Web 2.0 is all the rage in the Internet world. What does it mean for your website building plans?
One of the hallmarks of Web 2.0 is that visitors to sites now want to be active participants in those sites and not just readers who come to browse an article and then move on to the next site. Social networking is a big part of current Internet buzz, and for successful website building plans, you will need to be aware of how to harness social networking for your benefit.
Comments on Your Posts
The most basic way to incorporate readers is to allow them to comment on posts. Though the number of comments can get unruly if your site grows large, most site owners can handle the initial influx of comments they will receive. When you are considering website building platforms, take into consideration the ease with which visitors can make comments. Blog software is set up with commenting in mind, and many other content management systems have built-in commenting software. Find out how easily you can alter the options so that you can control spam and moderate comments if needed.
Checking in with Visitors
Some people who comment on your posts will be interested readers who just want to participate. Others will be site owners who, like you, are trying to grow readers for their own site. They will have links to their sites in the comments. Spend some time checking out the sites of the people who visit yours and link. You can begin to build an online network of people by cross-commenting on posts. Though it may seem tedious at first, as in the brick and mortar world, a bit of schmoozing can go a long way in helping build up traffic for your website.
Frequent Promotion
Many sites, including the Huffington Post, use a voting system to determine the best articles available. These sites rely on users to let them know which articles are interesting or controversial. You can submit your own articles to many of these searches to help gain popularity.
Alternatively you may try posting a link from a forum to an article relevant to a post on the forum. While you should not make a post just to say “read my article” unless you are a very senior member of the forum, you can point people to specific articles if they bring up a question you have addressed. Also, use your signature lines to point people to specific articles you’ve written that they may find helpful.
Commenting and other forms of linking up to visitors online becomes fun once you get the hang of it. You are connecting with people whose interests are like your own, and since your website building project likely is on a subject that interests you, the time you spend reading others’ articles and commenting on their blogs will be interesting as well. Websites built without considering the social networking possibilities are likely to stagnate and not become visitor favorites, so be sure to take these tips into account when you are planning your project.
