Conversion Optimization: The Art and Science of Converting Prospects to Customers Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has a lot of good info about increasing your site's conversion rate. It is geared more toward ecommerce sites, although there are also some broader implications to other types of sites as well. It has a good mix of teaching the concepts behind conversion optimization as well as specific examples and techniques to implement.

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How do you turn website visitors into customers? Conversion Optimization offers practical advice on how to persuade visitors to make a buying decision -- without driving them away through data overload or tedious navigation. You'll learn how to use marketing principles, design, usability, and analytics on your site to increase your buyer-to-visitor ratio, whether you're involved with marketing or designing a large ecommerce site, or managing a modest online operation. Based on the authors' broad experience in helping businesses attract online customers, this book addresses every aspect of the process, from landing visitors to finalizing the sale. You'll learn several techniques for blending successful sales approaches with the particular needs of the people you want to attract. Are you ready to do what it takes to get a double-digit conversion rate?
Explore case studies involving significant conversion rate improvements
Walk through different stages of a sale and understand the value of each
Understand your website visitors through persona creation
Connect with potential customers and guide them toward a conversion
Learn how to deal with FUDs -- customer fears, uncertainties, and doubts
Examine the path that visitors take from landing page to checkout
Test any change you make against your original design
"The Web is unique in its ability to deliver this almost improbable win-win: You can increase revenue AND make your customers happy. Yet most websites stink. Worry not, Khalid and Ayat to the rescue! Buy this book to follow their practical advice on how to create high converting websites that your visitors love." --Avinash Kaushik, author of Web Analytics 2.0 and Web Analytics: An Hour A Day (both Sybex)"This book goes far beyond optimizingconversion. It is a digital marketing primer that explains both the geeky stuff("bounce rates") and the soft stuff ("social proof").Anyone who wants to increase online sales or website traffic should read it--bymy calculation, that's just about every marketer in the world." -Guy Kawasaki,Co-founder ofAlltop.comandauthor of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions

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Internet Searches for Vetting, Investigations, and Open-Source Intelligence Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been a private investigator for more than 25 years. When I started in this business computers were scarce and the Internet had not yet been commercialized. Everything was done with a pencil and telephone. I have a lot of experience so it is hard for me to find books that are useful. I buy books hoping to learn one or two new things. Edward J. Appel, a retired FBI agent is the author. His company has done work for me so I knew the quality of his work and assumed his book would be at the same level as his investigative efforts. I wasn't disappointed.
The book is 320 pages and broken into 4 sections. Appel begins with a chapter about behavior and technology which orients the investigator/analyst on the growth and use of the Internet. He discusses the usefulness of the Internet as an investigative tool and the transformations the Internet is making through social and technological advances. Along with the benefits for investigators comes the darker side of the web, and Appel examines its criminal exploitation.
The first section provides a great introduction and is geared toward corporate investigators and security personnel tasked with monitoring IT systems, vetting employees and guarding company intellectual property. In Section 2 Appel outlines legal and policy issues related to using information from the Internet in investigations. He identifies liability and privacy issues and laws addressing these concerns such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act. He also dedicates a chapter to litigation, defamation, and invasion of privacy torts.
Appel develops a framework for preparation and planning of successful Internet research. He covers basic information about search engines, metasearch engines, social networking sites and search terms.
I found the chapters Automation of Searching and Internet Intelligence Reporting to be the most enlightening. Reducing time spent searching and analyzing information, seems like a no-brainer. But I would bet the number of investigators who have looked for automated solutions to their collection efforts is small. The Internet Intelligence Reporting section recommends the format and organization of a report as well as what to include and how to cite sources.
Internet Searches for Vetting, Investigations, and Open-Source Intelligence, like many trade publications, is on the pricey side. However it delivers with content and is an easy read. It met my criteria for a successful investigations book because I learned much more than two new things.


