[Web 3.0: The Simple Life is part four in a series of blogs that will summarize a presentation I delivered at the Northwest Arkansas Marketing Summit on September 20th concerning using technology to grow your business.  Part one can be read here, and part two here, and part three here.]

If Web 1.0 was characterized by the two words “content” and “commerce,” and Web 2.0 by “personalization” and “relevancy,” then Web 3.0 might be “connection” and “automation.”

As great as the Internet is in all its Web 2.0 glory, the reality is that the web is still a broken and inefficient network of unconnected information.  Current estimates assume that there are somewhere between 15 and 30 billion internet pages.  The fact that our best estimates allow for a 15 billion page margin of error says something about how inefficient the Internet is.  Sites like Yahoo and Google scour the web, using logarithms to organize sites based on content and relevancy.  Engineers at these companies and many others we have not yet heard of are working hard to create new and more efficient ways to help computers organize and draw conclusions from all of the online data.  These technologies that are working to create a “smarter web” could be the foundation of what becomes known as Web 3.0 in the next 5 years or so.

How might Web 3.0 work?

Imagine you’ve had some lingering wrist pain from all of your web surfing.  A program can search for specialists in your area and determine their availability.  It will cross reference your insurance database to ensure they are an approved provider, review your calendar, and schedule an appointment.  The address, phone number and time will be synced with your car and your phone.  When you’re in the parking lot you’ll be automatically checked in.  You’re insurance information and medical information was synced up with the office when your appointment was scheduled so there’s no need to fill out paperwork.

Or, maybe I’m reviewing websites regarding an upcoming trip to Vegas.  Anytime I see something online that looks of interest to me I flag it as a yes, no, or maybe.  A program reviews my likes and dislikes and begins to make recommendations.  It also reviews my calendar, open table times at the restaurants I liked, and begins to create optional agendas.  The program also knows my budget and what I have set aside in my bank account for this vacation and only recommends agendas I can afford.  It saves me money on airfare so I can afford a nicer hotel.  With a click, my preferred agenda is approved and the program makes all the reservations.

Privacy is a concern that some people will have when thinking about the potential of Web 3.0.  In reality, we are quite comfortable in sacrificing our privacy for convenience.  Every time we use a credit card to pay for something we are sacrificing our privacy for convenience.  We are becoming more and more comfortable in relying on technology to organize our lives and will continue to experiment with technologies that can “simplify” our lives.

It’s still speculation to know what Web 3.0 might become, but with the exponential growth of the Internet we can be certain that it will continue to play a larger and more significant role in organizing and scheduling our careers, relationships, and entertainment.
 
My final posting in this series will cover four ways that companies should be using Internet technology to grow their brand.