It was all there at last weekend’s workshop Web 2.0: Mostly In Plain English, a guide to successful innovation through an audience centered lens.

• -The emergence of social media from the first-generation web aka Web 1.0;
• -How blogging can help make this your most profitable year (even in this fiscal climate);
• -Analytics and optimization tips for your website;
• -Next steps for our 2.0 world and business;
• -And more…

ClickForHelp’s Chief Innovation Officer Ken Fischer hosted the event along side sponsor Judy Ann Schandua, President, Enigma Business Solutions. Rounding out the speaker line up were presenters from Ruiz Mcpherson Communications marketing maverick Mayra Ruiz-McPherson, Web 2.0 real estate blogger Tony Arko, and Network Solutions own senior consultant Andrew Bates.

Web 1.0 to 2.0 to audience-centered revolution
Mayra gave an overview of how the Web was first used plus how it related to current 2.0 conversational depth (and she underscored: Don’t worry! It’s still the Web; it’s just used differently with different online tools). Tim O’Reilly a few years back wanted to excite people about his upcoming conference; and in generating that buzz, he and his team crafted the term Web 2.0. And from there, the straight forward – ‘in plain English workshop’ – took off with varied context and conversations on doing business in Web 2.0. Bottom line, online communications and media are much more audience & community centered than in the website-centric 1.0 days.

People like making connections with real people; and Web 2.0 technology should be viewed as how to facilitate this natural activity.

-Ken Fischer, ClickForHelp

Psychology factors in: how communities have replaced message control
In sharing how social media can be perceived, this concept stood out: it’s not how people “should” respond that’s as relevant. Within community dynamics, emotional, social, and logical concerns in community influence how people reach decisions and beliefs. So when creating and communicating in Web 2.0, practitioners should ideally plan strategy around how people socialize within their communities. Outreach to communities (vs demographics) is optimal because they espouse a unique, natural communications behavior.

And when considering social media solutions to engage your customers or defined audience, keep these principles in focus: relevance, interaction, connections, empowerment, and community outreach.

Despite the overall real estate market and economy, I’m now having the best year in my career. -Tony Arko, real estate agent, consultant, blogger

Blogging business power: creating a real estate boom
Tony Arko first started blogging and using social media one year ago as a real estate agent in Loudoun County, Virginia. He confirmed 1/3 of his business comes from his blog’s readership (fantastic) and mentioned prospective home buyers usually contact him after reading his blog for six to eight months. And this is just simply folks reading his industry-based content for Loudoun County real estate; with his blog – he does not practice conversion strategy beyond making content available (with added tips below):

• -perceive a blog as chance to establish expertise and trust with potential customers, community in general, and even mainstream media;
• -know your goals for the blog; some of his top intentions for his: 1) be in the top front Google search results and 2) use key blog posts to answer common, repetitive questions from different home buyers;
• -use key terms relevant to your business for SEO purposes i.e. Loudoun County real estate;
  -write about what you love – be passionate about content to find your voice;
  -remember Google will search sites that are updated more often so that helps get to top of search results more readily.

It takes at least 200 words of written content for search engines to really recognize and search it appropriately. -Andrew Bates, Network Solutions senior consultant

Your online content: search spending stats & what customers do pre-purchase
At least $21.9 billion was spent last year on search spending with expectations for that figure to grow 30% this year. But what was most compelling was learning 81% of consumers research products online before purchasing. So it’s still as critical for making it easy for customers to find you and your business online. SEO remains our friend.

For your Web presence: a roadmap to the user experience, metrics, and more

• -define goals for your website and what you want visitors to do upon arrival;
• -enact measures based on time increments i.e. progress at 3 months, 6 months, one year, etc;
• -secure a domain name;
• -focus on the user experience and what they really want i.e. don’t assume video should be on the front page just because it’s pretty;
• -remember everything can be measured; so use tools like www.analytics.google.com to assess what actions visitors take i.e. sales conversions, e-newsletter requests, membership enrollment.

And feel free accessing more Network Solutions resources (some are free!) like whitepapers or webinars on SEO, e-commerce, and more.

