Book Description

Writing for the web.Web word wizardry.Web writing that works.What does that mean?Your online copy must persuade - it’s integral to getting your visitors or readers to register, subscribe, qualify as leads, and yes, even buy from you.It’s writing that must earn its keep.And to effectively manage the quality of your online writing, you need to understand what works, why it works and how to make it work better for you. Whether you are the marketer responsible for the bottom line or the writer creating the copy,Persuasive Online Copywriting provides the tools you need to get results. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Draw in your customers
Are you like me in buying every self-help or non-fiction book to bring in more business? One problem. When do we have the time to read them? This book simply won't let that happen with its short chapters, personable style, and valuable information on how to keep visitors clicking until they make the buy.

This book is the how. How to take all the theories and whys discussed by other authors and make it happen. I have trouble with theories because they don't help me visualize the application of such theories. This book stays away from whys and shows you how.

When I started reading the book, several big projects got thrown my way leading to late night reading being replaced by late night working. Every now and then, I took a break and breezed through this book reading many pages in a brief time while gaining new knowledge and a refresher in creative writing as it applies to online copy.

Non-fiction is my thing when it comes to writing. Over time, I have forgotten creative techniques for adding spice to copy. The authors jolted memories of high school English classes where we learned about the different poetic styles (iambic pentameter, alliteration, meter, etc) and to avoid using passive verbs. Not only that, but also they cover how to write for different personalities.

Already getting high traffic to your site? That means you know how to draw attention and interest. But, how are you doing in building desire so that they take action? Hmm... could that be the challenge? The authors drive toward long-term results by engaging your visitors and leading the way for them to get what they need and be satisfied with it.

I'm familiar with a few techniques discussed in the book, but many may not be. It depends on what you do with regard to the Web site. I understand making a Web site usable and getting visitors to the site. My Web site's weakness is converting visitors into customers. Marketing pros may succeed with creating a desire, but have trouble with visitors taking action. The authors cover all the areas needed to persuade via the Internet from "notice me!" to "be happy with me!"

Are you thinking, "More technology! We need more technology to make this work?" We've taken technology for granted, but all it can do is what human programmers program it to do. Technology doesn't know human nature. It doesn't know how to feel or need something. People do and can convey what they know with words. Words make the sale. Technology ensures the words get their say (by quickly loading the Web page and functioning the way it should) and to push the sale through the back-end process (taking the order, managing inventory, etc.). This is where conversion principles apply. The authors share simple processes for improving conversion rates.

A splash page is the "introduction" page to a Web site. It's flashy, colorful, and cool. But it's a waste of time. It gets in the way of the core material. Customers don't care how good your designers are, they care about what you can give them and that comes through words and good online copy. It's time for the online world to get what print mastered many years ago. The authors' witty writing style makes the book enjoyable to read without sacrificing wisdom. They practice what they preach and it's no wonder that GrokDotCom.com, the site behind Future Now, Inc. is a success.

Time has come to let go of what's in it for the company and think of what's in it for the customer. In time, you shall reap the rewards at the bank.

If You Read only one book on the Internet, make it this one.
Internet Marketing is here to stay and it's getting better every day. And the authors of this book are a big part of the reason why.

1998-2000: Money fell like rain from heaven and the streets were flooded with stories of teenage millionaires. These halcyon days were fueled by a mentality that "if you build it, they will come." Investors drunkenly bought into the Internet's promise of a "new economy" and billions of dollars were pumped into spec-tech and dotcoms, never to be seen again. But when the investors saw that the 'net's realities didn't quite match up to the glowing promises, investment capital dried up faster than alcohol on a summer sidewalk.

There were fundamental problems with Internet marketing that could not be overcome with mere advances in technology. What Internet marketing needed was someone who truly understood the fundamentals of human persuasion and could apply them to the Internet."

Today it is my extraordinary pleasure to announce that those people have been found.

Jeff and Bryan Eisenberg were talking 'conversion' back when 'eyeballs' were the thing and conversion wasn't even in the lexicon. Their work was greatly accelerated when they added Lisa Davis to the team.

Bryan, Jeffrey and Lisa graduated with honors from Wizard Academy and have since gone on to accomplish a number of internet marketing miracles. Consequently, they were chosen to become adjunct faculty at Wizard Academy, where they now teach a curriculum that has punched Internet ROI through the ceiling for every company that has sent a delegate. This book, for a [low price], contains an extremely important portion of what they teach.

Prepare to be amazed.

Roy H. Williams
NY Times bestselling author of
Secret Formulas of The Wizard of Ads

No Background In Copywriting? Find Another Book.
I bought this book to try and gain more of an understanding on copywriting for the net. My honest opinion is that unless you have a background in professional writing or copywriting, this book won't be much of a help. The book makes references to things like Fraking, Poetic Meter, etc and then gives you a very short paragraph description on what they mean that doesn't give you an understanding of the term, but rather a definition. I was for lack of a better term, lost by the time I was 60 pages in.

Maybe if you do have a background in copywriting, this book will be quite useful in helping you understand how to adapt regular copywriting to the web. But, if not, you won't get much of an "education" but rather a "how to adapt" approach that isn't very useful to someone who hasn't had a some form of formal education on the topic. I did give this book two stars because there was a "nugget" here or there that anyone could have gleaned, but overall I was disappointed by the book.

The GROK knows all
This was my third of three copywriting books I read. While actually being the smallest, this book probably had the most content. The beautiful thing is that each topic is in its own small 2-3 page chapter which is very convincing, logical, and easily accesable for further usage.

One of the better internet books on the market.

Will Open (and Blow) Your Mind - A Must Read
This gem of a book offers the most comprehensive (and immediately useable) information on "how to make your website profitable" in the fewest amount of pages that I have yet seen.

As a bonus, it is priced a fraction of most of the available information on this subject. I've paid hundreds of dollars for information that was not nearly as useable as this. (OK I admit I'm a marketing information junkie)

I have purchased dozens of products (printed and ebooks) within the last year alone on this subject. Most of the others talk about search engine tricks, pop-ups, hard sell copy, and basically manipulating your site visitor into doing what you want.

