When it comes to utilizing Web 3.0, there are a few companies that I consider to be game changers and in a whole different league from the rest. While analyzing Web 3.0 companies, I analyzed more than 100 enterprises across various sectors. I noticed that several shared similar qualities:
Yes, there were other factors I noticed, such as growth rates, employee satisfaction, and size, but these less-tangible qualities were the ones that stuck out to me the most. Armed with a whole slew of intangible information, I have selected four companies that I deem to be innovators and companies exhibiting Web 3.0 business and marketing tactics.
The four companies I selected are Amazon.com, Zappos.com, Salesforce.com, and Cisco. Check out their profiles to see why I consider them Web 3.0 companies. These four companies are no exception!
Company: Amazon.com
Web site: www.Amazon.com
When you think of Amazon.com, you might think books. Granted, Amazon.com did start off by selling books, but it soon started selling pretty much anything you would desire, from CDs to deodorant to kitchen knives and everything in between.
Amazon has the distinction of being America's largest online retailer. Try to top that one, Wal-Mart! It puts the customer first in all respects. Amazon tracks your browsing and buying trends. Armed with that information, it creates a unique customer experience tailored to you! When was the last time you logged on to your favorite Web site and the home page was different each time and, oddly enough, packed with only things you might be interested in?
Keeping the customers first has drastically fueled its growth. What's great about this company is that it is run by innovators who are constantly trying new ways to improve the customer's experience. They recently launched Amazon S3, included a section for self-publishing books, promoted their famous Kindle device, and even purchased Zappos. I'd say they have diversified themselves quite well as leaders!
Why It's a Web 3.0 Company
Business side:
Marketing Side:
Company: Zappos.com
Web site: www.zappos.com
Zappos.com is an E-Commerce site that focuses on shoes, but has many additional product offerings from clothing and bags to accessories and sunglasses. It has gained a lot of forward momentum and awareness recently after the company went from zero to $1 billion in sales in nine years. Not only are people and businesses talking about its sales, but they are also really excited about the company's culture and service. Zappos prides itself on its unique culture and its commitment and dedication to customer service. The company loves doing things that are not considered the norm. For example, there is free shipping, a 365-day return policy and 24/7 customer service. Furthermore, if they don't have a product in stock, the call-center agent will locate the product on a competitor's site for you!
On a final note, the buzzword around Zappos is happiness! Their vision is delivering happiness to customers, employees and vendors.
Why it's a Web 3.0 company
Business Side:
Marketing Side:
Company: Salesforce.com
Web site: www.salesforce.com
The company prides itself on two things: applications for customer relationship management and their Force.com platform. In my opinion, they have also defined and shaped the software as a service industry.
They are best known for their Web-based CRM system that allows you to track and manage prospects, customers, employees, contracts and beyond. Essentially anything that relates to your company can be stored and developed in Salesforce.com. We use it to manage all of our leads and customers. Using their AppExchange, we have continued to deck out our Salesforce.com experience to make it further suit our business.
Switching gears, they recently released Force.com. Force.com is among the easiest places to build out business applications and even Web sites. It's a simplified programming model in a cloud-based environment. For marketers, this may not mean much. Rephrased in English for the rest of us, it's a place to build open-source type of programs to be leveraged.
Why it's a Web 3.0 company
Business Side:
Marketing Side:
Company: Cisco
Web site: www.cisco.com
Founded in 1984, Cisco stands as one of the largest multi-national tech companies in the world. Its model has revolved around putting customers first and then establishing partnerships with those customers to identify their needs and offer solutions.
In addition, it offers hard products, solutions, software titles and services to a wide array of customers and partners around the world. Its collaborators understand all the critical elements to everlasting success.
Cisco became the leader in networking and has transformed how people connect, communicate and collaborate. If you ever hear the phrase, "Welcome to the Human Network," think of Cisco, as they enable everyone to be connected!
Why it's a Web 3.0 company
Business Side:
Marketing Side:
There you have it: four of the most cutting-edge companies that not only understand innovation from a business sense, but also from a marketing sense. These companies have been talking about Web 3.0 and the next wave before most of the competition. Watch their moves, and learn from their marketing. Even though they are huge companies, they still act quite entrepreneurial, so don't be discouraged if you are a small company, thinking, "What could I possibly learn from a billion-dollar business?" The answer: everything. They didn't begin as billion-dollar companies. Like the rest of us, the developers started with next to nothing and built an empire -- and you can, too.
The above is an adapted excerpt from the book Marketing in the Moment: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First by Michael Tasner. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Copyright © 2010 Michael Tasner, author of Marketing in the Moment: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First
Follow Michael Tasner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaeltasner
Just some food for thought!
Looks like a great read so far!
You sure about that?
Weren't we just talking about Web 2.0 last year? Isn't Web 3.0 essentially just e-commerce sites that work, plus Cisco they use Twitter? Hey, Tempurpedic mattresses uses Twitter now too. So does the bar my friend works at. Hey, Happy Hour margarita specials, how Web 3.0!
Seriously, the last thing we need is a new nebulous tech catch-phrase designed to create a mini bubble. I'm still waiting for "social networking" to die the way that "interactive" did in the 90's. I'm thinking Q1 2012.
Now, go do your home work and find a company that was started without VC's and that grew solely based on its operating profits. That is a company to admire.