It was a full afternoon at this Web 2.0 workshop with even more discussions, brainstorming sessions, and networking than what one blog post can do justice. Thanks to Ken and all for making this possible and for letting me join in events!

(photo by Daniel F. Pigatto under Creative Commons license 2.0 A-NC-ND)

Steve: You recently formed Exalt Consulting with Otis Lee, a veteran in the government contracting space. Could you tell us a little bit about what Exalt is doing now and its long-term vision?
Andy: Exalt Consulting Group is focused almost exclusively on architecture. Architecture is broad term in the IT industry. We categorize architecture into four areas or levels: enterprise, integration, solution, and data center. We’re building practice areas in each of these four areas and expanding both in commercial and federal industries.

Steve: Since you are both serial entrepreneurs and have been through many business cycles, with the economy in a tough spot these days, do you feel it is a good time to start a business?
Andy: Entrepreneurial ventures are not as dependant on the macro economy as other businesses. Entrepreneurship is about seizing new opportunities – discovering a new niche or finding an innovative way to solve of problem. A bad economy can actually create these conditions as customers are ready to challenge the status quo. With every problem there is an opportunity.

Steve: One question I get from people thinking about starting a business is “do I need a business plan”? I tell them that if they are a freelancer and selling their skills, they don’t, but… if they are planning to grow a business that they can’t run without one. What is your philosophy on this type of thing?
Andy: I whole heartily believe everyone should have a business plan. I know it’s a cliché, but the thought process of planning is critical for a new venture – even if you’re not planning on raising money.

However, I’m not saying everyone needs a 40 page MBA style business plan (which is how I started out). I really like Guy Kawasaki’s advice from the book The Art of Start – begin with a 10 slide power point deck. We have one for internal use only that gets update every quarter.

Steve: Your firm has been focused on providing IT architecture solutions. How has this type of consulting model evolved in the last few years? How do you feel it is used most effectively in a business environment?
Andy: On the commercial side, US companies are asking us to provide oversight, or independent validation, of their off shore development. The off shore companies in India and China are good and getting very sophisticated at development. However, they often have a very hard time seeing the big picture, understanding dependencies across silos and aligning to the business goals – the classic areas enterprise architecture addresses.

Steve: As a follow up question, are you focused on any particular technology as your central technology solution, what are the benefits and possible pitfalls to being focused on one technology?
Andy: This is an important question and one that is based on the kind of company you want to be. The type of architecture work we do requires us to be technology agnostic – it’s hard to be a “trusted advisor” if your pitching a specific vendor or technology.

I’ve seen a lot of very successful companies focus on a single technology – take Salesforce.com implementations for example. Hitching yourself to a shooting star can be great. If you focus, it’s paramount to understand the business model and channel programs of the vendor (or technology) you are supporting.

Steve: Do you find any big differences in the commercial and federal clients you work with?
Andy: Not much – just the difference between night and day. Seriously, the differences between the two cannot be understated.

Federal contracting has a very long sales cycle, 1-2 years with a 30 day proposal window. Federal procurement or acquisition has its own unique rules and regulations. One the positive side, working with federal government gives you a chance the work on really important projects that impact people’s lives and on a scale that is unprecedented. For example, the Defense Department’s Supply Chain dwarfs Wal-mart’s – and there is a lot more at stake.

We’re unique in that we’re about 50% commercial and 50% federal. One of our differentiators is that we can cross pollinate architecture best practices across the divide.

Steve: We know you are focused on providing architecture solutions, do you have any plans to develop products of your own?
Andy: Ah . . . the holy grail of consulting! Every consulting company I ever met wants to productize a solution to sell as a full blown product. Unfortunately, this is extremely difficult. Professional service organizations have a fundamentally different business model that doesn’t lend its self to product development. Client or service delivery always trumps internal projects.

I spent several years at a leading Global consulting company trying to develop a product. Even an organization of this scale with enormous resources found it very challenging.

But, it doesn’t mean Exalt won’t try to spin off a product at some point – the allure is just that strong.