Manipulation may work a little in the short run, but is self defeating in the long run.

This book is much smarter than that. It is in a whole different league.

This book teaches what is really important to long term profits. That is, engaging your visitors and making sure your site is offering them exactly what THEY want.

It shows you how to write extremely effective copy. It also tells you how to discover exactly what your customers are asking you to provide them by watching your stats and web logs.

The basic premise of this book is that without a high conversion ratio, there is no point in buying more traffic. It is much more cost effective to use the techniques contained in this book to increase your conversions than to chase traffic. That comes later. They make a valid point that most folks are doing this backwards.

This book is about way more than just copywriting, by the way. It does an excellent job of enlightening you to many useability factors that may be hurting your sales.

I can't imagine anyone who manages a website and uses even a small percentage of the wisdom contained within not getting a hundred times their investment back.

In conclusion, just buy it and read it. You can not go wrong with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Electronic Commerce 2004 describes the essentials of electronic commerce—how it is being conducted and managed as well as assessing its major opportunities, limitations, issues, and risks. It is a clear, simple, well-organized book, and provides all the basic definitions as well as logical support. Using extensive, vivid examples from large corporations, small businesses, government and not-for-profit agencies from all over the world, it makes the concepts presented come alive for readers.Beginning with a comprehensive introduction to E-commerce, the book explores internet marketing, B2B and C-commerce, E-marketplaces and internet consumerism, E-government, mobile commerce, auctions, security, electronic payment systems, and strategy and implementation to launch a successful E-commerce business.Written by experienced authors who are well-versed in real-world practices, this book will prove invaluable for managers and professional people in any functional area of business; as well as those in government, education, health services, and other areas that can benefit from a knowledge of e-commerce. ... Read more

Book Description

Starting An eBay Business For Dummies is the book eBay entrepreneurs have been dying to have -- all the tips and tricks of turning eBay trading into a full-time job are here.

This book covers the essentials an eBay user or budding entrepreneur needs to start a money-making venture by trading on eBay. Discover the essentials not only for maximizing your profits on eBay, but also how to run a smart business. This guide explains the enhanced features of eBay including their new Gallery feature designed to help business pull in customers by displaying their goods in individual online boutiques. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A Remarkable Business Opportunity
Marsha Collier's "Starting An Ebay Business For Dummies" is your golden gateway to self-relience in a fun business of your own. How about opening a store in a mall with 30,000,000 visitors daily? What would you pay for this opportunity? Marsha shows not only how to open the store, but how and what merchandise to stock, how to manage accounting, advertising, how to get the best site (location), how to price your merchandise, and how to display your wares. I was amazed at the depth of information about what is required to take and post photos and simple explaination about the best methods of being paid.

This is a Dummie book , but only for Dummies who are smart like a fox. Sure it is written with cartoons, tips (with targets and arrows), reminders, warnings (with cutsie bombs), and ancedotes so it's fun and understandable for "the rest of us". Marsha put her years of success making a living on Ebay into this book. It is simple enough for a beginner to follow, but with tips and ideas a computer guru will appreciate.

(...) Marsha, has shown the least expensive with the greatest upside potential of any business I've seen. Start it as a hobby, build it into a business, but do it right with "Starting An Ebay Business For Dummies" This book has my very HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

(...)

THE BUBBLE BURST BUT YOU CAN STILL MAKE MONEY ON THE WEB
Although the Internet bubble burst, that does not mean that money can not be made via the Internet. Discounting all those spam e-mails about Making Money Fast, Collier provides solid strategies on starting a business using eBay. One of the best well-written business books I've ever read! I definitely recommend this to anyone who either wants to take full advantage of eBay or even just sells the occassional item. Collier's book reminds me of Guerilla PR: Wired, which details strategies for low-cost, but effective public relations coverage. Both deal with how to maximize your business's efforts and reap the rewards.

Gave me the tools I needed!
There are lots of books on eBay, but this one really helped me get organized for setting up my ebay business. It's written in a friendly authoritative style - it made me feel like I was getting advice from a very knowledgable friend.

I've heard Ms. Collier teach at ebay University, and this book really expands into everything I wanted to know about my business. Like where to get licenses, what to do about taxes, where I can buy merchandise without laying out hundreds of dollars (there will be plenty of time for that as my business on ebay grows).

I reccommend this book to anyone who's been selling on ebay casually and is ready to take the next step.

Bad news Book
I would rate this book lower than one star if there was an option for that. I cannot say this book is a complete loss, you may use it for a door stop. It has not one iota of what people want to know in a book of this type. It doesn't even address the subject, where to find things to sell. If you are looking for a book on starting and on line store forget this book.

So Outdated!
I'm sure this book might have been useful when it came out three years ago, but as a current eBay seller who just read the entire book, I have to say the information is so outdated it's laughable now. eBay has changed so much even in the last six months that many of the things the author discusses don't even exist anymore, and have been replaced by new eBay enhancements. I would estimate that 10% or less of this book was useful to me. A waste of your time and money until an updated version comes out! ... Read more

Book Description

Learn from Hundreds of Top eBay Sellers

• Tap the more than 100 million registered users that make eBay the leading online marketplace
• Determine what sells best on eBay and why
• Find little-known sources for products
• Learn about tools that will make your eBay business more efficient and professional
• Develop auctions that create high traffic and product demand
• Handle end-of-sale payments and protect yourself from fraud and loss
• Manage auctions, inventories, and communications effectively
• Provide superior customer service to get an edge over the competition
• Track incidentals, deductions, expenses, and other tax-related items
• Automate to ease processes such as listings, managing images, e-mail, and shipping
• Learn from hundreds of PowerSellers what it takes to succeed on eBay

Book Description

Now ranked the #1 selling Marketing Research book, this edition returns with an abundance of new and updated exercises, coverage, and features. Most notable is a special emphasis on online marketing research. Nearly every chapter includes coverage on how the Internet and new technologies are impacting research methods, for better and for worse. A book cannot succeed on new features and topics alone. With every new edition, reviewers complement these authors for an approach that is innovative yet approachable and reliable. Exercises and cases have been checked for accuracy, and the authors also recruited a Blue Ribbon Panel of marketing research professionals. The Panel explores today's increasingly digital research environment from a practitioner's point of view.Chapter topics include the marketing research process and industry, determining research objectives, research design, measurement, data collection and analysis, interpreting associations among variables, predictive analysis, and preparing and presenting the research report.For an understanding and appreciation of how marketing research works in practice. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you want to make more money on eBay (or any other Internet auction site)?Or, are you looking for an easy second income?

