A presentation that looks at some of the ways web 2.0 can help entrepreneurs and small business owners. This was part of NSW Small Business Month in September 2008.

1. GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORPLATINUM SPONSORS
Web 2.0 for free
Paul Wallbank

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What is web 2.0?
Web 2.0 brings software and Internet tools onto the web browser
 Very little is really new. All of these tools existed earlier
 Shared applications: Cloud computing
 Most data is saved in the cloud
 2600 tools listed in early September
 Web 3.0 is on the way

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What does web2.0 offer business?
Three main business uses
 As a marketing tool
– Showing your expertise
– Improving your visibility
 Enhancing productivity with shared applications
– Moving databases, contact lists online.
 Making money from advertising
– Setting up an information site
– Aim to make money from it

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Making money from advertising
 A full time business
 Most find the returns disappointing
 To succeed, players need a niche
 Design and SEO are essential
 Increasingly a big business field

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Shared applications
Help you with existing business processes
 Free for entry level
 Scalable
 No capital investment
 Cost effective
Examples
 37 signals
 Zoho
 Google
 Yahoo!

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37 Signals
Productivity software
Belief in keeping things simple
 Backpack: Calendar sharing and collaboration
– Equivalent of Outlook, Exchange
 Highrise: Contact management and CRM
– Replaces ACT! or BCM
 Basecamp: Project management
– MS Project
 Free for basic accounts

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Zoho
Office productivity
 Writer, spreadsheets
 Invoicing software
 Database management
 Free for basic accounts
 Scales with business
 Add services as you need them

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Google
The gorilla in the room
 Google Docs and Apps
 Google webmaster tools
 Google Local
 YouTube
 Most services totally free
 Perpetual beta

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Yahoo!
Falling behind but some useful tools
 Yahoo!Mail and Messenger
 Directory
 Flickr!
 All free

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Web2.0 as a marketing tool
This is the most powerful Internet tool for small business
 Often Free or cheap
 Fast
 Effective way to drive traffic
 Can be a ready made website

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What is online Marketing?
Marketing is simply telling your story
 Who
 What
 Where
 When
 Why
Web 2.0 tools
 Blogging
 YouTube
 Social networking

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Using blogs
What are blogs?
 Simply online diaries
 A way to tell your story
Using blogs
 Communicate to customers
 get your message out
 get feedback from customers
 present your expertise
 Be an advocate

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Communicating to your customers
Il Solito Posto
 Based in Central Melbourne
 Customers are busy office workers
 Posts daily specials as a blog
 Free and simple to do

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Get your message out
Now we are talking
 Telstra’s message board
 Profile products
 Great outlet for testimonials
 Allows Telstra to make their points
 Can be over aggressive

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Get feedback from customers
Dell Ideastorm
 Realised they needed better feedback
 Invite comment from customers
 Act on the suggestions

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Being an expert and an advocate
The Newsagency Blog
 Software developer and newsagent
owner
 Newsagents are a difficult group to
communicate to
 The industry has unique challenges
 Presents Mark Fletcher as both an
expert and an advocate
 Gives his software company a big
advantage over the opposition.

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Setting up a blog
Blogging platforms
 Wordpress
– Simple
– Incredible range of templates
– Extremely flexible
 Blogger
– Not quite as flexible
– Very quick to setup
– Integrated into Google

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Social networking
 Contact management
 Networking
 Promote your business
 Examples of social networking sites
– LinkedIn
– Facebook
– MySpace

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Streaming media
Podcasting
Vodcasting
 Circus Oz: Thirty years of archived material put onto youtube
 Good way of showing your expertise
 An intimate way of communicating
 A very time intensive process
 Dubious effectiveness.
 To date conversion rates are poor.

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Web 2.0 for business
 Very useful business tools
 Great marketing tool
 Remote worker paradise
 Still in it’s early stages
 Free or cheap
 Grows with your business
You must have the basic marketing
tools.

21. GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORPLATINUM SPONSORS
Web 2.0 for Free
www.paulwallbank.com