Steve: According to Gartner, “Web 2.0” is in the “Trough of Disillusionment” and projects that over the next 12-18 months, since the hype has worn off, that these technologies will be folded into mainstream software development and adoption. Do you agree or disagree and why?
Andy: I agree up to a point. Certain web 2.0 technologies are already part of mainstream software development. After all AJAX was developed to mimic the rich UI of traditional desktop software.

However, I think we are just at the tip of the iceberg on using web 2.0 concepts for businesses. Corporations are just starting to apply web 2.0 practices to “business to business” activities. Just think about all the time spent collaborating within an organization – meetings, proposals, planning, operations. For example, we’re working with an engineering firm that is using web 2.0 ideas to improve their level 3 support processes. The key isn’t the technology, it’s how it s applied in new ways to solve business problems.

Steve: To close our interview I would like to get a “Top 5” from both of you. Since we are facing some tough economic times ahead for possibly the next 12-18 months, what are the Top 5 things you would recommend to consulting firms like yours running a business should do to weather the storm?
Andy: The crisis is unprecedented. It is still a cliché but, Cash is King. Its lets you make some mistakes without losing the company. That is what I would focus on for the next 12 months.

In Part 2 of this two part interview, we focus on they see Web 2.0 being used by potential customers and how it makes selling easier or harder.

Steve: Since many customers are using Web 2.0 tools like Zillow in addition to going to your blog, have you found it easier or harder to sell?

BC: The challenge is the internet. There are so many self proclaimed experts out there. Buyers and sellers are more educated than they ever have been with the amount of information on the internet. You have to be able to convert their search results into face to face time. There is only some much “clicking” that consumers can do before they have to actually need a real person to put it into perspective.

JR: It is definitely easier to sell plugged in people real estate. As agents we need to know that many of our clients have more information than we do. Clients today are more likely to come to me having a very good idea of what they want and what they can afford. I generally show a buyer fewer homes than I did 10 years ago because they already have eliminated neighborhoods or types of homes before we even meet.
I can also use web-based tools to help clients make a decision on a home. For example, one of the biggest problems I saw my clients having was the inability to remember homes they had seen. Once most clients see more than about 10 homes they start to run together in their mind. So I use a personalized blog for each client. Each time a client sees a home I take around 20 photos of the home and post them, along with a link to current information on the listing (so they see price changes and other information) on their own blog. My clients can go back through their blog and see each of the houses they viewed in great detail. They can also use the blog to seek advice from friends or family, even if they don’t live nearby.

Steve: Have you had customers select you as their agent because of your use of Web 2.0 and social media tools?

BC: Yes. I have local followers on Twitter that when needed will use me as their REALTOR® because I am so net savvy compared to my local colleagues.

JR: Yes.

Steve: Some small businesses might be reticent to use many tools because they think it might give away trade secrets or make them too vulnerable to competition. What are your thoughts on this?

BC: I don’t think there is a trade secret out there that you can’t find on google. In our industry there are only about 4% of the agents that utilize Web 2.0 (might have doubled this year) but it has not like they haven’t been informed by NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) or any of us that use the internet haven’t told them about it. Some people are just very reluctant to change.

JR: If an agent uses Web 2.0 tools effectively they will be copied. I know because I’ve gotten many, many ideas from agents that I’ve never met in person. But, these tools are communication devices. You cannot be successful by just copying what others are saying. You have to have something to communicate. You have to be original and be yourself. People will know the minute they meet you if you’ve been faking it online.

Steve: As we close, what are some Web 2.0 and Social Media tools that you think every small business should check out and at least experiment with?

BC: All of them, but the key is not to try and sell something. The key word is “Social” network not “Advertising” network. Build relations and business will come.

JR: Flickr is a great tool for communicating. It is much more than just a picture sharing site. It is a way to say something through writing, photos, video, and mapping that is hard to beat elsewhere. Flickr also has a huge number of loyal users who spend a lot of time adding to and interacting with the community there.
A business should also be on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a good way to stay connected to people you have done business with in the past and to meet new clients or employees through known connections.

In Part 1 of this two part interview, we focus on they are using Web 2.0 to sell to customers and lessons they have learned.

Steve: How long have you been selling real estate?

BC: Just over 3 years

JR: I’ve been helping people buy and sell homes in Northern Virginia since 1994.