Thousands of new users are joining eBay every day.You can take advantage of this trend and make a lot of money.But before you get started, there are some things you need to know.

eBay Secrets will walk you though the steps to getting your Internet auction business rolling.It is packed full of tips and secrets that will help you get more money for your auction listings.

eBay Secrets is based on the techniques that Steve White has been teaching students in his exclusive seminars on making money on eBay.Never before have all of Mr. White’s powerful money-making secrets been available in book format.

Here are just a few of the topics that are covered in the book:
• The two most important secrets to making money on eBay.
• 14 places to find cheap things to sell
• 15 techniques to increase the number of bids you get
• Three things you should NEVER do in an eBay listing
• Ten tricks that will make your listings much more effective
• The best starting bid for your items
• Why your title is critical
• A three-step process to find the perfect title
• Four words to include in your titles to get even more money for your items
• The best time to list your items
• Why you should never use a reserve
• The one thing that you should never mention in the description
• Which listing options are worth the extra cost
• How to avoid paying to have pictures in your listings
• The only eight things that you need to get started making money on eBay
• Seven ways you can get started with no money
• Why user feedback is misleading
• How to write a description that gets more bids
• Everything you need to know about writing HTML in your listings
• What to charge for shipping
• A printable checklist so you never forget any steps when creating listings
• Four email templates for common situations
• What to do if someone doesn’t pay
• Examples of the best and worst auctions
• And much, much more... ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Already made my money back with this book!
I consider myself a casual ebay user doing auction sales as a hobby instead of trying to make money. Even so, who wouldn't want to bring in more money? After I bought and read this book, I applied the tips that the author described and was amazed at the noticeable difference in how my auctions attracted attention. The auction page hits easily doubled if not tripled what I was getting compared to my experience prior to reading this book.

This book is written in a very easy to read style and although the first-time reader may be tempted to jump to the end to start using the tips, I encourage that reader to start from the beginning and read straight through to the end. Even for the more experienced ebay seller, this book does have enough tips to make it worth your while. I keep my copy close at hand to as I create new auctions so I don't miss out on any of the tips!

The author encourages readers to email with questions. I have emailed the author on occasion with questions and have received prompt and helpful responses.

Definitely a great book and a super author!

If you want hints and tips for higher profit, buy this book
I have been eBaying for a couple of years and thought I was pretty savvy. This book taught me several important things to help me get even better response from my auctions.
I second the reviewer who suggested you read it twice so you do not miss anything. This title is full of important information you do not want to miss (unless of course you want to give money away).
The author answers email and is very helpful. You will not go wrong in buying this book if you want success from eBay.

The BEST Guide to Succeeding in ebay sales!
This is a fantastic resource! No one should start selling on ebay without first reading this book and applying the techniques. Every facet of selling thru an auction is laid out, step by step, and with a checklist to ensure that you have created the perfect auction! The reader is provided with contact information....I emailed them and received a response within hours! He took the time to explain additional points to me and even provided links to relevant auctions of items that I planned to sell! The first step in creating an ebay seller account is to BUY THIS BOOK!!!! It deserves 10 stars!

Every Ebay Seller Should Have a Copy!
This is a fantastic resourceful book and guide for sellers on Ebay. Bryon & Steven share how easy and uncomplicated it can be to make $$$$ on Ebay. I immediately tried their Bid Multiplier Method and WOW it really works! Thanks for providing us with a great concept, oh yes and by the way I e-mailed to get an adendum to this book and I got a reponse immedieately!

eBay Secrets : How to create Internet auction listings that
A very good reference! Certainly worth the modest price. ... Read more

Book Description

This marketing classic has been expanded to include new commentary, new illustrations, and a bonus book: The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding

Smart and accessible, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the definitive text on branding, pairing anecdotes about some of the best brands in the world, like Rolex, Volvo, and Heineken, with the signature savvy of marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries. Combining The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, this book proclaims that the only way to stand out in today's marketplace is to build your product or service into a brand -- and provides the step-by-step instructions you need to do so.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding also tackles one of the most challenging marketing problems today: branding on the Web. The Rieses divulge the controversial and counterintuitive strategies and secrets that both small and large companies have used to establish internet brands. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the essential primer on building a category-dominating, world-class brand.

Reviews (46)

To focus and place a word in the prospect mind!
I have read a few books written by Ries and there are two ideas that are emphasized again and again, that is, to focus and to place a word in the prospect mind. This book is no exception. The laws of branding built in this book are based on these two concepts.

"Marketing is building a brand in the mind of the prospect". I totally agree. People are exposed to an over-communicated environment, to place a word in the prospect mind can surely lead your company to success. In fact, in customers' mind, there is no difference between your products and your competitors'. Only by building a brand can you differentiate your company from its competitors.

I also agree that brand building is not just for marketing department but for the entire company, as a brand is not only composed of its name but also of its product, service, environment, communication and behavior of the company. Everything a company does is related to brand building. Therefore, apart from the name that includes the logotypes and the color, this book also provides us with a lot of ways to do with the brand. For examples, to focus in its scope, to achieve it with publicity and maintain it with advertising, to promote the category rather than the brand, to distinguish it from the company, to avoid using subbranding etc.

This book is clear in the format and the content, illustrated by plenty of examples of what not to do and lessons on how to brand in the customer's mind! I can get a lot of insights from it.

This book is worth reading! I highly recommend you to read it!

Then 1 Immutable Law of Al Ries
Focus. Don't do a line extension to save your life.

