Loosing Site

Google Base is not one of the most talked about web applications, but it is quietly becoming an important element in many e-commerce systems. Using the application you can store and share an unlimited volume of structured information of various types including personal ads., event listings, recipes and real estate listing. And, of course, there are products for sale; 1.5 billion products. Product information from Google Base is displayed to consumers through Google Product Search, but in true Web 2.0 style it can also be included in mashups, gadgets, widgets and aggregators using the Google Base API, rss feeds etc.

Loading and storing records is free and can be accomplished in a number of ways. Individual records can be entered by hand, batches can be uploaded from spreadsheets or using tools like Site All’s Base Feeder, while those with Amazon, Ebay or osCommerce stores can upload listings automatically using a store connector.

Matthias Zenger’s presentation at Google Developer’s day in Hamburg gives a comprehensive description of structure of Google Base, and also of its programming interfaces.

One of the most significant characteristics of Google Base is it’s flexibility. Simply through working with RSS feeds customers are able to monitor product prices from multiple stores conveniently in their favorite reader, on Netvibes, in iGoogle or on their cellphone. Meanwhile businesses can use similar feeds to display their latest offerings on websites, in widgets, on web pages or in social network applications.

It’s almost too good to be true. With free web hosting, no ads and an incredibly slick interface Webnode raises the standards for combined hosting/editing packages.

webnode.com – overview via kwout

It boasts an impressive set of features suitable for personal web sites, but aimed squarely at small business users, with drag and drop e-commerce components for Paypal, Google Checkout and Worldpay.

webnode.com – create your website easily via kwout

The built in templates are an adequate starting point; with the system giving easy access to style sheets. More importantly, the templates themselves can be downloaded as an archive, edited and brought back into the system as a completely customized theme. (Web designers can now breathe a sign of relief, they still have a role.)

webnode.com – samples via kwout

Webnode have taken a very pragmatic approach that has made their system extremely flexible. They have streamlined the embedding of third party widgets and gadgets. With direct links to Google Gadgets, YourMinis and SpringWidgets, users are given a very clear and straightforward way to place and manage embed codes. The real beauty is that once your code is pasted you able to drag the embedded objects about the page as you would any other content with a simplicity that rivals Pageflakes.

There are some rough edges, with missing links to some documentation, and occasional delays while the servers catch up with their expanded audience. I’m sure the outstanding technical issues will be cleared up promptly.

My only concerns about the success of the application are connected to marketing. The site doesn’t speak about it’s own origins or credentials. It’s only by looking at downloaded templates that I was able to identify the developers as Czeck integration specialists Westcom. While the product is excellent, more effort needs to go into documentation, marketing, reputation building and public relations if its full potential is to be realized.