Web 2.0 Turnkey Stores

One of the defining terms of the web 2.0 world is: Turnkey.
Does a website provide a solution that takes very little time
or effort for the consumer to implement? Companies are increasingly
applying the Turnkey concept to build virtual storefronts. The stores
have been attracting website owners and consumers alike.

A few companies in the spotlight:

Zazzle.com & MySpace – A partnership that will allow musicians with MySpace pages to create virtual stores for their T-shirts and merchandise. Their fans will be able to customize the product they are purchasing with artwork and graphics from the musician.


Squidoo.com – You can build a page on any topic in a few minutes and add on merchandise from multiple retailers.


iAmplify.com – Any website can create their own MP3 and MP4 download store with a simple audio and video player dubbed the InSite Player. Consumers can purchase the downloads directly from the player.

Facebook Applications – All the Rage

With Microsoft Corp.’s $240 million investment in Facebook Inc, building a facebook application just got hotter. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft announced last week it will buy a 1.6% stake in Facebook. The implications of this investment are yet to be seen. The valuation of Facebook as of today is approximately 15 billion dollars. As a marketer, it is probably wise to familiarize yourself with Facebook and building a Facebook Application as a way of reaching over 30 million people.

A few great places to find more information:
The Facebook Application Report by O’Reilly Radar
Social Media
Mashable.com

Web 2.0 Interfaces – Keeping it clean

With all the buzz about web 2.0 generating new methods of communication. Some web 2.0 websites are doing better than others with communicating with their visitors. Remember there is one golden rule: Keep communication simple and friendly. Visitors should be able to see where to go next in under 2 seconds.

The top 5 sites that keep their user interfaces clean and super friendly:
Twitter - The homepage leads you to do one thing: To join.
This Next – The homepage leads you to discover more about the site.
Quickeo – 3 simple things to do on the homepage all leading you to the same place…to enter the site.
YourMinis- find any widget the fast and easy way
Meebo – Simply sign up to an instant messenger on their homepage.

Widgets Are Gaining Momentum

Widgets the newest craze in the web 2.0 world are gaining stream. Widgets are visually dynamic tools that can either go on a desktop or on a website. They are generally small but create a big bang, due to their customizable and viral nature. Website visitors can download a product from a widget. The downloads can be tracked and measured through the widget - giving you instant data to see how successful the product is.

According to quikonnex.com, In 45 days, one company had 10,000 downloads of their widget and an increase of $7,500 worth of sales DIRECTLY related to the widget.


The 5 newest and coolest widgets to draw inspiration from:

1. Amazon Widgets - Amazon demonstrates again they are the king of e-commerce. Their newest widgets help websites customize slideshows, video previews, quick links, and a display unit for the Amazon store.

2. iAmplify Sports - See how iAmplify merchandises their site and sells premium content with their newest video player.

3. Twitterific - Read and publish posts or "tweets" to the Twitter community website, directly from this tiny application that you download on your desktop.

4. Pregnancy Widget - A widget that help moms-to-be chart their progress on an inspirational calendar.

5. Poll Widget - Publish polls on any topic on your site with this new poll widget.