OK, this book is great and should be read by anyone involved in marketing (I mean come on, who doesn't have the 3 hours it takes to read this book). Unfortunately one serious drawback is that he uses plenty of examples to support his claims. Huh? Why is that a negative? Here's why: because it gets the reader to think of plenty of counter-examples that contradict his points. As another reviewer suggested the claim of "immutable" laws of marketing is a bit bold, but what the book does provide is food for thought in a highly readable context.

You gotta give the guy credit though. He takes a stand. And there's a lot to be said for taking a viewpoint and standing by it in today's middle of the road world.

If you don't feel up to reading "Focus," "Positioning," or some of the other texts by Al Ries, this one provides a lot of the insights in bite size pieces.

Despite the knocks against it listed above there are a few points worth acknowledging: 1. Al Ries is a legend in marketing. 2. It's a good, fun read with many useful examples worth keeping in mind when developing marketing strategies. 3. By reading it for yourself you can develop examples to refute a lot fo the laws and move along the path towards critically evaluating branding strategies.

Give credit where credit is due
Nearly everything in this book is copied verbatim from the marketing classic "Positioning, the battle for you mind" by Jack Trout; Give credit where it's actually due.

"Yeah, right," I said
I do a little consulting in marketing & branding. I've got five other books on branding sitting on the shelf, & I've plowed through four.

I wouldn't say those other books were a waste of time, but I'm confident that this one has more immediately useful information than all of them taken together. And I'm stunned that it as easy read, not only informative but *fun*.

This edition is the one you want, as it combines the 22 laws with the other 11 that pertain very specifically to the Internet. By the time you get through the first few, you will find yourself looking at every brand -- on television, in the stores, on your own shelves -- in a whole new light. One of the prime models, coincidentally enough, is Amazon.com itself. The authors' comments on this very site will probably open your eyes to how remarkable the Bezos legacy has been.

I've barely finished, yet this book has already helped steer me better as to some website questions I had been studying. It's already paid for itself ten times over, & I am certain that the benefits have only begun. The simple, clear differentiation between a company name & a brand name has, by itself, been a unique lesson, & I've taken to heart the stern warnings (& wonderfully absurd object lessons) against line extensions & brand dilution.

Don't let the somewhat bizarre cover put you off (as it did me). This is one of the few books that I intend to re-read on a regular basis, & I will read more Reis titles in the near future.

YOU'LL BE "INVOLVED" WITH THIS LITTLE RIES CAMEO
I write reviews on Amazon rather avidly. When I started reading this particular book, I knew it would be a good number to review. So I started marking everything in the book that I disagreed with or that I felt was worth commenting on.

That the Ries duo relies on sweeping statements (e.g., "Quality of a product doesn't matter. It's all about brands.") hardly made my intentions any easier. Needless to say, my copy of 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is riddled with lots of ink and copious sidenotes. There is a lot I said "Really?" to while reading.

But maybe that's the thing I adore about Ries Inc. Their books are anything but boring manuals on a topical issue so relevant to almost anyone in business. I was "involved" with this book like I have seldom been with a work of non-fiction. I adored and went all retrospective with the "Law of the Name" and the "Law of Globalism". The writing is trippy, semi-provocative and hence absolutely delectable in a piece of work such as this!

Do I recommend it? Wholeheartedly. A wonderfully satisfying read. Just keep your discerning senses about you and think twice before wrapping your (brand management) career around all the advice this book proffers.

Noteworthy: The whole book is also available in a PDF version, if you are not particularly averse to on-screen reading. ... Read more

Book Description

A well-known expert in the ASP development community, best-selling author Stephen Walther brings his experience as an ASP.NET trainer to the new edition of ASP.NET Unleashed. With this update to the highly regarded ASP.NET book, readers learn the advanced features of ASP.NET 1.1, and how to apply them in their own Internet applications. This in-depth, code-intensive title covers a broad range of advanced ASP.NET topics with samples now available in both VB.NET and C#.

Throughout the more than 1,400 pages readers are shown how to develop state-of-the-art Web applications using Microsoft's powerful ASP.NET. It progresses through Web Forms basics, advanced page development, ADO.NET and XML, securing Web applications, XML Web Services, leveraging the .NET Framework, building custom controls and powerful sample applications. This is a resource that will be referenced over and over.

Reviews (113)

Great ASP.NET and VB.NET book.
Great book to learn how to create ASP.NET pages using VB.NET. I have bought Stephen Walther's classic ASP books a few years ago and staying true to his style he introduces you to new concepts and then shows several implementations of it. It's great to see not only an idea talked about and the properties/methods listed, but then see at least one example of how to do it (unlike O'Reilly books). I've been programming in classic ASP for over four years and switched to ASP.NET about 6 months ago and must say anyone on fence thinking about switching - I say do it!! ASP.NET is a hundred times more powerful and, while it may take a few months to get totally comfortable, I guarantee you'll be glad you invested the time in learning it. This book covered all the key concepts, allowing me to create several grade A online application using the .NET framework. I'm hoping the author comes out with a "next step" book like he did with the classic ASP series. While this book does cover lots of the advanced topics in the later chapters (caching, dynamic graphics, transactions), I know with the depth of the .NET framework (32,000 objects) there is more out there. I'd say if your a newbie to intermediate level this is the book for you. And even though I've moved on to C# for my ASP.NET programming, I still use this book as a reference to implement the .NET framework. The book is also great in that it doesn't relay on Visual Studio to teach you - actually I don't remember one VS example. Anyone can point and click in VS - this book shows you how to actually do it.

Most comprehensive ASP.NET book available.....
This book is the most comprehensive ASP.NET book I have read (and I have read 5+ ASP.NET books). There are over 180 pages on the ASP.NET Server controls. Almost 300 pages on ADO.NET and how to best leverage the new data list controls. 70 pages on securing your ASP.NET applications (about 50 more than the other books). ASP.NET Unleashed is heads and shoulders above the rest with regards to its coverage of building custom controls (something we should all get used to doing). In addition to the great material mentioned above, you will learn how to build a search page using ASP.NET and SQL Server, send an email from your ASP.NET page, create graphics on the fly, and more. You will be happy to know that there are also TWO full blown ASP.NET applications to pick apart, copy, and learn from!

