There’s plenty of debate about the phrase “Web 2.0.” Coined as the name of a conference on online trends in 2004, there’s a debate within programming, development, and Internet marketing communities about whether it is meaningful.

The phrase may sound like it refers to an entirely new version of the Internet. But it actually stands for a change in the way people use it. To put it simply, Web 2.0 is all about you-and your friends. Today’s users are finding new ways to express themselves online, through pages on MySpace, blogs and podcasts, and file sharing on sites like Flickr and YouTube. They’re also connecting to their friends and meeting new people through these and other social networking sites.

User-generated content. Perhaps the most common quality of true Web 2.0 sites is that most of the content is provided-or heavily influenced-by users themselves. Just look at some of the prime examples: YouTube, Wikipedia, MySpace, Flickr, and hundreds of others are all places where users supply the content and determine what they see based on their interests and recommendations from others in their social networks.

Ads are secondary. If you think about it, Google’s website is a perfect example of Web 2.0. Go to their home page, and you won’t see any ads. You’ll just see their logo and a window to type in your search phrase. But even though there’s no overt advertising, Google is a big source of revenue for many businesses. With Google, money-making opportunities involve crafting a website that people want to see.

With most Web 2.0 sites, it’s the same. There isn’t much of a formal business model, and direct advertising is rare. When they see it, users tend to be unwelcoming. But these sites are still a powerful venue for savvy marketers who truly understand the community-and know how to deliver the type of content it’s looking for.

A social network. Web 2.0 sites thrive on social networking. They give users a platform to talk about themselves and connect with others who share the same interests. The software has evolved to allow that to happen: blogging, social tagging, peer-to-peer sharing, and wikis are all Web 2.0 applications that allow users to express themselves, share files they like, and leave feedback for others.

As a marketer, social networks can work in your favor. Make an ad, write an article, or create a compelling blog that people like, and you’ll find your readers or viewers are your best advertisers. They’ll forward links to everyone in their network, who will forward to everyone they know-until you’ve reached a huge number of people.

Web-as-platform vs. desktop-as-platform. When defining Web 2.0, many people talk about the evolution of the web as “the platform.” In the past, overarching operating systems such as Microsoft Windows were thought of as “platforms,” because they provided a base on which other programs could be built. Every Windows-compatible program, from Quicken to The Sims, is built to work on a Windows platform.

With Web 2.0, these overarching applications can actually be built to run on a specific website instead of an individual computer. Programmers can then build programs that run on these platforms. For example, Google has mapping services that runs on its API. Social networking sites have their own API’s, with programs that allow users to connect to others, manage bookmarks and favorites, build their own pages, and express themselves through blogs, podcasts, pictures, and video.

A signature look. It might seem a bit superficial, but most Web 2.0 sites share a specific aesthetic-and it’s part of the social nature of the sites.

Web 2.0 relies on user content and feedback to get a site off the ground. To encourage users to participate, most Web 2.0 sites cultivate an approachable, friendly, low-key image. Some, like Craigslist, have an incredibly simple text-dominant look, with almost no distracting graphics. Others rely on cheery primary colors, rounded text, and plenty of white space to give a clean, simple, and accessible impression.

Cutting-edge technology. The technology you’ll find at work on a Web 2.0 site can include Ajax, CSS, Wiki software, tags and tagclouds, blogging software such as WordPress, and open-source software. Many of these technologies make it easier for users to connect and recommend sites to each other, and better express themselves through content and design.

Whether you like the phrase or hate it, Web 2.0 is here to stay. And despite the fact that successful social marketing sites attract millions of visitors every day, many businesses have not learned how to harness the power of marketing to networking sites. Learn all you can about Web 2.0 marketing, and you’re sure to be ahead of the curve.

G Davies works for http://www.gsinc.co.uk . For more information on social media check out the video interview with Ben Wills at http://www.gsinc.co.uk/tips/social-media-websites.html