08.25.09

Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide Review

Posted by Tim Frick in Business, Process

If you are considering your own business approach to the digital world of network-enabled social sites and web-based applications, Amy Shuen’s book from O’Reilly Publishing titled Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide is filled with useful examples and case studies of numerous companies who have leveraged these tools into growth and financial success. By applying many of the business rules outlined inside, Shuen’s book can serve as a valuable roadmap to your own online business success.

I started reading the book because a client of ours is pondering these exact issues. Though at times I found its content a bit dry, the book has been overall an extremely valuable resource to cite in my conversations with this client. It also got me geared toward rethinking some of our own online endeavors.

The case studies tend to focus on the bigger names in this arena—Google, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, etc. Considering the massive success seen by each of these companies, you could certainly do worse than using them as a blueprint for charting your own path to success. Statistics lovers will find a lot to pore over in this book’s pages, as there are ample tables, graphs, charts, facts and figures that provide helpful tips for capitalizing on the valuable combination of users and network effects in online environments.

Each chapter ends with a detailed list of strategic and tactical questions to ask when assessing your own online business endeavors, which is very helpful. The book closes with a chapter on Web 2.0 best practices, including a five step action plan for incorporating these strategies into your existing business. No matter your perception of how the Web 2.0 world fits into your own business strategy, companies and organizations of all sizes will find something to reflect on in this book’s pages.

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