Both mash-ups and social networking are integral parts of Web 2.0 and frontier technologies that will spur-on Web 3.0. But how do they specifically relate to e-commerce and e-business? Let’s first get acquainted with these terms before we answer this question. The term “mash-up” originated in the music industry, where songs that were previously released were mashed together to form new songs. Related more generally to web development, mash-ups are web-based applications that merge content and functionality from a number of sources using technologies like Ajax and RSS. They are popular because in most cases they don’t require a lot of programming skill. When a company releases an API to allow for external requests to be made to the content that they offer, it provides a flexible outlet and extreme level of interactivity for the developer/user to control that data. Thus, mash-up is the combination of the APIs execution and the developer’s added work to change the content for use within another application. An example of a mash-up is VirtulPlaces which uses merged APIs made available by Amazon Web Services, Weather.com, Flickr, MSN Search, Feedmap and GeoURL.

Now, let’s define social networking. Related to the web, social networking is where a group of people introduce a vastly interactive service based on shared interests between users and simple communications tools to advocate those interests to others. Over a period of time the network usually grows. MySpace.com, an online community that let’s you meet your friends’ friends and colleagues, is a prime example.

These two forces relate to online business in a powerful way. Heavy participation with our audiences is becoming increasingly expected, making it difficult to run an unmanned e-business. Blogging is a good example; although a powerful tool, it can be rendered useless if it’s not kept current. Anyone that runs a social networking service, such a MySpace, needs to constantly keep in touch with their users needs. In addition, given the accessibility and ease of implementation of mash-ups, people are demanding more from smaller sites. Also, general user communities will become increasingly important because it is increasingly harder to make a forum thrive. Clients and visitors expect interaction with one another, as well as with you and the larger communities. It’s somewhat tribal, if you will.

In order to promote success in e-commerce, it is a good idea to start a blog or a forum which implements an RSS feed. When posting news items from your industry, you must inject your own opinions and keep things alive, where encouraging comments is a must. The new “connected” generation will continue to present us with many trials, especially if you maintain a small site. However, there are still some great opportunities. The growing trend of Web 2.0, mash-ups and social networking applications will sanction essential marketing opportunities that were not possible before.

John K
CIO, Affordable Hosting Today