There are more than 3 billion mobile phone users in the world, around 50% of the global population. This is forecast to grow to 70% by the end of 2010.

What’s that got to do with websites? The latest phones are mini computers that connect to the internet, so you can visit websites from anywhere. People use the internet to search for everything these days, and local search is the next trend, partly due to the mobility of the searchers.

Online applications such as maps and satellite navigation will retrieve data from your website and include it in search results. So if you’re in a new town a search on your phone for nearby restaurants, you not only get a list of restaurants, but locations, opening times and website links.

Trends such as this make it an imperative for most businesses to have a search engine friendly website.

One of the biggest trends on the Internet right now is Social Networking websites. Sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn are so popular that they regularly get mentioned in mainstream media. Heavily populated by Generation Y, the gaudy page designs of MySpace have become something of a phenomenon.

Politicians and pop stars alike have MySpace pages, in an attempt to stay in touch with the new connected generation. And advertisers love the demographic targeting afforded by such sites just as much.

When creating your profile on a social networking site, consider the privacy issue, everything you put on there is available for the world to see. In the future you may be applying for a job, or even just applying for a loan, and it’s possible that your online profiles will be scrutinised.

There’s no doubt that the synergy generated by such a large network is has enormous potential for productivity if used efficiently. But distractions are everywhere, there are so many gadgets to play around with, that it’s really easy to lose big chunks of time just exploring and playing and not really being productive. The time wasting factor is enough for some workplaces to ban the sites altogether.

So in order to reap the benefits of being so connected, but not wasting too much time, set limits or goals when using these sites. If you lose too much time, set yourself a time limit, or set a task that must be completed, such as introducing yourself to four people in your industry.

So, business productivity tools or time wasters? Both, depending on how they are used, but one thing is certain, they are here to stay, and they will continue to grow and diversify.