Google Site

Here is the link to a Google site I created about Web 2.0 Technologies:

https://sites.google.com/site/web20landonphillips/

Alibaba.com--Assignment 9

I watched the video on “How One Entrepreneur Got Started on Alibaba.com”

I think the video on Blue Rock BBQ was informative on how Alibaba.com can help establish a business and market that business.  The video talks about the trade manager part of Alibaba.com where you can instant message suppliers that you find on Alibaba.com.  I think Marie made a good decision to go to China and visit with the supplier so she could have that hands on experience.  I think anyone using this service would benefit from visiting the supplier, even though the suppliers are verified by Alibaba.com to be legit.  It is always a good idea to see firsthand what you are going to receive.  The way Marie described Alibaba.com showed that the website and the service it provides is easy to use.

I chose to read the success story of Valerie Johnson and her company, Big Feet Pajama.  She basically started this company from the basement of her home.  The article states that she had no product sourcing experience, but managed to take her idea and grow it into a business that did $1.8 million in sales last year.  She found the manufacturer that fit her company idea through Alibaba.com. She managed to make adult footed pajamas abroad and have them shipped into the U.S. I thought this story was inspiring, in that she had an idea and made it come to life with the help of Alibaba.com

I also took a look at some of the things under the Small Biz Toolbox.  Some things I learned was that it is very easy to browse their website and search Alibaba.com to find a product that you are looking for.  I also learned that you can actually chat with suppliers online and contact them directly through email. I also learned how to verify sellers by looking for Gold Suppliers.  I also learned on a couple of other links that there are grants available through the government to start your own business. I also found a template for writing a business plan.  Overall the experience I had browsing Alibaba.com was informative, learning experience and worth my time. 

Wix Website--Spring Break 2011

http://www.wix.com/landonphillipsqdqo/springbreak2011

Web 2.0 Summit

I watched two videos from the 2010 Web 2.0 Summit.  The first video I watched was an interview with Mark Zuckerberg.  The second video I watched was Mary Meeker speaking about internet trends. Click each name to view the videos if you would like. I would recommend watching each, as they are both informative and interesting.  Here are my reflections on each:

Mark Zuckerberg:

There first video I watched from the Web 2.0 Summit was the one with Mark Zuckerberg.  I chose this one because his company, Facebook, has had a big influence on a lot of people’s social life.  Some of the topics discussed were the new message system on Facebook.  This was the first I had heard of the new message system on Facebook, because it has not been introduced on my profile as of today. I thought this was interesting that they are now setting up email. I expect this to me widely used, due to the number of users they have.  Mark mentioned that now over 50% of Facebook users log in at least once per day, so I would expect people to start using this email system.  One reason people might not immediately use Facebook’s email system would be because of privacy concerns.  Mark touched on privacy concerns; however, not in relation to the new message system.  Facebook has been in the news over the past few years because people are unsure about their privacy when using the social service.  Mark stated that they push the boundaries to see where those exist because there is no black and white answer.  Another subject touched on by Mark was how entrepreneurs can utilize Facebook to help grow their business.  It was mentioned that the rich data sets that exist within Facebook, allows innovation from entrepreneurs.  I like when Mark said “one of the best things is that we are building real value in the world, not just taking value from other companies.”  I feel that this comment was saying that they welcome innovation into the world and to use their platforms to help with that innovation.  I think that Facebook will be around for a while and will continue to grow and expand for years to come.  It will be interesting to see what direction Facebook decides to go and if any other big competitors will arise.

Mary Meeker:

Mary Meeker discussed internet trends and changes that are predicted to happen in the future.  For instance, mobile users have been increasing as smartphones become more and more popular.  She stated that smartphones will out-ship PC shipments within 2 years.  Mary also spoke about online advertising and how much more advertising money will be shifted to the online community from the offline community (TV, Newspaper, etc.).  The online community now includes mobile users, so advertising online will increase due to the increasing number of mobile internet users.  She also made a great point when saying that advertisements online are becoming more relevant.  I have noticed this lately when using the internet.  Advertisements seem to catch my attention more because they are more along the lines of my interests.  This is due to the information that people put on social sites such as Facebook and also how advertisers are utilizing these tools to pinpoint the exact market they are trying to reach.  Mary went on to mention how E-commerce took 15 years to get 5% of the retail market.  Recent trends seem to suggest that this will increase much quicker over the next couple of years due to mobile users increasing.  It will be interesting to see how much advertising is geared towards the mobile community over the next year and how this affects advertising campaigns from businesses.

Lync 2010 & Webex

I think Lync 2010 is an excellent tool no matter if you are using it in the office for a business or for personal use.  Lync allows users to share in real time which could be very useful when completing a project or conducting a meeting.  Lync allows for users to not have to be in one place to conduct a business meeting.  The virtual sharing that Lync allows users to do is just like being in a meeting room with all those people.  I like the recording feature, so that if you are unavailable to view the meeting at the time it is happening, you can catch up on it later, without missing anything.  I think the call feature is unique in that if you are in the middle of a call on your laptop, you can send it to your cell phone so that you can continue the call if you have to leave your computer for some reason.  All of these tools provided by Lync could definitely help businesses with sharing information and conducting meetings.

Webex also seems to be a great tool for businesses to use.  I actually experienced this type of sharing while working in a State Farm Insurance office.  I was logged in the meeting via my computer at work and picked up the phone and dialed a phone number.  I could hear the conductor of the meeting talking through the phone while watching the PowerPoint she was going over on my own computer screen.  There were hundreds of agent staff members listening to the same meeting at the same time.  I am not sure if they were using Webex but it was definitely a similar product.  

These products are useful and have proving to help businesses conduct meetings.  I think they could also help in personal areas too, especially when working on a group project in school.  I know last semester, I used Skype to help finish a project while it was snowing and some people in my group could not get out to meet up.  I think it would have been better to have a tool like Webex or Lync to share information as opposed to just talking on Skype.  I will definitely consider these tools next time I am in the same position.

Web 2.0 Technologies & Tagxedo

How can Blogs, Wiki's & tools like Tagxedo benefit businesses?

Blogs, Wiki's and tools like Tagxedo can be used to benefit businesses in different ways.  Blogs can be useful to businesses by providing a place to share company news.  Blogs are easily accessible and can be used to build relationships with colleagues, customers and employees.  A blog might reduce emails within the company as well. A wiki could be used in a business for employees to store and share information with others within the business.  A wiki would be a good place for employees to collaborate on ideas and projects that they are working on.  The Tagxedo tool can be used in business as well.  This tool could be used to display information to employees.  The image produced might grab an employees attention easier than would a normal flyer.  Also, a business could use the Tagxedo tool to display information to customers.  When I created the image above, it was the first time I had ever seen a tool like this and I feel businesses could make good use of things like Tagxedo.

About Me

I am currently a senior at Appalachian State University majoring in computer information systems.  I was born in Spartanburg, SC but moved to West Jefferson, NC, which is about 30 minutes north of Boone.  After I graduate in December, I am hoping to find a job in the IT field.  I am also interested in starting some of my own businesses and have already began working on a couple.