Getting and Staying Noticed on the Web: Your Web Promotion Questions Answered

Citation

Fourie, I. (2003), "Getting and Staying Noticed on the Web: Your Web Promotion Questions Answered", The Electronic Library, Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 170-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470310470561

Getting and Staying Noticed on the Web … belongs on the shelf of every Web designer and Webmaster. In an easy to read and entertaining style, internationally well‐known expert Phil Bradley attempts (and succeeds) in answering almost any question you can ask with regard to the promotion of Web sites. In fact, I cannot think of anything to add. The key issue he addresses is how to design and promote sites so that they will not only be noticed but they will stay noticed!

The book consists of the author’s introduction, 14 chapters, and an index. Instead of the normal headings and sub‐headings, each chapter includes a large number of questions relevant to the chapter heading. The chapters cover the following aspects: first steps, design issues, search engines, images, what to do to get your site up and running, interactivity, the use of mailing lists and newsgroups, banners, traditional promotional services, press releases, viral marketing, how to deal with the competition, monitoring success and further resources. It also includes a case study with Phil Bradley in conversation with the founder of Free Pint, William Hann.

The question and answer approach should allow readers to dip in and out of the book, without reading it from cover to end. The chapter on viral marketing, for example, includes questions on the meaning of viral marketing, whether it has anything to do with virus programs, examples of viral marketing, the dangers involved with viral marketing, how to make it easy for people to mail information on a Web site to their friends, and how to get other sites to carry their content. It is obvious that the book is written by somebody who thoroughly knows the field! I would, however, suggest that in this case it is essential to support the book with a very thorough and detailed index. The current index, unfortunately, is very basic, and does not complement such an excellent publication.

From the back cover it seems as if Getting and Staying Noticed on the Web … is aimed at library and information services. It is, however, suitable for a much wider audience. I highly recommend this book to anybody involved in the field of Web design, and certainly all libraries and information services with Web sites or in the process of designing one. I further think that it is the kind of publication that should be brought to the attention of library and information science students.