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What are community web sites?
Community web sites are sites where the information and content is driven by it's visitors. These sites provide the
ability for it's members to share information with each other. This information comes in many forms; Blogs, Forums, Wiki, Personals, Photo Galleries, RSS and many more.
Community Web sites are big business today and are often referred to as Web 2.0 by those in the biz.
There are many very successful sites that have established themselves as leaders; myspace.com and youtube.com are just two.
Is a community web site right for my business?
It depends! Just like any web site it requires a lot of marketing and effort to
get off the ground, but once it's growing can often run very successfully on it's own.
One of the key benefits of a community web site is that the members contribute to the content- FOR FREE.
This makes it a cheap way to have content added and reduces the burden on the business owner.
We've seen it work really well in the Service, Product and Recreational industry. Companies, that rely on word of mouth
and communication between these customers benefit greatly because they share information like events, special offers and announcements.
Definitions:
BLOGS
A Blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries.
A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.
The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
FORUM
An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. Internet forums are also commonly referred to as web ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum
RSS
RSS (formally "RDF Site Summary", known colloquially as "Really Simple Syndication") is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, newsletters, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel", contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.
RSS content can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader" or an "aggregator". The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.
WIKI
A wiki is a type of computer software that allows users to easily create, edit and link web pages. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
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