Recommended Web Development Books
This is the first book on web usability ever written. As a matter of fact,
Jakob Nielsen is the very inventor of the term “web usability.” The book describes his theories on web design, but for many professional designers is more than that: it's a guide that sets up professional standards. SEOs use the book too, to determine how to optimize a site for better navigability and better user experience. Nielsen is not just a web designer. He is a web engineer. He used to be employed by Sun Microsystems and now he is one of the online authorities when it comes to web design and even online marketing.
The ideal book for web design beginners with clear illustration of professionally designed web pages and fairly competent advice on how to promote a recently launched website, although some of the ideas are passé.
Robin Williams used to be one of the best-selling authors in this field. There are many other authors whose works you could use to learn the basics of web design, but William's The Non-Designer's Web Book is what we like to call a classic.
To learn what not to do with your website! Really fun to read, this book shows you how to design user-centric websites. The approach is slightly different from what you're probably used to. The book doesn't show you what to do, but what not to do. You learn good design by looking at bad design. You'll see: even big brands screwed up their sites once.
Mandatory reading at Red Dog,
Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think is more popular than Jakob Nielsen's
Designing Web Usability but it is based on the same idea: creating user-centric websites. The difference between
Don't Make Me Think and
Designing Web Usability is that
Don't Make Me Think is based on comprehensible user research and not just on theory.
Business, Advertising, Copywriting
In the first part of this excellent book,
Jeff Jarvis first explains all facets of Google's business model in detail. This sets the stage for exploring what the Google model would look like in different business sectors from education, to the airline business, to the publishing business.
Many things on the internet are FREE. If you have ever wondered how can make money anyway be offering things for FREE, then this book by
Chris Anderson (the author of "
Long Tail, The, Revised and Updated Edition: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
;) is a must read.
Guy Kawasaki's best-seller is highly recommended for startup businesses for profit or non-profit. The book received good user reviews, probably due to the fact that the writing style is plain (comprehensible) but not simplistic, funny and focused. Although the principles apply in any business, the author aims to help the small business owners who don't have endless funds and look for external financing. The advice on how to choose a brand name is particularly interesting.
A brilliant book, authored by a brilliant mind. Ogilvy has defined modern advertising and build up an empire all modern publicity companies take as a model. His principles apply successfully in online advertising too. A must read.
Seth Godin's most famous creation, a classic in its field, but somehow overrated for the modern marketing realities. The style is way too repetitive, the ideas broadly known. If you visit Mr. Godin's site and download a few of his free ebooks you'll get all you need to know about his style and his ideas. Yet the book deserves a listing, at list for its booming success in 1999.
The ultimate copywriters' book, rated superlative even by the famous Ogilvy! A must buy and a must read. The only thing missing from the book is a chapter on writing web content.