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In the information age, it is critical that we understand the implications and exposure of the activities and data documented on the Internet. Improved efficiencies and the added capabilities of instant communication, high-speed connectivity to browsers, search engines, websites, databases, indexing, searching and analytical applications have made information technology (IT) and the Internet a vital issued for public and private enterprises. The downside is that this increased level of complexity and vulnerability presents a daunting challenge for enterprise and personal security.Internet Searches for Vetting, Investigations, and Open-Source Intelligence provides an understanding of the implications of the activities and data documented by individuals on the Internet. It delineates a much-needed framework for the responsible collection and use of the Internet for intelligence, investigation, vetting, and open-source information. This book makes a compelling case for action as well as reviews relevant laws, regulations, and rulings as they pertain to Internet crimes, misbehaviors, and individuals' privacy. Exploring technologies such as social media and aggregate information services, the author outlines the techniques and skills that can be used to leverage the capabilities of networked systems on the Internet and find critically important data to complete an up-to-date picture of people, employees, entities, and their activities. Outlining appropriate adoption of legal, policy, and procedural principles-and emphasizing the careful and appropriate use of Internet searching within the law-the book includes coverage of cases, privacy issues, and solutions for common problems encountered in Internet searching practice and information usage, from internal and external threats. The book is a valuable resource on how to utilize open-source, online sources to gather important information and screen and vet employees, prospective employees, corporate partners, and vendors.

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HTML5: Up and Running Review

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(More customer reviews)I must say: I enjoyed going through this book. It is written in an opinionated and slightly irreverent style, so I found it a mildly amusing read.
That being said: why do people buy a book on HTML5? Some would like to have a good in-depth reference on the ins and outs of the new language. Well now - that's not this book. Others might be new to web development and think learning HTML5 would be a good starting point. While they are right that HTML (5 or 4) is the place to start, this book surely isn't.
There's some depth when it comes to background, but much less when it comes to HTML5 itself or how to use it. True, the tag and geolocation are covered pretty much in detail, but the author made some hard to defend choices in spending his paper estate.
HTML5 gives us no more than a handful of new tags, still some of those ( and , for example) are simply mentioned once and that's that. No examples, no advise on where to use them, nothing on browser support. Yet the book takes five pages at the start to tell the story of how the img-tag came into being some 15 years ago. Again, mildly amusing, but probably not the reason you are thinking of buying this book.
Another example: there are 10 pages with a primer on audio and video codecs, plus another 19 (!) detailed pages (with lots of screen shots) on how to use a number of specific and probably soon outdated software tools to encode video for the web. All fine for those who are completely new to video encoding and believe a book on HTML5 should be the starting point for that. But when it comes to the actual tag (under the aptly named heading "At Last, the Markup"), this consists of a meager 3 pages that include a statement like this:
"The element has methods like play() and pause()".
Huh? "Methods like"? So which other methods are there? And how and where would I use them? Are these standardized across browsers? Where can I find more about them? Any example, maybe?
If you think these are the kind of questions a book on HTML5 should answer, you are out of luck. The above sentence is all the information on this particular topic you are going to get. Not a word about implementing these methods, or on how to style the browsers' native video controllers that come with HTML5 support. There are a good number of external references for information on things like Unicode, codecs and video containers, and some useful scripts, but not a word on how we can get the information on how to control and style the tag. Maybe the logical conclusion would be: in another book on HTML5, perhaps?

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If you don't know about the new features available in HTML5, now's the time to find out. The latest version of this markup language is going to significantly change the way you develop web applications, and this book provides your first real look at HTML5's new elements and attributes.

Even though work on HTML5 is ongoing, browsers such as Safari, Mozilla, Opera, and Chrome already support many of its features -- and browsers for smart phones are even farther ahead, especially iPhone's MobileSafari browser. With HTML5: Up & Running, you'll learn how this new version enables browsers to interact with JavaScript much more easily than before. You'll also learn how HTML5 can help you develop applications that:

Display video directly in the browser, without having to rely on plugins
Work even when a user is offline, by taking advantage of HTML5's persistent storage
Offer a drawing canvas for dynamically generated 2-D graphics

This concise guide is the most complete and authoritative book you'll find on the subject. Author Mark Pilgrim writes the weekly digest for the HTML5 Working Group, and represents Google at conferences on HTML5's capabilities. Stay ahead of the curve. Order a copy of this book today.

