WEB DEVELOPMENT & PUBLISHING

INTERACTIVE COMMUNITIES

When the telephone was invented, it was intended to be only for emergencies.  The original developers of the telephone could never have foreseen the profound effects that the phone would have on how we work, socialize, and schedule our lives.  Similarly, the use of the web will undergo equally profound changes and we can only guess how the web will impact how we relate to one another in the future.  

The current users of the web only harness a fraction of its potential.  It is still predominately one way communication, yet the research shows that the best way to get people to be loyal to your site is to give them the opportunity to contribute to the content of the site.  The trend is for the web to be more and more interactive, focusing more on community and two way communication.

People who are given the opportunity to contribute to a site are more likely to trust the content of the site, are more interested, and are more likely to come back.  

The current web sites are rarely doing that.  There is a great reluctance to relinquish control of the content to the unknown populous.  They use great technology, but most are still thinking in two dimensions, posting information in one direction. 

The web will redefine how companies and groups relate to their customers and members.  Building a web site that focuses on appearance is only the beginning.  Dancing animation, flashing text, pop up menus may get peoples attention briefly, but it will not entice them to keep coming back.  To get them to return, your site needs constantly updated content, and ideally, it should give them a feeling of being a part of a community.

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