The concept of Web 2.0 became popularized in 2004 by Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, and has since become a pivotal force in transforming the Internet. It refers to no one specific technology or system, but rather embraces all trends or influences that help the creativity, interactivity, and productivity of the Internet. The most notable results of the Web 2.0 influence are such Internet giants as eBay, Craigslist and the all-pervasive Wikipedia. The most attractive aspect of the 2.0 method is that it is a constantly evolving system that embraces the contributions of all interested parties.

The essence of Web 2.0 is best described as one that seeks to employ the unique features of the Internet to improve social interactivity, thus taking advantage of the medium rather than fighting against it. By leveraging the interconnectivity and social interaction that make the Internet such a global platform, the 2.0 approach allows users to be active participants on a web site, uploading information and input as well as downloading.

At this point you are probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with your web site?  By using a web 2.0 model, your web site will be much more findable to users via search engines, provide a richer user experience, download faster, and provide more interactivity. All of these are advantages that have a direct impact on the overall conversion of visitors to leads from your web site.

Some of the most notable features of a web 2.0 site include:
• Cascading Style Sheets – aids in the separation of presentation and content.
• Folksonomies (collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, and social tagging)
• Microformats extending pages with additional semantics
• REST and/or XML- and/or JSON-based APIs
• Rich Internet application techniques, often Ajax and/or Flex/Flash-based
• Semantically valid XHTML and HTML markup
• Syndication, aggregation and notification of data in RSS or Atom feeds
• Mashups, merging content from different sources, client- and server-side
• Weblog-publishing tools
• Wiki or forum software, etc., to support user-generated content
• Internet privacy, the extended power of users to manage their own privacy in cloaking or deleting their own user content or profiles.

While many 2.0 sites display a common aesthetic; rounded corners, subtle drop shadows and glows, and iconographic navigation tools, these are not to be confused with 2.0 itself, but rather a design trend that is currently associated with 2.0.