Web 3.0 is coming, but what does that mean exactly? How is the Internet set to change for users and marketers? Well, the new iteration promises more personalisation and better control over data privacy, but it will require marketers and web developers to adopt new tactics and capabilities. Keep reading to get a better understanding of the changes coming our way.
What is Web 3.0?
By all accounts, what we can look forward to is a more personalised and interactive experience that gives users more control over their personal data and privacy, and a more efficient web for marketers that makes more effective use of user data. Web 3.0 will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies, which are already enabling unprecendented levels of personalisation.
Web 1.0 was restrictive and used mainly for sharing text-based information – what Gartner calls the “read-only” web. In the early 90s that evolved into Web 2.0, our current “read-write” web, which focuses on collaboration and interactivity. “With the introduction of blogs, wikis and social media sites, web users were no longer just passive content consumers; they could now create content and share it online,” as Gartner explains.
Web 3.0 is described as a “read-write-interact” web, designed to support the sharing of rich media content and offer seamless interaction with machines. Ultimately, it’ll be a more “intelligent” web with some defining characteristics, the integration of AI being one, and decentralised networks being another. Web 3.0 has no centralised authority controlling and regulating it, putting more responsibility on individual users instead of intermediaries like social media platforms, search engines, and content hosting providers.
The integration of blockchain technology is one more defining characteristic. This ensures far more secure transactions, but Web 3.0 also incorporates Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) which allows for the “tokenisation” of digital assets (such as art, music, and virtual real estate) for secure ownership on the blockchain. This can create new avenues for marketers to explore with the likes of digital collectibles and limited-edition content.
How will Web 3.0 impact marketers and users?
Users can expect a more tailored and relevant experience on Web 3.0, and technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) offer immersive new ways to interact with and experience the web. Blockchain should also make it a more secure environment for online transactions.
For marketers, it means rethinking a lot of old strategies, especially those based around third party cookies. This is the cookie-less future that any digital marketing agency or in-house team worth its salt has already begun preparing for. It’s an opt-in-oriented environment where brands need to work harder and offer value to earn mileage. But, by adopting a community-orientated mindset, brands can potentially be invited in. Web 3.0 therefore represents a mix of challenges and opportunities. Using automation and data analysis tools will enable the level of personalisation that will be required. But currently, on average, only 56% of organisations are using marketing automation software, according to stats from Emailmonday. Many will have to play catch-up but, fortunately for them, the migration from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 is excepted to take a few more years, according to Gartner.
Getting prepared for Web 3.0
As the web evolves marketers will need to keep pace, but if Web 3.0 delivers on its high expectations migrating will be a rewarding journey. Users have been calling for better security and more privacy and this direction is a response to that. Decentralisation could also address issues like the monopolisation and over-regulation of the web.
It may take a bit of expert guidance but it’s important at this stage to choose the right technology investments and acquire a strategy to make the best of Web 3.0. We can help you stay ahead of the game with our digital marketing and web development solutions and capabilities - take a look at what we can offer.
