Getting StartED Building Websites Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very good book for the price. It has a lot of typos, but for the price, I can look past those. The book is very well laid out and gives some good examples, taking you through a very logical process. Some things are a bit over discussed but all in all, I would recommend this book for the novice website builder. Note: This book does not have ALL the answers and there are many things that are much more complicated in building websites than this book gets into. But if you want the basics to logically building a website from scratch, this book is a great start for the price.

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The whole world wants to build web sites. This key book in the Getting StartED series takes people with no knowledge of web design and teaches them the basics the friendly, friends of ED way. Rather than setting out to be a language reference or a strict set of guidelines like so many other web design books, Getting StartED Building Websites gives readers the wider picture, including important topics such as web hosting, search engine optimization, and CSS styling alongside the basics of HTML.The chapters are divided into the most common questions, so you'll find headings like "What kind of website should I make", "What about web hosting", and "How do I write good articles". It's this broad base approach that sets it apart from most beginner books that just focus down on one small topic.

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Build Your Own Web Site The Right Way Using HTML & CSS, 2nd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm planning on using this book as a text for an intro to web design course. Overall, it is a great introduction.
What I like about the book are:
It's generally got a great flow [one exception below - ch.8] and has very good explanations for how HTML & CSS are used together to make well designed web pages. The text easily moves from the basic (html tags) to novice (basic CSS) and then more advanced topics like adding graphics, positioning, using tables, and implementing forms. The content is provided in a very accessible way that builds upon previous learnings. And the information is presented in a fashion that most newcomers to web design/publishing can easily understand.
The main caveats I have with the book are:
The book propounds using XHTML, which is still a hotly debated topic whether it should even be used for making public web pages. XHTML is arguably a dead standard as of Dec. 2009. It's also problematic since XHTML STILL is not properly parsed by the most widely used browser in the marketplace (MSIE) - esp. when served as "text/html" as recommended in this book. XHTML pages often "just break" or refuse to properly work with IE, and using XHMTL can break typical usage of some scripting languages, esp. JavaScript. There's even a Sitepoint XHTML vs. HTML FAQ (the publishers of this book) suggesting NEVER to use XHTML unless you have a very specific application that NEEDS to use it. Just because XHTML is popular, doesn't mean it's proper, and it can cause more headaches than it's worth. Kind of like using OOPHP - sure it has its place, but I wouldn't call it obligatory.
I would have moved the content of Chapter 8 into Chapter 1. It would be helpful for readers to know about web hosting and connecting to said host before attempting to publish their pages. To my mind this is definitely a "Setting Up Shop" activity - in fact I'd have these tasks prerequisite to those in Chapter 1. What's the point of creating web pages if you have no where to post them for others to see?
A possibly bigger issue is that Chapter 9 "Adding a Blog..." is nearly useless now that Blogger no longer supports FTP publishing (announced in Feb 2010 and unsupported as of May 2010). Including an entire chapter that has a "single point of failure," such as relying on a singular service that's avail. today to be around tomorrow doesn't seem like very good planning to me. It would've been nice if another, more generic alternative were presented (such as just linking to one's Blogger or Wordpress blog and how to configure them so they at least look similar, if not integrated).
It's still a pretty good book, and I'm going to use it for the class, with strong warnings about the fallability of XHTML. In class, we're going to use HTML 4.01 Strict.

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Build Your Own Website The Right Way Using HTML & CSS, 2nd Edition teaches web development from scratch, without assuming any previous knowledge of HTML, CSS or web development techniques. This book introduces you to HTML and CSS as you follow along with the author, step-by-step, to build a fully functional web site from the ground up.

However, unlike countless other "learn web design" books, this title concentrates on modern, best-practice techniques from the very beginning, which means you'll get it right the first time. The web sites you'll build will:


Look good on a PC, Mac or Linux computer Render correctly whether your visitors are using Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, or Safari Use web standards so your sites will be fast loading and easy to maintain Be accessible to disabled users who use screenreaders to browse the Web
By the end of the book, you'll be equipped with enough knowledge to set out on your first projects as a professional web developer, or you can simply use the knowledge you've gained to create attractive, functional, usable and accessible sites for personal use.

