2.0. Good luck!
Both Gen Wright & Michael Small are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gen Wright has sinced written about articles on various topics from Terrier Dogs, Acne Treatment and Lose Weight. Ashok Arora is CEO of company and , providing. Gen Wright's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.
Michael Small has sinced written about articles on various topics from SEO Search Engine Optimization, Domains and Personal Desktop. Mike Small is a ten year veteran with thousands of top search engine rankings to his credit. The author of several SEO books, Mike is also the founder of. Michael Small's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.