Are you using SharePoint for your web site?

I would love to know your answer and arguments. Please feel free to send them to @joseamorales

There is a growing sound that says: The Web is evolving in to The Cloud. And that is a fundamental change in the whole concept of the Internet. It means that The Cloud is a huge repository of information instead of a collection of Web sites.

The difference is important:

• Collection of web sites = information + Web sites
• Repository of information = information

If we live in a Cloud based environment then the Web browser is no longer required. What is needed is one or multiple client applications that can read, format, display and present to users to consume and interact. Indeed I’m talking about Apps.

If that is the case I would have to change the name of my blog… and call it Sharepoint for Apps!

This is an extract of my article soon to be published at NothingBuSharePoint.com

“Imagine there’s no Browser
It’s easy if you try
No customization bellow us
Above us only Apps
Imagine all the users
Sharing for today…
… You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the Cloud will be as one…

-- in memoriam. Adapted from Lenon’s Imagine.”

Of course I’m talking about SharePoint and Web sites.

For a few nights I find sleeping a challenge. Might be the change of season or the realization of a new trend. Anyway I need to write what I found so far.

If you are reading this suffering from insomnia, I advise you to check this article from Wired. It will help to fully understand what I will write next.

Why would I use SharePoint for public facing sites if there is such a wonderful diversity of choices?

For me SharePoint (SP) is the choice because it is solid and powerful for content creation.

How to differentiate from the competition?

Assuming that the competition uses other alternatives to SharePoint for building Web sites.

If you know to customize SharePoint and work with SharePoint templates you can be faster than the competition.

Selling Web sites is basically about design, it is not about technology. SharePoint can feed any standard HTML and CSS based Web design. The result very good looking sites with powerful content creation capabilities.

With SharePoint Simple CMS you can start your work with templates and design integration. And soon SharePoint Simple CMS will be available under a Creative Commons license.

Is SharePoint too late for the Web?

If you think on the Web as what a Web Browser can see, I think the answer is yes. Anyway SharePoint is not the only thing you need for a good Web site and the other things are long time in the market: Adobe Creative Suite, CSS, JavaScript, etc.

If you think on the Web as a global hard disk I think SharePoint is a very good tool to feed any kind of specialized application that gets information from the Web. I would love to use SP to feed iPhone Apps!

The problem comes when you wish to offer something that already exists and it is well established.

The solution is closer to what Seth Godin describes as “making art”. SharePoint is the toolset for you to create art. And don’t be confused when Seth says “free”. He means that the art is that free thing that comes in something made specially designed for enjoyment; Apple charges you for the iPad not for the joy you will have when using it.

If your business idea already exists: An online bookstore for example, be sure Amazon will win. But if you make an online bookstore with specific target like old Slavic poetry books you could get Amazon as a customer.

That said, SharePoint doesn’t have nothing to do with success of your ideas. SharePoint can help you a lot to make your good ideas realizable.

I would say that building Web sites is not about SharePoint, it is about getting success trough innovation and art. I think SharePoint is one of the right tools. 

There are just few simple steps:

1. Create a List
2. Open SharePoint Designer 2007 and open a blank .aspx page.
3. Delete all the code generated in .aspx page
4. In the Task pane open the Data Source Library and click Show Data
5. Select the Title field and than click Insert Selected Fields as … Multiple…

This is the second part of the video related to SharePoint and Internet Sites. I made it late at night so my English is worse than normal :)

I will be speaking about SharePoint as a platform for public facing Web sites for SharePOint Saturdays Arabia.

You can register to the online event. It is free.