I have only mentioned *some* of the things covered in this book. As I said, you will not find a more comprehensive ASP.NET book anywhere.

Worth itself 10x over
This book covers it all!! from simple tasks to advanced stuff like authentication with WebServices.... this has been THE best tool for me to advance myself career-wise into ASP.NET programming

I have recommended this book so many times i lost count long long ago

One of the better ASP.NET books available
This books is probably the second book to read after Murach's ASP.NET. I would say it's at an intermediate level.

I found his writing to be very clear, the examples to be comprehensive if not voluminous. He presents examples you would use in a real application. You will learn the ins and outs of the server controls as well as creating apps for mobile devices.

If you know a little about the .NET framework, it's not hard at all to translate the code to C# and to use a code behind file. So I don't have a problem that he didn't use the VS IDE or include C# code examples in the book. The book would have been 2500 pages if he had.

For all those who were ranting and raving that Walther didn't use code behind files, I've been hearing that .NET 2.0 may de-emphasize the code behind file. So the author may be farther ahead of the game than most.

I liked the two case studies at the end of the book. They bring together a lot of the concepts that are discussed in the earlier pages.

The down side of this book is that there isn't much treatment of the VB.NET/C# language. Data access layers and Object Oriented design are glossed over, you will have to learn those concepts elsewhere.

Awesome Book for ASP.NET
This is a must have book for people who wants to start learning ASP.NET. This book talks about each and every detail of what is asp.net, how to use it,what are the different controls..etc, in a clear concise manner,backed with hundreds of working code examples.(there also an online site,where one can refer to the code written in the book..anytime)

The author did a great job!!.Before buying this book, I read reviews and was not sure if all the good reviews about this book were true. So, I went to a near by book store to see its contents. I read a couple of chapters and loved it so much that I bought it immediately.

For people who are wondering I am a C#/vb.net pgmer, does this book help me?..Yes it does. All the examples in the book are written in both VB.NET and C#.

Therez only one thing that I was disappointed a bit. Now a days almost everyone uses VS.NET for .NET development and even though one knows ASP.NET, Learning to use VS.NET is an altogether a different Nightmare.

For this there is another book, ASP.NET KICKSTART..by the same author.
I bought these two books and after that never had to buy any .NET book again!!!. ... Read more

Book Description

For nearly two decades, Don Dillman's Mail and Telephone Surveys and the Total Design Method it outlined has aided students and professionals in effectively planning and conducting surveys. But much has changed since the TDM was developed in 1978. Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, Second Edition, thoroughly revised and updated by the author from his classic text, addresses these changes and introduces a new paradigm that responds to the recent developments that affect the conduct and success of surveys.

In this new edition, Dillman introduces a new paradigm called "Tailored Design," which expands TDM to account for-and take advantage of-innovations such as computers, electronic mail, and the World Wide Web; theoretical advancements; mixed-mode considerations; the increasing acceptance of self-administered surveys; our better understanding of specific survey requirements; and an improved base of social science knowledge. As insightful and practical as its classic original, Mail and Internet Surveys, Second Edition is a crucial resource for any researcher seeking to increase response rates and obtain high-quality feedback from mail, electronic, and other self-administered surveys.

Topics covered include:

• Writing Questions and Constructing the Questionnaire
• Mixed-Mode Surveys
• Personal Delivery of Questionnaires
• Surveying When Speed Is Critical
• Government Surveys of Households and Individuals
• Business Surveys
• Internet and Interactive Voice Response Systems
• Questionnaires That Can Be Scanned and Imaged

Praise for the previous edition . . .

"Required reading for anyone who wants to diversify research procedures."
-Contemporary Psychology

"An excellent reference tool and valuable addition to any serious practitioner's library."
-Public Relations Journal

"The book is packed with practical suggestions that cover each task in designing andimplementing a survey."
-Social Forces

... Read more

Reviews (7)

Light on the technical side
For those of you who do survey research and struggle with getting an acceptible response rate, this is the book for you. It truly is an amazing resource for a method that can get one to near a 75% response even on mail-only surveys. Highly recommended.

For those of you looking for any help on statistics, this is NOT the book for you.

For those of you interested in increasing the validity and reliability of your surveys, this is could be the book for you. It does have an effective treatment of writing questions and effective survey design.

If you wish to become an expert in coverage, sample frames, sampling, etc, look elsewhere. That topic gets just 10 pages.

No book can do it all of course but I would have left out some of the "fluff" chapters Dillman included for some discussion of the more technical side of the statistics of analyzing surveys after you have designed them the way he suggests.

Still lots of great wisdom on survey research.
Dillman's text was the classic for so long that many of us think of him as the guru of survey research. I would guess that is why the Census Bureau hired him as their lead consultant for the 2000 Census.

As has been pointed out, Dillman does not present as much theoretical material as he might. But, I don't think that that detracts from the strengths of this book. There are other books out there that cover the cognitive and social psychology behind survey answers, and there are other books that give you guidance on the scientific method, experimental design, sampling, etc. (I would recommend Babbie's Practice of Social Research) And Dillman even has a more hands-on book (How to Conduct Your Own Survey) for non-scientists.

But, the real strength of Dillman's book might be how well he instructs on how to put together a great questionnaire - the design, layout, order, question design and implementation.

I find his take on internet surveys to be controversial and a little out-of-date. But, my concerns might be viewed as those of a skeptic - I'm not yet convinced that internet surveys are viable for all that many situations. And, I think Dillman does a good job of laying out some of the challenges and promises of internet surveys.

Strong book but doesn't cover software
This is a good book, but it doesn't offer much help picking an Internet survey tool, and there are a lot of choose from: perseus.com, raosoft.com, inquisite.com, scantron.com. I would have liked to see some discussion or analysis of the types of tools that could be used.

Misnamed, Lacking Scientific Methodology
Well, this may be "the book" when it comes to surveys, but it still lacks a lot. First, I found the chapters on writing questions and organizing a questionnaire to be very useful. However, it looks like the author only added a couple chapters about Internet surveys, instead of reviewing his decades-old book in terms of the impact of the Internet. For example, I don't find it particularly useful to discuss how to fold a survey, or how to distribute it by mail, when it's being administered on-line!

