Small Business on the Semantic Web: The Mix Changes, But Not What Matters

What are the fastest growing technologies among small businesses?

According to a recent survey conducted by Rockbridge Associates, the answer is "...company websites [18%], which may include companies that are putting sites back up as well as those who are putting up their first sites. After websites, the fastest growing internet business solutions will be those that help sell the small businesses' products and services, including: online product demonstrations [16%], online advertising [15%], social media [15%], ability to order online [15%], ability to pay online [13%], and online directories [12%, plus other SEO at 11%]." A better summation might read as follows:

Over the next two years, we expect those small businesses who lack websites to develop them ... those who already have websites to upgrade them ... and the winners in both categories to integrate results-oriented design (34%), eCommerce (28%), search visibility (SEO/SEM/PR, 38%), and social media marketing (SMM, 15%) into their web design goals, redesign objectives and overall strategies for building, conducting and growing their business online.

The survey also made note of the ongoing boom in social media marketing--omnipresent if not obvious in the foregoing--pointing out that almost "...one out of five small business owners actively uses social media. The main types of social media uses include:

A company page on a social networking site (75 percent)
Posting ... on social media sites (69 percent)
Building a network through a site like LinkedIn (57 percent)
Monitoring feedback about the business (54 percent)
Maintaining a blog (39 percent)
Tweeting about areas of expertise (26 percent)
Using Twitter as a service channel (16 percent)"

Of course, not all enterprises earned ROI from their social media commitment, with 50% of those surveyed claiming it took more time than they expected. On the plus side, however, 70% claimed their expectations were met or exceeded. And either way, the reality according to Alexa.com is that of the Top 20 English-language websites worldwide, 6 are search engines and 10 are social media sites (each with their own search resource). So if you are serious about getting found and getting traffic in a Web 3.0 world, high visibility in both venues should be a top priority.

The Rockbridge survey covered many other aspects of business operations and success, both online and off. And although their agenda is transparent, their methods unscientific, and their findings not statistically valid, it is still worth a read. An important observation gleaned from so doing should be that web technologies may be changing, but the criteria for business success are not:

On the Web, success has always been a function of traffic and conversion. And with the advent of the Semantic Web, that function can only be optimized by "Web 3.0 Ready" design, pervasive search positioning, and social media marketing that delivers real RE$ULT$ ... the kind measurable in dollars and cents more so than "followers" and "fans".