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Search Engine Optimization All-in-One For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)Bruce Clay is one of the gurus of Search Engine Optimization, so I was very eager to read this SEO book. I teach SEO in San Francisco and also online at [...], and am always looking to the SEO leaders like Bruce Clay to learn.
The good - the book does have a lot of useful information. It is especially strong on the technical aspects of SEO, such as how fast your server responds to Google queries. This is a relatively new emphasis in SEO and one that many beginners are not yet aware of. His concept of siloing - putting like items into like directories is also a very good way to conceptualize how you should organize your website.
But, like so many SEO books, the book suffers from esoterica fatigue. Too much information, too many details, and not enough clear "big picture" guidelines into what should be done when. As I have learned from my own SEO students, they often need a simple step-by-step guide to SEO, and need to prioritize their efforts. Yes, your server response speed is important, but getting your home page TITLE tag correct is even more so.
I would recommend this book for experts and advanced SEO people. For beginners, Peter Kent's SEO book is a better bet.

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If you have a business, you want your Web site to show up quickly when people search for what you're selling. Search Engine Optimization All-in-One For Dummies has the whole story on how to build a site that works, position and promote it, track and understand your search results, and use keywords effectively. And it includes a $25 credit on Google AdWords, to get you off to a good start!
Ten handy minibooks cover how search engines work, keyword strategy, competitive positioning, SEO Web design, content creation, linking, optimizing the foundations, analyzing results, international SEO, and search marketing. You'll even learn some geeky things like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, or how to match metatags and keywords to page content.
Book I explores how search engines work and which ones offer the best exposure
Learn to develop a keyword strategy and be competitive with Books II and III
Book IV helps you design an SEO-friendly site, while in Book V you learn to create content that lures your audience
Tips in Book VI show how to line up relevant links for a better search showing
Book VII shows how to get more from your server and content management system
Discover how to measure your site's success in Book VIII
Book IX helps you globalize your success by marketing in Asia, Europe, and Latin America
Use SEO and Book X tips to build your brand

With all this information and a Google AdWords gift card worth $25, Search Engine Optimization All-in-One For Dummies has what you need to make your site a hit with search engines.

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The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization: Increase Your Google Rankings, Double Your Site Traffic...In Just 15 Steps - Guaranteed Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a computer person and business owner who bought this book for a friend. The idea was for the friend to learn a little about SEO, so we would have a point of reference when we talked. I quickly read the book (large print, plenty of white space) and found it of no value to pass along.
This book is not geared towards a business person, recommends buying an expensive ($99) add-on DVD, and appears to be printed without editing.
The following example is printed on page 82:
[...]The included worthless stories about relatives accomplishments, personal accomplishments, teaching experience, buy the DVD, and filler should be removed. The 15 SEO steps could easily be summed up in a 20 page pamphlet.
Find another book.


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The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization is ideal for small business owners who want to learn an efficient and effective process for dramatically improving their Web site's search engine rankings and doubling their site's monthly unique visitors. Guaranteed! Stephen Woessner, of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Small Business Development Center, is a search engine optimization (SEO) expert. But more importantly, Woessner has owned four businesses and understands the significant time and cash constraints faced by business owners every day. Because of this, Woessner placed increasing efficiency and effectiveness at the core of the 15-steps allowing a business owner to maximize results in as little time as possible. A business owner does not need to know technical skills, like Web programming, to be successful at SEO. Instead, business owners will rely on their marketing skill and the ability to think like their customers and prospects, versus an ability to write HTML or other form of Web programming. Business owners will learn how to select keywords that are proven performers, blend the keywords into site content, boost site popularity, and more. Woessner explains with precision how business owners can use SEO to achieve measurable results. This practical and tactical guide includes a free SEO toolkit and other valuable resources that will help business owners increase the return on investment generated by their Web sites. Business owners will also receive a detailed blueprint with specific checklists to follow throughout the 15-step process. Lastly, this book can also serve as an excellent resource to business owners who are considering outsourcing their SEO work to a third-party. Developing a working knowledge of the 15-step process will make any business owner a more informed consumer. This book is also an ideal resource for marketing and advertising agency professionals who want to expand their services and need to develop a proficiency in SEO as efficiently and effectively as possible.

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