Furthermore, this book is lacking any real scientific methodology. I suspect this is a result of the nature of the field, but survey designers should at least try to employ some good experimental design approaches. For example, this book does not help me at all to ensure that the survey actually gives me information that I need. While he does give information on writing interpretable questions, he has no recommendations on how to determine the goals of the survey, how to design questions that will address those goals, how to arrange questions in the survey to ensure good data that addresses those goals, etc. And what about statistical accuracy, and how certain types of questions are easier to measure? Any suggestions on how to evaluate free-response questions? Why isn't there an entire chapter on "How to avoid bias and inaccuracy in responses", instead of having suggestions scattered around the text?

This book has a lot of useful sociological hints on how to increase the response rate from a population. However, this isn't the most important aspect of surveys---it sorely lacks the scientific basis for the design and evaluation of the "experiment" that is the survey. Without this, it doesn't matter how many people respond, because the data will be useless.

So much to say, even to those who think they know
I have close to 20 years of experience in market research; yet with the move that many are making to conducting their research over the Internet, I knew I needed to get a lot of learning quickly, in order to better understand the trade-offs being made between cost savings and research quality. Dillman's book fills that need. Building on an earlier edition, which focused on the issues surrounding interviewing by mail, Dillman confronts issues surrounding lack of randomness, need for clarity in a self-administered-survey world, and issues of internet coverage, in drawing conclusions. Also, he has a very helpful discussion on the issues surrounding combining data collected through different methodologies at once. Dillman also discusses the need to recruit within the context of a social exchange; we are, after all, collecting information with the respondent's approval, and our generalizations are stronger when we have a good sampling plan and can maximize co-operation.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

Providing a thorough overview of the issues high-tech marketers must address, this book provides a balance between conceptual discussions and examples; small and big business; products and services; and consumer and business-to-business marketing contexts.This book offers a cutting-edge treatment of research and practice related to the marketing of technology and innovations, supported with a plethora of examples and applications. A resource for managers in high-tech firms, training programs in high-tech firms, and technology incubators. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very interesting book
It has a very good approach about how to plan a marketing strategy in high tech enviroments.

Well balanced book
What impressed me the most about this book is the right balance of theoretical discussions and practical examples. The idea of including "views from the trenches" is just way too good. This book helped me conceptualize all the experiences that I have gathered in the past five years in the high-tech industry. This is an excellent read for people who are exclusively focused on marketing (product marketing / product management, etc) or for people who are in other functions, but want to understand the basics of high-tech marketing

The best text on the marketing of high technology
Mohr's text is a good overview of industry practice, mixed with theory on marketing and the diffusion of innovations. This text is a huge step forward for the discipline. As I see the field of electronic marketing evolving, I think we will see material about the Internet moving into mainstream marketing courses. What will remain in the specialized electronic marketing course is the intersection of marketing with the cutting edge of technology. Mohr's text makes me feel much better prepared for this evolution. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great text book for Information System
This book is one of the best resources for Undrestanding Information Systems.This Book covers almost every consept for undrestanding modern Information Systems.It`s good for MIS courses for business & management students ... Read more

Book Description

You don't have to have the biggest name or the most dazzling graphics to lure customers to your Web site. These days, all you really need is prominent search-engine placement. This book shows you how to get it! With searching one of the most popular Internet activities, a top spot on a major search engine virtually ensures a high volume of visitors--though converting them to buyers is another story. In these pages, top Internet marketer and strategist Catherine Seda tackles both parts of that equation. First, she outlines the strategy involved in buying the specific keyword positions that will lead users directly to the page you want. Then, she describes how you can turn poor-performing ad copy into targeted sales-getters, and how you can evaluate and correct low visitor-to-buyer conversions. Beginning marketers will find the info they need to implement a Web strategy quickly, while advanced marketers will find all kinds of tips for analyzing and improving current results.

Reviews (8)

Catherine Covers It All!
This book does it. Whether it is me needing a refresher or if I am trying to make marketing partners "get it", Catherine covers it all. I can hand this book to a marketing director or VP and they can read it and understand what I have preached for some time. Catherine's incredible knowledge of the industry not only brings it home, it brings it to their level of understanding.

Beyond Expectation
Catherine explains beyond my expectation when reading upon her book on the search advertising.
And what I do not hope, it explains in a-step-by-step tutorials. Yes I give her my thumb for her book.

During my giving training and consultation to my clients in the world of SE, sometimes I refer it as well.

Not only that, I also grow my business in Jakarta, and on national basis in Indonesia, using "search campaign" and sponsorship program to attract my clients either in this industry or other industry I have such as www.presentationsupport.com.

Yes search engines create other way and yet cost effective promotion with quick ROI.

Magnificent companion to "Search Engine Visibility"
Catherine Seda's excellent book "Search Engine Advertising" is the perfect complement to Shari Thurow's "Search Engine Visibility" from which includes an excerpt toward the end. Where Thurow's book, the best one in terms of accomplishing high rankins in 'organic' (read unpaid) search results, Seda's book brings along the whole other side of the equation: that of paid options to accomplish high rankings. In doing so, one of her key points is that Search Engine Advertising doesn't end when the customer arrives at your site (visits), but it really is about conversions (getting the customer to make a purchase, subscribe or whatever your web site's purpose is when s/he arrives to it).

The book is very well structured around six parts:
i) Planning: the key (yet sometimes overlooked) part of the process, to ensure you know who you are targetting and how, before jumping into the paid options.
ii) Paid Placement Programs: she presents the differences (pros and cons) of the most important fixed placement and pay-for-placement programs available.
iii) Paid Inclusion Programs: directories are presented here in all their splendor, along with what you can do to enhance your possibilities before submitting your site, and how to manage a large number of simultaneous submissions. Web site optimization is touched upon briefly at this point, but in no way substituting Thurow's book on the topic: you simply have to have both, if you're serious about Online Marketing at all.

iv) Specialized Search Engines: comparison shopping engines, vertical market search engines and international search engines are discussed in some detail, to get you started with them.
v) Tracking ROI: normally just as overlooked as the planning stage, the tracking of the results of paid advertising campaigns are discussed in extensive detail to ensure that you are able to steer the boat in the right direction if your ROI data shows that you're putting money on the wrong key terms, your copy is not doing what it should to engage customers, or your landing pages are not taking customers where you want them to go once they get to your site.
vi) Protecting profits: topics such as click fraud, trademark infringement and affilate networks are discussed, as things to keep an eye on.

