This is the third in a series of articles designed to help you understand and participate in the Physical Web. If you can't wait, you may want to download our free eBook, "Navigating the Physical Web" for the entire story.

So what's on the physical web? As a consumer, you get contextually relevant content - content that is important to you right where you are standing.

As a retailer, you can deliver important information to people who are right there, ready to walk up and engage with you.

There is no limit to the kinds of content a beacon can deliver, but here are a few examples to get your imagination in gear:

• A beacon associated with a movie poster might provide show times and reviews and let you purchase tickets right there.
• You could get an owner's phone number from a lost dog's collar beacon without having to grab the dog.
• As you walk around the art gallery, instead of peering over someone's shoulder at the plaque next to the painting to learn about the artist and the work, check the physical web for all the details and a video about the artist.
• Information and current inventory for a car you like might be available at the auto dealer before you talk to the sales guy.
• You might walk up to a restaurant and see the menu, learn about today's specials, look over the latest reviews and grab a coupon.
• A store you're walking by might offer an incentive to step inside and make a purchase.
• Answer a questionnaire while you're in a waiting room or fill out a satisfaction survey when you're done being served.
• Learn about a storewide sale or a product special when you walk into a store.
• Get diagnostics from industrial equipment in a factory, find out if you're in a hardhat area or grab a copy of a Material Safety Data Sheet for the raw materials next to you.
• Get a personal digital business card from the guy next to you at a networking event or business meeting. He's got a beacon in his pocket and you're thinking you need one too!
• Get a how-to video, an instruction manual or a comparison to other brands for a complex product you're looking at.
• Find out the next stop for the bus that just drove up or discover what subway train will arrive next at your station.
• Step into a service center and learn about the process before you even wait on the wrong line by accident. Once you've signed in, your wait time is listed on the Physical Web and you can fill out your paperwork while you wait.

Since Beacon content is just a URL, it can be branded for a business or be as generic as you like.

The content can be edited any time, so you can easily announce instant sales or change out coupons, menus and so on as they change. Content can also change on a schedule as the day progresses or can be different on weekdays than it is on a weekend.

Your beacon can send out content as simple as an image, a logo and some text, or as complex as a satisfaction survey, a game or any other application your immediate visitors would appreciate.

Now that we got your juices flowing and you're ready to get involved in the Phisical Web either as a user or a provider of physical web information, come visit PHY111.COM or give us a call at 877.397.7605. Start out with your own digital business card just for fun!