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New Perspectives on the Internet: Introductory (New Perspectives (Course Technology Paperback)) Review

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(More customer reviews)Used this for a course
typical textbook, not a lot going for it, don't buy it unless you have to.

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NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE INTERNET has been updated to cover the newest software including Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3, and Google Chrome. With the New Perspectives critical-thinking, problem-solving approach, you will learn basic to advanced features of the Internet - from browser basics to finding the best resources on the Web.

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The Deciding Factor: The Power of Analytics to Make Every Decision a Winner Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book if you have a need to sell executive leadership on the usefulness of extracting additional value out of organizational data.
I bought this book with great anticipation as I have been on the search for books that describe how to leverage data analytics within business...I kept waiting for the punchline. There were many references as to how decision analytics can drive efficiency gains and revenue, yet no noticeable mention of how to go about doing it. It read like a subtle sales pitch as to why you should hire Fair Issac to help you get there. There was barely enough technical jargon included to even go start researching descriptive and predictive analytics models. I found myself going to wikipedia and reading about this subject, then going back to the book, waiting..In protest, I refused to read the last 5 pages.
There's value in the book for those business leaders that have absolutely no knowledge of the topic, which is why I gave it 3 stars. Just don't go thinking that it provides any insight as to how to start extracting that value.

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Praise for The Deciding Factor

"Both companies and governments have made some poor decisions recently, and almost all would benefit from more fact-based and analytical approaches. This book provides clear methods and extensive examples for organizations that want to make better, faster, and more consistent decisions."-Thomas H. Davenport, author, Competing on Analytics, and President's Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management, Babson College
"The secrets of the decision-making processes employed by the most successful corporations of the world are revealed in The Deciding Factor. Both corporate decision makers as well as analysts will gain invaluable insights from this treasure trove of case studies and expert guidelines." -Robert Heller, former president and CEO of VISA U.S.A., and former governor, Federal Reserve Board
"Information, used correctly and creatively, can be a source of tremendous customer value, competitive advantage, and company profitability. The Deciding Factor will help you understand if you have this opportunity, and how you might seize it."-Nigel Morris, co-founder, Capital One Financial Services
"There has never been a more important time in business history to truly understand both the technical strengths and conceptual weaknesses of decision analytics. If you're prepared to be serious, The Deciding Factor offers the insider's insights that matter when managing innovation risk."-Michael Schrage, author, Serious Play, and research associate, MIT Sloan School of Management

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Google AdWords Insider: Insider Strategies You Must Master to Instantly Expose Your Business to 200 Million Google Users Review

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(More customer reviews)I work hard, as I am sure you do too in today's tough economy. So sometimes to relax before bed I turn on late night TV. It slices, it dices, and it's all yours for just twelve easy payments... You know the drill...
As an teacher of AdWords Pay-per-click classes in both San Francisco and Online, I try to read every new book on AdWords that comes out. So I eagerly awaited Simon Leung's book, as he is allegedly an AdWords 'insider,' but was terribly dissappointed. There is nothing new in this book. Nothing new. And absolutely nothing that qualifies it as an 'insider' read.
In fact, after several pages of cheesy endorsements, the book even disclaims that he might tell you anything he might have learned working at Google. I should have known I was in trouble as the cheesy endorsements in the introduction kept going on and on and on and on...
What's wrong with the book? Well, he leaves a ton out, and has minimal organization, if that. On concrete issues, he just glances over a topic, or explains it in a poorly organized fashion. For example, the discussion on broad match in AdWords is wrong, and if not entirely wrong, very misleading. Broad match can get you into a lot of trouble - as Google will show your search even if it does not contain any of your keywords (!). You input 'SEO Training,' for example, and the searcher inputs 'Google Class' and presto: your ad shows. Broad match is the No. 1 troublemaker on Google AdWords, but Mr. Leung doesn't explain this huge problem in AdWords Insider. So much for insider; heck, so much for AdWords user or even observer!
Beyond that there is a minimal discussion of keywords and landing pages (the best parts of the book), but not much else.
I recommend Howie Jacobson's AdWords for Dummies, as a much better buy. You can look me up on Amazon reviews or Google Jason McDonald AdWords to find me as well. But, sadly, this isn't an insider book. It's more a sham-wow, an everything bag, or any other weird product you see pitched at 2:00 a.m. on Late Night TV.