All in all, this is not a book you'd want to sit down and read in one afternoon (nor would you be able to). This is a hands-on book to work through and use as a reference as you're getting your feet wet with this whole other animal that is paid advertising on the Web. It has done a ton for me in the two months I've been applying the concepts contained in it, since it summarizes very well all the options available to you, their pros/cons and how to best take advantage of them, considering your size and budget. I highly recommend it without reserves for eMarketers that have not had too much exposure to paid options, as well as those who have some experience in the area, since it provides a wealth of tips and insights that most people in the field can benefit from.

Disclosure: I received a copy for review from the publisher.

Best Intro To SE Advertising
If you want more traffic read this book. I read it over once, started up some SEA campaigns, and now will re-read it again carefully to see how I can get the most out of those campaigns.

I am a full time SEO, an employee with a multi-national company. I teach SEO at the local college and am the author of a small SEO workbook (seoworkbook.com). I also sell books, eBooks and my own music CD's via the internet, do consulting for small businesses like Bed & Breakfasts and am a broadcaster on an Internet radio station. As you can imagine I spend a lot of time in the search engine world. Until now I have focused on organic search which simply means creating web pages and sites the way search engines are going to find most attractive i.e. keyword rich content, SE friendly design, and optimized tags for engines that use them. Shari Thurow's book, "Search Engine Visibility", also published by New Riders, is the best resource regarding this approach that I have seen.

I read Catherine's book first of all because she has credentials, she has worked in a variety of positions in the SE advertising industry. Then flipping through the table of contents I knew from my own experience that she was covering the basics (and I a big believer in basics) and that she knew who the important players were. I liked what I read because she wrote in an easily understandable, conversational style which I appreciated and enjoyed.

She covered everything thoroughly, beginning with background chapters when necessary. There were a few times when the detail level got a little deep for me but that is because I, like Catherine, am essentially a marketing guy, I appreciate strategy, tactics and logistics but feel more comfortable in the strategy end of the pool.

Like Shari's book, this is definitely another winner from New Riders. I see that New Riders is a division of Peach Pit Press who do the Visual Quick Start books. I have long told my students that the VQS books are the best computer books for beginners on the market - bar none. The quality of all these books is no surprise as I see Pearson Education is the corporation behind them all. I work for an eLearning company so I am familiar with Pearson; they are one of the worlds largest and most respected publishers of text books.

Catherine helps make the industry jargon like "trusted feed", "fixed placement", etc. understandable, and explains how to monitor and track your campaigns and how to manage your conversion rate and return on investment. Her sections regarding landing pages, page design, and site architecture are easy to understand and immediately useful. Very importantly to us entrepreneurs, she also discusses how to deal with potential "click-fraud" and other business issues.

For a person who is venturing forth into the SE advertising world for the first time I can highly recommend this book. I would suggest that you read and do everything in Shari's book first however. Then do the same with Catherine's. Here is a key point: Even if you are ranking well with organic search the advertising option gives you the added benefit of your site being passed on to many other search engines of all kinds because of the business relationships large advertising companies like Overture and Google have with partners and affiliates.

I would say Shari's book represents step one of your search engine marketing plan, and Catherine's represents step two. Hopefully New Riders will soon come out with some form of step three - "How To Convert Visitors To Buyers". As I mentioned above, I currently teach SEO at the local college: because of Catherine's book, and the impressive results I have immediately achieved using her methods, I intend on adding another course on SE advertising later this year. There will also be a proposal on my bosses desk next week recommending SEA campaigns for all our primary products. For large or small companies, even my little B&B clients, advertising on the web is clearly an effective and affordable option. For serious entrepreneurs, the web has matured as a sales and marketing channel to the point where it is a required one.

Good Overview of Search Engine Marketing
Full Disclosure: One the editors sent me this book for review.

Although never flirting with greatness, the content soared above average. The editing style, however, clipped my rising expectations. Like a chicken scratching in the dirt, new ideas would be tossed into the middle of an existing chain of thought. Occasionally ideas would end as fledglings, never fully explored or even transitioned.

That said, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a solid introduction to marketing a webiste or product on the internet. I learned how keyword analysis works, how to create a marketing campaign, how to monitor a campaign, and how to get more money from a campaign.

Although no topic was covered in depth, the resource section at the end of the book points the reader to industry recognized sources. The book even includes advertising credit with Overture and FindWhat, a great way to get your feet wet.

If you do not mind some leaps, and a little silliness, this book may be a four on your list. The choppy style was too much for me. ... Read more

Book Description

Get the scoop on recession-proof online strategies

Packed with e-commerce survival stories, best practices, and resources

Get the information you need to thrive online — even in todays economy!

Today is a great time to launch an online business – the competition is less, the technology is better, and Internet use is at an all-time high. This thoroughly updated guide shows you how to dive right in. From fine-tuning plans and setting up a high-traffic site to marketing, customer service, and security, its just what you need to succeed!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Reviews (14)

unimpressive
i realize the book says for dummies in the title BUT first off some of the things the book states about dreamweaver are not true and are not possible - i didnt open the cd because from reading the book you knew most of the cd was demos which you would have to take off of your computer in a month anyway - the only information i got from this book was basic business start up legal information - it kept referring to information i am looking for but it states it is not covered in this book but the small business internet for dummies - after reading this book cover to cover though i am very hesitant to purchase another book by this author - the information i need is probably just referenced to and really in a third book anyway - overall i was very unimpressed by this book

only buy this book if you are BRAND NEW to the internet - like you just got online for the first time last week and think maybe making money online might be for you THIS BOOK IS FOR BEGINNING BEGINNERS ONLY

Starting An Online Business For Dummies
This book is truly incredible. I cannot even absorb all of the information in it! This is a MUST HAVE for ANYONE even thinking about starting an on line business. This is such an easy read and you can go on line and check out all the different web sites he has listed in the book. There is more information in this book than I ever thought possible. It is EXTREMELY helpful and written very well. It is the kind of book that you keep on your desk to constantly look up things. This is the best investment I have made in a long time. = )

a reader
this is a very good book for beginer and other as well. step by step, easy to follow, important notices, great advices and more.

