Some raw thoughts to begin:

• The conversational web is what the internet has become.  It’s about people having conversations with other people.  It’s conversations about every day affairs such as religion and politics.  It’s conversations about commerce and the things that you need to buy your kids for Christmas.  These conversations are occurring with increasing regularity between family, friends, and total strangers alike -- especially in the context of that ancient ritual known as commerce.  I have something you need.  I want to sell it.  You want to buy it.  You don’t know me.  I don’t know you.  We need to have a conversation.  How do we do it?  What’s the best way?  Is it a private conversation?  Is it a public conversation?  Does it matter to you as the buyer?  Does it matter to me as the seller?  Are there other participants?  Is there a referee?

• The conversational web is driven by a proliferation of new media tools such as blogs, podcasts, video blogs, online discussion forums, voice over internet, chat, and instant messaging.  Conversations via the web are quickly transcending traditional communication technologies such as telephone and facsimile.  Web conversations tend to be ad hoc, unscripted, and spontaneous.  The conversational web is the modern day equivalent of buyer and seller interacting in the ancient bazaar with hundreds of other buyers and sellers swirling passively around the edge.  There is however, one major difference -- web conversations today are occurring in an increasingly public arena whereby other buyers and sellers swirling around the edge are active observers – not passive.  The public is watching.  The market knows if a seller is perceived as good or bad by his/her customers.  Ratings matter. 

• The way people use the web is fundamentally changing.  People increasingly search for the things they need and want.  Through the power and maturation of internet search tools such as Google and Yahoo – people generally find things that match perfectly with their needs and wants.  Furthermore, people are increasingly checking with other people to see what they have to say about particular products and particular sellers – good, bad, indifferent.  Finally, people increasingly try things out via a free trial before making any final purchase decisions.  Then, maybe, if you listen and converse with your prospects, they’ll buy one of your things.  The process is summarized as search, find, try, and buy.  Sellers have less control.  Buyers have more control.

Up Next - Why is the Conversational Web important to your small business?