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Google AdWords Insider, written by a true Insider, explains the mysteries behind advertising with the world's number one search engine. Simon Leung is a retired AdWords Optimization Specialist from Google Headquarters who developed the strategies used today to train the Google Team internally, many of which are shared in this highly acclaimed book. Whether a beginner or expert to Internet Marketing and online advertising, you will learn to understand Google AdWords the way the system understands itself, grasping the key to minimizing your costs while maximizing your return on investment through fundamental keyword, ad text, account structure and landing page optimization.

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e-Discovery For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)Dr. Linda Volonino and Ian Redpath, Esq. have compiled a comprehensive text on e-Discovery which allows an eDiscovery novice to get up to speed quickly and which serves as a reference text for Advanced eDiscovery professionals.

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Discover the process of e-discovery and put good practices in place.

Electronic information involved in a lawsuit requires a completely different process for management and archiving than paper information. With the recent change to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure making all lawsuits subject to e-discovery as soon as they are filed, it is more important than ever to make sure that good e-discovery practices are in place.
e-Discovery For Dummies is an ideal beginner resource for anyone looking to understand the rules and implications of e-discovery policy and procedures. This helpful guide introduces you to all the most important information for incorporating legal, technical, and judicial issues when dealing with the e-discovery process. You'll learn the various risks and best practices for a company that is facing litigation and you'll see how to develop an e-discovery strategy if a company does not already have one in place.
E-discovery is the process by which electronically stored information sought, located, secured, preserved, searched, filtered, authenticated, and produced with the intent of using it as evidence
Addresses the rules and process of e-discovery and the implications of not having good e-discovery practices in place
Explains how to develop an e-discovery strategy if a company does not have one in place

e-Discovery For Dummies will help you discover the process and best practices of managing electronic information for lawsuits.

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The KML Handbook: Geographic Visualization for the Web Review

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(More customer reviews)Just received my copy today and spent the afternoon pouring through it. In summary it is an excellent summary of KML and will appeal to both novice and professionals.
This is a step by step guide to writing and using KML programming language to produce enhanced graphics as overlays onto web based mapping programs such as Google Earth. But since KML is an open standard it can be used with almost any geographic program that supports it (such as Microsoft Virtual Earth, ArcGIS, EarthBrowser, etc.).
It has been a long time since a did any programing and I was worried that this book would be over my head, but it is not. It provides step by step directions with excellent colour screen shots to progressively walk the reader through several real world mashups using Google Earth. KML is based on the XML language but you do NOT need to know anything about programming in order to pick up this book and learn how to write and use KML code. Since KML is platform independent this book will be useful if you use PC, Mac or Linux.
Finally there is a website that has examples and KML scripts for downloading (to save some typing). I especially appreciate Appendix A which is a reference for the syntax of all of the KML commands.
In addition to this book, Google's website has a lot of information, examples and practice scripts on KML and how to use it with both Google Earth and Google Maps. If you are just interested in seeing what KML is and how it is used that would be the first place to go as it is FREE. If you like what you see and want to learn more this is THE reference/guide for KML.
Eric

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"The way the information is presented appeals to teachers, hobbyists, web designers—anyone looking for a way to enhance their content by using customized maps."—Warren Kelly, Pastor"It could become the de-facto tutorial volume for the subject, as well as the classic reference guide."—Thomas Duff, Lead Developer"This book is written so well and is so easy to follow it's a joy to go through."— Daniel McKinnon, Software Engineer KML began as the file format for Google Earth, but it has evolved into a full-fledged international standard for describing any geographic content—the "HTML of geography." It's already supported by applications ranging from Microsoft Virtual Earth and NASA WorldWind to Photoshop and AutoCAD. You can do amazing things with KML, and this book will show you how, using practical examples drawn from today's best online mapping applications.Drawing on her extensive experience with the creators of KML, Wernecke teaches techniques that can be used by everyone from programmers to real estate agents, scientists, students, architects, virtual explorers, and more. Highlights includeIncorporating rich content in Placemark balloons Creating overlays that superimpose your images on standard Earth browsers Generating animations that move through Placemarks, Overlays, and Models Controlling and updating map content across the Web Managing large data sets using regions and custom data types Complete KML language reference: elements, types, syntax, file structure, and conventions

