From information to connectivity, the world wide web – formed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee back in 1989 – has fundamentally changed the world we live in. By 1994, the newly formed Web had over 10,000 servers and 10 million users, with no sign of stopping there. In 2023, there were 5.16 billion internet users worldwide, over 64% of the human population surfing the web and double that of just ten years ago – according to data from We Are Social. The internet is ingrained in modern society, something people can’t remember life without, and an opportunity for brands to sell.
In 2004, the phrase Web 2.0 was coined, gaining popularity as an evolution of the internet and its usages from the “read-only Web” throughout the ‘90s. It was the beginning of the social-led internet present in 2023, with a finite number of websites attracting audiences from all over the digital landscape. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have transformed the way we communicate with each other, enabling us to connect with people from all over the world and share our experiences and ideas with a global audience.
While Web 2.0 has revolutionized the way we use the internet and progressed online connectivity worldwide, there’s a seismic shift on the horizon that will fundamentally change user interaction and internet technology – Web 3.0.
The future of the Internet
Although not fully implemented, Web 3.0 is the next evolution of the internet, centred on the tenets of decentralisation, machine learning, and greater user utility. In this decentralised web, users will also take back control of their data, bridging technology and personal privacy to enable users to monetize their data.
The use cases for a decentralised world in Web 3.0 are endless, however, as the power paradigm shifts from company to user, brands need to seize the opportunity and shift their way of marketing to maintain efficiency exploit in this new world. A unique and revolutionary concept, developing a truly decentralised internet will take time, resources, and user education. What’s happening right now, however, is the stopgap between the two – Web 2.5.
Web 2.5 is the current bridge from Web 2.0 to the future world of Web 3.0, delivering the inevitable decentralised world of the future using consumer-friendly tools. This transitional term doesn’t mean a max exodus of Web 2.0, or immediate adoption of Web 3.0 and a new decentralised online world, but rather a space where things gradually changing, but not fast enough to give users virtual whiplash – history shows that people don’t like change. It is a combination of the forward-thinking Web 3.0 technology and “Web 2.0 UX/UI user bases”, a new way for brands to connect with their audiences using modern practices in a unique way.
