Tips and Tricks for Website Managers

Ina Fourie (University of Pretoria South Africa)

The Electronic Library

ISSN: 0264-0473

Article publication date: 1 October 2001

172

Keywords

Citation

Fourie, I. (2001), "Tips and Tricks for Website Managers", The Electronic Library, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 352-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2001.19.5.352.3

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited


This publication addresses most of the key issues in Web site management in an interesting, fresh and informative style. It can, with right, claim to act as “an invisible support team”. The knowledge and expertise of more than 60 contributors had been combined to make Tips and tricks... an excellent point of departure on Web site management. It also abounds with a wealth of practical advice.

Many publications have appeared on the issues of collecting and collating information, developing a design style, managing updates, and ensuing a consistent, interesting, topical and informative Web site. Tips and tricks..., however, offers a very precise, very informative and to the point discussion of these, as well as many other issues. It includes an introduction, six chapters, two case studies, a conclusion, an appendix, a bibliography and an index. The chapters cover the issues of site definition and planning, information architecture and navigation design, page design and graphics, site quality and accessibility, Web site policies and e‐commerce, and marketing and promotion. The idea behind the publication was not to supplement the existing wealth of knowledge on Web site management: “It is not intended to be a full‐blown HTML or Web design manual... I do hope that it will be useful as a source book of ideas and suggestions, both to improve and enhance the performance and appearance of a site, and to assist in the ‘behind‐the‐scenes’ management that most web sites require”. There is also a supporting Web site at <http://www.webtipsandtricks.com>

Two case studies are presented. The first cover EARL, Cambridge University Press, Countrybookshop.co.uk, EEVL and Institute of Actuaries. The second case study covers: BBC Betsie, Dotgain, Motley Fool, OUT‐LAW.COM and National Gallery. The case studies consider the application of the issues and guidelines that were discussed in preceding chapters.

A number of useful Web site addresses are included. Unfortunately the bibliography and the index are very basic. One would expect a much more detailed index for such a valuable publication which could also serve as a quick reference source.

Tips and Tricks... is highly recommended to anybody interested in Web site design and management. It is a concise, but excellent point of departure, and can also be a useful reference source for “old hands” at Web site design. It is certainly a publication to bring to the attention of library and information science students.

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