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A Quick Start Guide to Online Selling: How to Sell Your Product on e-bay, Amazon, i-tunes and Other Online Market Places (New Tools for Business) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book was written in 2010. It includes very basic information on eBay, it seemed to be written much more for the UK market even though there was a US distribution. After reading the book I wanted more information than what was given. I did like the fact that the author gave different case studies of a variety different businesses using
eBay, that addition was helpful to me.I would give the book 3.5 stars.

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Anyone with access to a broadband connection can make money online. Unlike "brick and mortar" business, the online world has low entry costs. Selling products and services online can have major advantages for businesses, leading to increased profitability and lower costs.In this book, new media marketing specialist Cresta Norris explains the fundamentals of online selling, the advantages of doing so, what to consider when creating an online shop, and the pitfalls to avoid. She explains online payments, creating an online shop, search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, distance selling, online trading, fulfilling customer orders, and planning for e-commerce. She also includes an array of international case studies.

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Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I should preface this review by saying I have been podcasting and creating content for the web for over five years now, and that I regularly help clients do the same. This said, I was expecting Content Rules to be a good book on the subject, but perhaps one of those that did not speak to me, because of my experience. I was wrong- Content Rules speaks to everyone- even seasoned content creators, by providing the metrics we may know around content creation, but haven't yet articulated, and helps make the case for content for everyone from people getting their feet wet on the Web for the first time, to those who are looking to raise their game and up their level of engagement with others online.
Content Rules is compelling and honest from the introduction on. It is a book I can hand my clients, friends, teachers- almost anyone who wonders why people need to or bother creating content for the web- to help not only explain why compelling content is important, but how to create it. It helps people break down the barriers that often get in the way of creating compelling content, and instead gives them some parameters on how to make sure your authentic and compelling voice shine through. In addition, the examples and case studies in the book bring the rules to life, in a way that will help folks understand how to find their human voice, and why that is so important to success in contrast to another paragraph of over-polished, sanitized, personality-free "safe" messaging.
I'm really excited by Content Rules as a book I can enthusiastically pass on to friends, colleagues, clients and more. If it's between a more generic book on social media or online marketing and this one, you need Content Rules because it will help you understand the fundamental approach you need to take regardless of the tool, platform, network or marketing plan- you need to concentrate on your Content first.

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Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other publishing platforms are giving everyone a "voice," including organizations and their customers. So how do you create the bold stories, videos, and blog posts that cultivate fans, arouse passion for your products or services, and ignite your business?
Content Rules equips you for online success with a one-stop source on the art and science of developing marketing content that people care about. This coverage is interwoven with case studies of companies successfully spreading their ideas online-and using them to establish credibility and build a loyal customer base.

Learn the art of storytelling and the science of journalism
Find an authentic "voice" and craft bold content that will resonate with prospects and buyers and encourage them to share it with others
Leverage social media and social tools to get your content and ideas distributed as widely as possible
Written by the Chief Content Officers of marketingprofs.com

Boost your online presence and engage with customers and prospects like never before with Content Rules.

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Customer-Driven Operations Management: Aligning Business Processes and Quality Tools to Create Operational Effectiveness in Your Company Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great framework and overview of the key components for implementing operational excellence, particulalrly in servce and knowledge worker sectors... whets your appetite for more detail with some gresat references.
I plan to use it as a core introductory text to our "Journey to Operational Excellence" program.