O.K. for Beginners
Like most of the Dummies books, this book is designed for the complete beginners, i.e. people who have absolutely no business and Web experience.

The book gives such advices as hiring a technical consultant, writing a business plan, manage your finance, etc. Wow :-()

It's better to buy several books that focus on different areas of the business. Get one for business plan, one for web marketing, one for negotiation, one for legal guide, one for accounting, etc. There are many good software programs out there that do all these now too. All of them would be better than a dummies book like this one.

The best I could've asked for!
I am so happy that I chose this book out of all of the others available. It is so easy to understand & packed with information that all of us starting an online business needs. I am one to fold page corners of pages that have info that is very important to me. You should see how many there are!! It is an excellent resource of info & I am very grateful to have found it. ... Read more

Book Description

This pioneering textbook lays the foundation for using the most exciting marketing medium in decades.It shows what makes the Internet new and different, what techniques work and which dont, and how the Internet is creating value for customers and profits for companies.Most importantly, it shows how Internet Marketing fits into the rest of an organizations marketing strategy. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Bringing Order to the Chaos of the Internet
Hanson's textbook strikes just the right balance between technology and overall, general knowledge of the Internet. The background chapters in Part 1 on the Digital World, Networks and Internet Business Models are informative but not overwhelmingly technical. The chapters in Part 2 (Online Marketing Themes) are really interesting, in that they point out the many differences between marketing in the real world versus marketing in the virtual world. Topics such as Personalization, Traffic and Brand Building, Online Community, and E-Commerce are really the "meat" of this book and are informative as well as easy to read with plenty of current examples.

The challenges of developing and documenting the "principles" behind the amorphous, nebulous, fast-changing Internet are significant, but Dr. Hanson has certainly succeeded in producing a viable, useful resource. I'm sure he's busily working on an update, and I will look forward to reading anything he has to say about marketing in Internet time.

A very practical book - I love it !
This is a great book on internet marketing. Unlike many other books on similar subjects I have read , I found this book most practical - and closest to the need in the real business world ! Lots of very interesting case studies in it, and most important of all, the book contains a lot of very useful and updated researches and statistics that confirms a lot of beliefs ( and clear lots of doubts) I have had in my job. Don't be put-off by the title of the book " Principles of Internet marketing" - they are not pure academic / classroom-type "principles", they are very applicable to the real business world ! If you are working in the internet marketing area, or if you plan to enter this field, don't miss this book !!!

A second edition is urgently needed
I used the first edition in one of my e-commerce courses. While the book migth still deserve 3 stars it is very much dated and my students had to do much additional research in the net to round most of the topics.

Wonderful
This book really helped me understand some of the more difficult subjects of internet marketing.

A starting point
As a text, this is about the only game in town. And it certainly shows a lot of work in assembling sources and so forth. Especially if you are coming at this filed from scratch, this book is a decent place to start. But you may find yourself longing for deeper insight--less mere summarization of other sources and more maturation. And the support materials seem to be rather thin. But remember, Ward got his book written, and that, in itself, says a lot. ... Read more

Book Description

This new hybrid book integrates both e-commerce and traditional legal environment issues, serving as a bridge between the two by covering the legal environment of business and its extensions into e-commerce. The text fulfills the need for greater understanding of the role of law, regulation, and public policy. A major focus is on how existing laws will accommodate the transition and on what issues new perspectives are needed from legislation, regulation, judicial interpretation, private contracting, industry self-regulation and public policy. ... Read more

Book Description

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 Unleashed is your tool to unleash the power of Microsoft's BizTalk Server 2004. Learn how to use the server as an enterprise application integration tool and how to exploit its key strengths to orchestrate e-commerce business processes in B2B and B2C environments. Providing complete coverage of system architecture, application integration, messaging and migration, Unleashed also illustrates practical application of the server through an entire section dedicated to real-world case studies of businesses using BizTalk Server 2004 on a daily basis. As seen in these examples, there can be obstacles along the way to success, but Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 Unleashed will help you overcome each one.

Book Description

This book provides an overview of the current and next generations of e-commerce. The book emphasizes the three major driving forces behind e-commerce: technology change, business development, and social controversies. Each of these driving forces is represented in every chapter, and together they provide a coherent conceptual framework for understanding e-commerce. The result is a realistic treatment of a very diverse subject that is aimed specifically at readers interested in business concepts, IS/IT developments, and computer science applications. It is written by an author team with extensive teaching, writing, and business experience.This book offers in-depth coverage of concepts in technology, the Internet, economics, marketing, IS/IT, accounting, privacy, intellectual property, equity, and governance. Its unifying conceptual framework built around the themes of business, technology, and society helps readers make sense out of the development of this field. The book presents numerous real-world examples in every chapter. An attractive full-color design is also featured.This book is aimed specifically at readers interested in business concepts, IS/IT developments, and computer science applications of e-commerce. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good!
I am reading this book as part of self-studies to understand more about business issues, especially e-commerce.

The book is good. Though I paid dearly for it ($97.00), I now think it is worth it all. Do not hesitate if you need a good book on e-commerce.

All the best!

Start e-Commerce here !
This book is the best one on e-Commerce written so far. The logical sequence followed in the book draws the reader into each chapter, and at the end one learns even the complicated topics effectively and efficiently.

If you know nothing about e-Commerce, or consider yourself a guru in the field, you need to buy this book as a valuable future reference. Nothing to say about the online supplement of the book, which includes lots of links for those who need further research.

Col