Does your website lack that cutting edge? Do you want it to do more for you? If so, the addition of certain Web 2.0 applications to your website could add significant value to your business.

Web 2.0 comes in many guises – from blogs to RSS feeds to knowledge-sharing networks – which means that there is a tool or application for every type, and size, of organisation. The advantages of Web 2.0 are derived from the need to inform and keep connected with clients. A static website usually falls short in this respect.

Nowadays, a website needs to speak to the individual. To quote legal IT guru Richard Susskind, it’s all about “information satisfaction, not saturation”. Time-poor clients want to be kept up-to-date on developments that are relevant to them, and they want that information in an easily accessible, bite-sized format. Personalised content that can be delivered directly through RSS feeds or podcasts is highly beneficial for both client and organisation.

For example, RSS feeds give your clients the option of choosing what content they want, rather than being bombarded with content that is not relevant to them. Withers’ new website (www.withersworldwide.com) is a good example of this.

The advantages of Web 2.0 can be summed up by the 3 C’s:

Content: RSS updates, briefings and publications provide specialised information to keep your clients ‘in the loop’. Blogs from thought-leaders can supply clients with valuable insights into specialist areas of law, which attracts interested parties to your site. Freeth Cartwright is successful in this respect with its specialist IP and technology law blog (http://impact.freethcartwright.com)

Community: making your website a hub for like-minded individuals is mutually beneficial for all parties involved. CRM can be enhanced in this way. E-learning, client networks, and online forums can all help to do this.

Collaboration: user-generated content is part and parcel of Web 2.0. In a knowledge-based discipline like law this helps distribute and share key data. Wikis are particularly useful in the regard.

For more information on how Intendance can help you implement effective Web 2.0 technologies, please contact fanni.vig@intendance.com.