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The global economy is witnessing previously unseen levels of competitiveness, forcing business leaders to contend with unprecedented challenges. No longer can companies seize and hold a customer base by operating adequately. In order to enjoy a competitive advantage, an organization must operate at exemplary levels of performance in every facet of business and maintain that degree of excellence indefinitely. This is achieved through careful alignment of operational systems and the use of innovative process management initiatives. "Unless an organization is uniquely qualified to deal with its customers by understanding its own strengths and weakness," writes internationally renowned operational management expert Christopher K. Ahoy, "it will be unable to understand what is required to move from the current paradigm of doing business."

In Customer-Driven Operations Management, Ahoy distills the most current business theories and practices that will help you weed out and eliminate operational inefficiencies and put in place the necessary metrics for providing products and services better, cheaper, and faster than ever. Ahoy walks you through the steps of creating a world-class organization, which include
Mapping your company's processes to target weak points
Realigning management systems from functional to process-focused
Setting benchmarks throughout the process to help quantify levels of success
Establish a system of knowledge management for the seamless alignment of teams and departments
Improving process management using Lean, Six Sigma, and other methodologies
Create a sound strategic planning initiative to eliminate future surprises

With diagrams and figures to highlight salient points, Customer-Driven Operations Management clarifies and simplifies the otherwise daunting task of enacting major changes in your company's operations systems.

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a web designer who has done work for Fortune 1000, non-profs, and govt, but I have little experience with small e-commerce sites, so I thought this book might be helpful.
This book is written at a *very* basic level, a small step up from explaining what a website or search engine is. Much of it is common sense, but there are some pretty good points that not everyone will know. So on that level, I think its good for beginners who have no experience with web development or even how to run a business.
What concerned me was that because the author is not actually in the field of web development, he seems to just "improvise" some info. This book contains some incorrect information and there are some issues with the author's own websites.
-The author's websites should be models of well designed e-commerce sites. They are "fine" and functional, but there are some design and usability issues. forcopywritersonly.com does not look professionally designed, has some basic usability issues such as lack of breadcrumbs, nav states not staying on at the tertiary level, an inconsistent use of text links and button links, blog missing most common blog functionality, use of the word "click here" which is seen as a big faux pas in the industry, etc. I just showed my girlfriend forgraphicdesignersonly.com (his second site), and told her the guy on the homepage says he is a graphic designer. Her response was, "Are you f-ing kidding me?" It doesnt look professional at all despite the author saying he is a "Registered Graphic Designer" (NEVER heard of such a thing).
-He defines terms he says are common in the industry that just arent. "Beta site" is a not a demo site used by designers, it is a site used for web applications before they are done. I have never heard a designer use that term. We might call them staging sites or testing sites. We don't use the term "masthead". The author must be thinking of magazines. We call them headers or banners. On page 105, he says, "This is tricky because most internet web browsers, like Foxfire.." The author must be thinking of Firefox. Typo perhaps, but at the level this book is written, one assumes the readers havent heard of these different web browsers.
-He mentions applications or services that are not common or forgets some common ones. For example, he says Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression are "used by most professional designers". Dreamweaver, yes. The second I have never seen used ever (and I have worked lots of places). When he mentions email marketing software, he forgets the number one most popular, MagnetMail (and yes, it was big at time of publication too).
-When talking about web development, he only talks about web design, the word information architecture never appears and that is a big part of it too.
-His lists of websites to consult or applications to use that exist throughout the book are deceptively long. Usually the first couple are commonly used and the next 12 or seem to be just the result of the author doing a web search and entering the results into his book w/o actually knowing anything about them.
Anyway, again, I wouldnt completely discount this book because it has some pointers on promoting your business and such, but there have to be other books out there written by professionals in the industry (people who work at reputable web development or PR firms) who really know what they are talking about.

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The web-based basics! Aspiring web entrepreneurs will find here everything they need to know about starting and running their own small-scale online business. Whether they intend to sell goods, services, subscriptions, or advertising, this book provides them with the specific nuts and bolts of planning, designing, build­ing, hosting, marketing, and operating their online businesses. •The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Starting Your Own Business has over a quarter million copies sold in five editions •1.6 million web-based businesses in the U.S., a $175 billion market in 2007 •Online businesses benefiting from increasing number of Internet users- with increased traffic for subscription, advertising, and affiliate program revenue

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Customer Service: New Rules for a Social Media World (Que Biz-Tech) Review

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(More customer reviews)Most people, despite playing in social media, have very little understanding of just how powerful this tool can be for an individual or business to market themselves.
What I like about Shankman is that he takes the current "cool" tools (social media and technology) and shows how they can be used to enhance the true important things, customer service and relationships. Without already having good customer skills, social media will not help a business.
Nice blending of tech and touch...

