Good Web 2.0 style hosting designs?

snickn · #1 01-08-2007, 02:56 AM

What web 2.0 charactistics have you guys seen in hosting sites? what sites are a prime example of this? AJAX is one of the particular web 2.0 styles i'm speaking of, but wikipedia defines a web 2.0 style design as :

Quote:

Technology overview

The complex and evolving technology infrastructure of Web 2.0 includes server-software, content-syndication, messaging-protocols, standards-based browsers with plugins and extensions, and various client-applications. These differing but complementary approaches provide Web 2.0 with information-storage, creation, and dissemination capabilities that go beyond what the public formerly expected of web-sites.

A Web 2.0 website may typically feature a number of the following techniques:

* Ajax-based rich Internet application techniques
* Non-Ajax-based rich Internet application techniques
* CSS
* Syndication and aggregation of data in RSS/Atom
* Clean and meaningful URLs
* Extensive use of folksonomies (in the form of tags or tagclouds, for example)
* Use of wiki software either completely or partially (where partial use may grow to become the complete platform for the site)
* Weblog publishing
* Mashups
* REST or XML Webservice APIs

The Stealthy One · #2 01-08-2007, 09:18 AM

Many hosting companies are using these techniques on their sites, but I don't think it's a requirement for success. Why do you ask?

Jedito · #3 01-08-2007, 11:02 AM

Any host can fill those requirements, because AJAX is a client side feature, it does not depend of your host but of your browser.

David · #4 01-08-2007, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedito

Any host can fill those requirements, because AJAX is a client side feature, it does not depend of your host but of your browser.

That isn't what he asked.
Read before posting, please.

snickn · #5 01-08-2007, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlobalWebDan

Many hosting companies are using these techniques on their sites, but I don't think it's a requirement for success. Why do you ask?

Because I'm assisting in a redesign and would like to see other web 2.0 charastics in use.

The Stealthy One · #6 01-08-2007, 01:05 PM

Ah, gotcha!

David · #7 01-08-2007, 01:14 PM

nickn,

If this is what I think it is: Personally I'd recommend going the google route and keeping things 'simple'.

I wouldn't recommend utilizing too much ajaxified things just yet until everyone and their browsers have caught up. The advent of a technology doesn't necessarily mean jump to it: The brand being discussed should definitely get an overhaul but keep it simple!

Something I'd recommend always doing is getting lots of feedback from both users & employees.
Have every employee sit down & spend 15-20 minutes on the existing site showing you how they would browse it as a perspective client.

What catches their attention the most?
What types of information do they like and what do they ignore?
Which aspects of the sales procedure do they find cumbersome?

The employees who deal with the perspective clients daily (e.g. the sales team) would have more insight into the system than anyone else. Everyday they help assist users walk through the order form.

The same applies to the clients. Post a few threads on the forum and get their insight. Launch a few polls:

What parts of the signup procedure did they find the easiest?
Which part of the existing site do they like?
Which do they think needs additional work?

Anywho!
Best of luck with the project

MrRadic · #8 01-08-2007, 01:50 PM

David, very well said, kudos to you. I would also like to stress on the point David has made in terms of getting feedback from users, there's nothing more important.