Steve: When did you start leveraging the web to market your business?

BC: Day one, I have always been a tech junky. Domain names and websites were set up within weeks of my license date.

JR: I’ve used the web in my business since the mid 90s, but that took on a whole new meaning two years ago. At that time I started to realize that there were a large number of web-based tools available to me that would allow me to communicate to customers and potential customers in a whole new way.

Steve: With the evolution of Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 we have seen tools become more about two-way communications and personal interaction. What Web 2.0 tools (e.g. blogs, podcasts, social networks) are you leveraging for your respective businesses?

BC: I author multiple blogs for various audiences. I use twitter to broadcast my blogs, meet local tech junkies, communicate with other real estate professionals across the states. That’s how I know Jeff. I have not ventured into Podcasting and Video networks yet (emphasize YET,) but you can find me on Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, LinkedIn, Flickr, Skype, Oovoo, ActiveRain, Plinko (I just made that one up.) Just google “gotbob” and you will find me somewhere. Not that I am active on all of them, I do have a presence there. I look at it this way; whatever social network someone is comfortable using, they have the ability to find me.

JR: I base much of my output in my blog at ourfairfax.com. But obviously very few people are familiar with my little blog. So I use various social networks to add my knowledge and presence to these networks that are more commonly visited by your average person. My goal is to be where my customers will seek out information when they are looking to buy or sell a home. So I interact with people on Twitter, Facebook , Flickr, and LinkedIn. There are also real estate specific sites, such as Zillow and Trulia. My role in these sites is to bring information that would be helpful to a specific person, and to leave information about my area that would otherwise not be available. For instance if someone was moving to Fairfax and wanted information on a neighborhood, I’d want to have pictures of that neighborhood on Flickr, have answered a question about that neighborhood on Trulia, and have written a profile of that neighborhood at ourfairfax.com. Of course, I can only do all of this for neighborhoods I know well. Having that kind of information available to consumers will assist many people as they purchase homes in a neighborhood and show my familiarity of that particular neighborhood to those consumers who are looking for an agent to assist them.

Steve: Have these tools increased your opportunities or have things stayed the same?

BC: Most definitely. Google loves my blog. I get questions via email or phone all the time. Some turn out to be nothing, but it’s an opportunity I didn’t have before.

JR: These tools have increased my opportunities. They also put me in a better position to take advantage of the opportunities in front of me.

Steve: For those small businesses out there, what would you recommend to someone thinking about using these Web 2.0 tools to market their business?

BC: Yes most definitely. The more you can separate yourself from you competition and make yourself more available to people that have questions or needs the better your chance at capture their business. Today is about now and what can you do for me.

JR: In the end you need to know your customers. The main question to ask is: “Can I use Web 2.0 tools to give my customers a better experience when they do business with me?”

Next Time…

Next time in Part 2 we the other side of Web 2.0, how customers are using the tools to educate themselves.

We plan to cover this and blog from the event in addition to capturing some interviews with the top minds in the areas of Web 2.0 and social media.

This fast paced, highly interactive and incredibly informative seminar will be held September 10, 2008. Registration is now open for this interactive event to be held at Johns Hopkins University, Montgomery County Campus in Rockville from 8:00 am until 12:00 noon.

They’ve got some of the best speakers from throughout the Mid-Atlantic who will teach you how to:

* Find new business leads through social media
* Connect better with current customers
* Gain press coverage
* Add social media to your existing communications, business development and public relations departments

One speaker in particular is our very own Social Media Swami, Shashi Bellamkonda, who will be on the panel “How To Add New Media To Your Existing Media and Communications Department”

At the event you will learn how to get started or improve your marketing with FREE social media online tools. You will understand how to unlock the promise of Web 2.0 and social media. You will also get to meet, see and learn from an all-star group of A-list speakers on the social media front who will help you maximize your company’s potential and business on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

This is a must attend event for executives who care about growing their business and marketing professionals who want to better position their organizations.

Sponsored by Vocus, the cost to attend Growing Your Business Through Social Media is $49 for TCM MemberPlus; $60 for TCM members and $129 for everyone else. Go here to register.