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Use Social and Viral Technologies to Supercharge your Customer Service!Using social media, you can deliver amazing customer service–and generate an army of fans who'll promote you in good times, and rescue you from disaster. Now, legendary online marketing expert Peter Shankman shows you exactly how to do all that–without spending a fortune! Shankman draws on his immense experience as founder of the online growth company HARO and marketing consultant to multiple Fortune 500 clients. He presents straight-to-the-point solutions for building customer loyalty, trust, and credibility online–and rebuilding it when catastrophe strikes. Companies around the world are driving enormous value from online customer service at remarkably low cost. You can, too. Peter Shankman will show you how–step-by-step, right now!You'll learn how to:• Organize a small, powerful social media team on a tight budget• Listen to what your customers, advisors, and markets are really saying• Make prospects feel like rock stars from the moment they find you• Choose online media that make the most sense for you• Avoid wasting time with platforms that won't help you• Earn your customer's loyalty, trust, and credibility • Learn from other companies' viral "disasters"• Rebuild your credibility after you've taken a public "hit" online • Make sure everyone hears your customers when they compliment you • Capture all your customer knowledge–and use it in real time • Keep people talking–and not just about you

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The Lean Desktop and Networking Pocket Guide XL - Tools for the Front-Line Worker in Eliminating Waste when using Software Applications Review

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(More customer reviews)The Lean Desktop and Networking Pocket Guide XL applies Lean in today's environment of software applications and much-needed business critical information being readily available. This book is nearly 300 pages and is full of practical applications on how to use the Lean tools of takt time, pitch, leveling, mistake-proofing, etc. in MS Office and other applications. Pivot Tables, IF functions, etc. of Excel are explained relative to how those functions can be used in improving information flow. The section on problem solving is a detailed review on how to use the Chart function in Excel. The case studies that demonstrate each Lean Destkop tool are great! We will be providing all our admin staff with this book. The step-by-step approach used throughout this book should have them improving their productivity - on their own!

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The Lean Desktop and Networking Pocket Guide XL is designed to be a convenient, quick reference book providing valuable insight into how Lean can be applied to data as it is pulled, analyzed, formatted, and sent through various Desktop and networking applications. The Lean Desktop and Networking Pocket Guide XL details the application of Lean (i.e., the tools and concepts derived from the Toyota Production System), that when leveraged with Microsoft Office and Open Source applications, can assist to better manage data on a daily basis while improving office productivity. Desktop Lean will create a new generation of power users and enhance a typical office worker s ability to work individually, as well as collaborate in work group type situations. This new power user is a person that readily learns new applications while integrating Lean tools and concepts to eliminate all process waste. The following are the applications that will be referenced throughout this pocket guide: Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, and Visio) Microsoft Internet Explorer/Mozilla Firefox Google Docs CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Open Source applications (Open Source refers to software that is distributed freely, along with the source code) such as vTiger, Zimbra, Survey Monkey, etc. Learn through case study examples on how the Lean concepts of 5S (Windows Explorer), takt time (Excel), continuous flow (vTiger), leveling (Excel), value stream mapping (Excel and Visio), work load balancing (Excel), etc. can be used within the context of the Desktop and networking environment. The Lean Desktop and Networking Pocket Guide XL takes Lean into the 21st century! Note: The Lean Desktop and Networking Pocket Guide XL has a wide range of application case study examples, from writing simple formulas, to creating hyperlinks, to compiling programs in MS Access. Keep in mind the intent of this book is to not teach the various applications, but demonstrate how Lean can be leverage within applications for the typical worker today.

