Slate magazine's Reihan Salam discusses Netvibes, a useful web service that allows users to compile their favorite pieces of the Net into one, customized web page. Netvibes sets itself apart from other web portals in that users can add content and applications from several different websites using RSS and ATOM feeds.
There are also "modlues" that pull up information from various sites such as Flickr, del.icio.us, and Craigslist. In addition to standard tools like web search (which is also customizable), calendar, and weather forecasts, Netvibes even provides a "To Do List" section (which lists "buy milk" as an item under the default setting).
The email wizard is another useful feature. Users can read email from nearly any account including Yahoo, Gmail, and any POP account.
This application is a perfect example of web 2.0; its content is completely determined and modified by the user. In fact, Shatari is now a huge fan of this site, as it has become her new homepage. We strongly encourage you to check it out!
Read the Slate article here, and visit Netvibes here.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
From E-Commerce Times: Getting Physical With Online Shopping
In this article by Kelly Shermac discussed the change in the way that people shop online. Marketers and retailers must understand that customers have different personal behaviors and different taste so they must be treated more individually or "dynamically" as the article state. Traditionally websites tried to retain customers by having very eye catching websites, now it has shifted to creating a great online experience for them.
The main point of this article is discussing how companies are beginning to use rich internet applications to create this experience they want. First it tells how companies often times present too much information to the consumer and the consumer is sometimes confused by this. Software was created to try and help out the consumer sort through relevant information such as price, quantity, size and other attributes. This will also help on the search by determing which items best fit the specified attributes. Next, the article goes on to describe how a furniture company uses a progam called Scene7 to show very detailed pictures to the customers. This software will also be used in the store, which means that it must be a great tool to use for sales. Finally, it tells about where the future is headed.
I really like this article because I felt like it related to what we have been discussing in class over the past few months. How the web is begginning to more to become more interactive or move into the "Web 2.0" era of the web. The article shows exactly how more interaction means increased sales. It even states that sales are increased by about 20% when the consumer is provided with an interactive experience. I feel that we will see much more creative ideas developed that will all for users to become involved. In the near future, I believe that these technologies will become very popular becuase it makes for a simpler, more interactive web experience.
To read the full article go to:
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/emarketing/56886.html
The main point of this article is discussing how companies are beginning to use rich internet applications to create this experience they want. First it tells how companies often times present too much information to the consumer and the consumer is sometimes confused by this. Software was created to try and help out the consumer sort through relevant information such as price, quantity, size and other attributes. This will also help on the search by determing which items best fit the specified attributes. Next, the article goes on to describe how a furniture company uses a progam called Scene7 to show very detailed pictures to the customers. This software will also be used in the store, which means that it must be a great tool to use for sales. Finally, it tells about where the future is headed.
I really like this article because I felt like it related to what we have been discussing in class over the past few months. How the web is begginning to more to become more interactive or move into the "Web 2.0" era of the web. The article shows exactly how more interaction means increased sales. It even states that sales are increased by about 20% when the consumer is provided with an interactive experience. I feel that we will see much more creative ideas developed that will all for users to become involved. In the near future, I believe that these technologies will become very popular becuase it makes for a simpler, more interactive web experience.
To read the full article go to:
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/emarketing/56886.html
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