• 
• By Stephane LEE
• on Jul 18th, 2007

People prevail : Show your community

As time goes by, Web2.0 is taking roots and transforming the Web. Loads of start-ups are born every day, but the ones who succeed understand the cardinal values of the Web : People and Speed.
In this first article, I’ll talk about People.

Internet is a technical network made of IP routers, Web1.0 is a technical network made of links, Web2.0 is a social network made of people.

You have to fully understand this before you get to design your website or web app. If you want to gather (lots of) people on your site, first do them a favor : let them be on your homepage.

When you are looking for a restaurant in a lively street, the first thing you do (even before looking at the menu) is have a glance inside.
Is the restaurant nicely decorated ? Yes. Is there people having lunch ? No ? Then go next door.

I did once book a table at a restaurant I didn’t know, and I was really upset when my girlfriend and I discovered we were the only guests ! You definitively don’t want to do that, trust me
Even if you don’t like crowds, there is little chance you’ll enter a deserted place. Because deserted means people have fled, there was some service bugs, the boss was rude, something didn’t go well.

Now have a look at your web site or app.

On the front page, do you see people inside ? Are there names written ? Better still, can you see photos of some guys ?
No ? Humm, you are in trouble.

What can I possibly do on a website where there is no other people showing up ? Web2.0 is a SOCIAL Network made of people, so if you don’t have people inside, you are NOT in Web2.0. You are still in Web1.0, and your main focus is putting links on webpages. This was the right thing to do at one point in time, but now it is becoming obsolete. No people on your homepage = OBSOLETE.

What do people on your homepage tell me ?
It tells me you’re a good cook, you know how to make people come to your place, other people have tried and tested your product/service so I won’t be the alpha tester getting all the bugs, if people are there, you have documentation and your maintenance is OK. If you sell something, that’s even better, it means that people have found you have reasonable pricing. You’re not a liar, a coward, a unworthy person or company.

Your community is your biggest asset, and in fact the reason why you are allowed to enter Web2.0. Your community is your passport to Web2.0, where billions of people now reside.
So please show it to me, because I have no time to lose…

1. On Sep 17th, 2007 at 18:28 by mawuna

Stéphane, you got it right. I’ll keep this in mind while building my online community. great pictures for the illustration. Thanks for this insight

2. On Jun 08th, 2008 at 12:02 by Henry

Social media is the next media revolution for sure!!

3. On Jun 24th, 2008 at 2:50 by Pebbles

You are absolutely correct, I never really thought about it that way.  I’ll be sure to add people to my next commercial website!

4. On Jun 24th, 2008 at 2:52 by Noel

I will be showing your post to some clients of mine who don’t want any people in their website!  Showing people in the website adds LIFE!  And LIFE is what it is all about!  (Unless, of course, you are selling grave markers!) Thanks for the post!