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Get Rich Click: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money on the Internet Review

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(More customer reviews)I received an special offer for this book via Clickbank. Book was "free" as long as I'd pay postage. A very good deal, I though.
This is a good book. Not great, but worth checking out. I give credit to the author for covering so many aspects of online business in one book. The problem is, there isn't enough space for everything he wants to cover-- at least in detail. It's kind of like being at a buffet, with a lot of choices, but only being able to take a tiny bite. You get an idea of what is available, but don't walk away totally satisfied.
Luckily, I have been studying online marketing for a while. When I read this stuff, I got what he was saying. If this is your first book about online maketing though, or you're looking to "get rich quick", you may end up frustrated as some of the aspects here will likely be too complicated for you to understand since you'll have to "fill in the blanks" yourself. For a beginner, I think something like Laptop Lifestyle - How to Quit Your Job and Make a Good Living on the Internet (Volume 1 - Quick Start Guide to Making Money Online) is a better option, since it moves a little slower and gives step-by-step lists of what you can do to either sell your own products online or make money using affiliate programs.
The best part about this book is that it gives detailed case studies of successful businesses and how they are making money online. There are a lot of ways to make money online and this will get you thinking about how you can find something that works for you.


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Whether you are looking to earn $100 a day or $100,000 a year, this book will teach you how. Get Rich Click! is a comprehensive source of information from one of the world's most successful Internet entrepreneurs. This book outlines proven strategies and techniques for the Internet entrepreneur, and is full of real-life success stories about people of all ages who have made millions on line!

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The Web Startup Success Guide (Books for Professionals by Professionals) Review

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(More customer reviews)This should be a couple of blog entries in a B+ blog, not a $20 book.
The book is not only badly written, it does not hardly any useful content either. Everything said here should be obvious to any person who has lived for any time near any web business. The author has unnecessarily made the book fat by having many long interviews with his friends - most of them add little to the content .
If you find this book useful - you should ask if you are the right person to run a business and perhaps spend sometime learning "basic business stuff" first.
Here is my recap of content:
* Chapter 1: Introduction: Funding a web startup today is easier than ever and many options exist including self-funding (duh!!)
* Chapter 2: Create value. There is no shortage of just "ideas" (duh, again !!)
* Chapter 3 & 4: There are lot of tools available to you like SaaS platforms, open source cms and local meetup groups (duh, duh ,duh !!)
* Chapter 5 is about raising money. It is filled with meaningless generalizations ("raising money is like falling in love") - none of them of much use.
* Chapter 6 is about social media. More generic stuff. Nothing said here is so remarkable that you cannot find it online - just google "how to market on social media" and just read the top 5 links. you will be WAY AHEAD of this book.
* Chapter 7 - The summary is - You need to be clear about what your USP is (duh !!)
* Chapter 8 - A long chapter on GTD methodology. There is no reason for it to be in this book. If GTD is your way, read a book on GTD.
* Chapter 9 - a needlessly long chapter about author's recommendation of 6 blogs to read.
Throw this book in fireplace - that will be more useful.

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For every one brick-and-mortal business that is created, there are ten web startups, begun by everyday folks who have development knowledge and access to a web browser. The Startup Success Guide is a highly readable, on-point text written by an authority in startup consulting. Packed with unique interviews with successful startups and their founders, and offering loads of practical advice and what-not-to-dos, this book clearly has a time and a place in today's economy, where the ranks of un- and under-employed developers increases.

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Creating Web Pages For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have no experience with web publishing or you have only created a web page with those wizards that don't use HTML this is definitely the book for you. It was a very easy read for me. I read this book in only 2 days. If you know anything about HTML I wouldn't really recommend this book because it will state what you already know. I considered myself a beginner but I was somewhat familiar with HTML and web publishing. To my surprise a lot of it I already knew. However, it still was very helpful to me. It talked about areas such as creating a web page that is friendly to all browsers...something I wouldn't have thought of without this book. It includes very useful URL's and has screen shots of examples of the things they are talking about. It also comes with a cd-rom that includes freeware and shareware stuff that I found very useful for myself. In one of the appendixes are very useful HTML charts, but they could ahve explained the tags much better. Overall its definitely a great read for a beginner!

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