One of the best ways to understand the future of the Internet is to study its past.

The Internet was built to connect multiple computers so that they could communicate. That is built-in social.

Of course, as more and larger computers were connected, search became a driving force for helping people discover what they were looking for online.

As social networks emerged, social sharing began to affect our methods of information discovery. Now social sharing is the next horizon for web discovery.

In addition to Google search that now favors social content, each of the respective social networks are searchable to a different extent.

So, what’s next?  Insights into the future below, but first —

Check out the infographic from Copyblogger that brings home an essential point about the web – it was designed from the beginning to be social.

What comes next that businesses should be planning for now?

The mobile version of all of this will become exceedingly important for future business relevancy.

Just as social sharing adds context to digital content, so too it works for offline sharing as well, with mobile effectively merging the two.

It is obvious that we will all be more globally interconnected in some way. There is no doubt about it.

What does this mean for your business? Many conclude that global connectivity doesn’t matter for them because their business is local.

The fact is greater connectivity by definition must necessarily affect each and every one of us that reside on one planet.

We will have to consider how that will affect our respective businesses.

What does more and better information mean for you, your buyers, and business influencers?

It could mean a race to the top of your industry if you are prepared to innovate.

Are you?

How do you envision the future of the Internet changing your business practices?  

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

Until next time, Jeff

Infographic Source:  Copyblogger