Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a web designer who has done work for Fortune 1000, non-profs, and govt, but I have little experience with small e-commerce sites, so I thought this book might be helpful.

This book is written at a *very* basic level, a small step up from explaining what a website or search engine is. Much of it is common sense, but there are some pretty good points that not everyone will know. So on that level, I think its good for beginners who have no experience with web development or even how to run a business.

What concerned me was that because the author is not actually in the field of web development, he seems to just "improvise" some info. This book contains some incorrect information and there are some issues with the author's own websites.

-The author's websites should be models of well designed e-commerce sites. They are "fine" and functional, but there are some design and usability issues. forcopywritersonly.com does not look professionally designed, has some basic usability issues such as lack of breadcrumbs, nav states not staying on at the tertiary level, an inconsistent use of text links and button links, blog missing most common blog functionality, use of the word "click here" which is seen as a big faux pas in the industry, etc. I just showed my girlfriend forgraphicdesignersonly.com (his second site), and told her the guy on the homepage says he is a graphic designer. Her response was, "Are you f-ing kidding me?" It doesnt look professional at all despite the author saying he is a "Registered Graphic Designer" (NEVER heard of such a thing).

-He defines terms he says are common in the industry that just arent. "Beta site" is a not a demo site used by designers, it is a site used for web applications before they are done. I have never heard a designer use that term. We might call them staging sites or testing sites. We don't use the term "masthead". The author must be thinking of magazines. We call them headers or banners. On page 105, he says, "This is tricky because most internet web browsers, like Foxfire.." The author must be thinking of Firefox. Typo perhaps, but at the level this book is written, one assumes the readers havent heard of these different web browsers.

-He mentions applications or services that are not common or forgets some common ones. For example, he says Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression are "used by most professional designers". Dreamweaver, yes. The second I have never seen used ever (and I have worked lots of places). When he mentions email marketing software, he forgets the number one most popular, MagnetMail (and yes, it was big at time of publication too).

-When talking about web development, he only talks about web design, the word information architecture never appears and that is a big part of it too.

-His lists of websites to consult or applications to use that exist throughout the book are deceptively long. Usually the first couple are commonly used and the next 12 or seem to be just the result of the author doing a web search and entering the results into his book w/o actually knowing anything about them.

Anyway, again, I wouldnt completely discount this book because it has some pointers on promoting your business and such, but there have to be other books out there written by professionals in the industry (people who work at reputable web development or PR firms) who really know what they are talking about.

I just finished reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business," and I only wish this book would have been around when I was launching my two online businesses! It could have easily cut my learning curve in half while saving me countless headaches and thousands of dollars on foolish ideas and unproven strategies. In this fabulous book, Steve provides an easy-to-understand yet comprehensive approach to planning, launching and growing a Web-based business -- whether you want to sell products, services, memberships or even profit from affiliate commissions or online advertising revenue. It's an approach anyone can follow to get great results faster and avoid costly pitfalls. Just one warning: The book is oozing with practical ideas and step-by-step guidance, so grab a cup of coffee, a comfortable chair, a good pen, and get ready to take notes.

This is a practical and informative introduction to the world of web-based business. The few other books I have read on the subject were filled with a pie-in-the-sky-get-rich-quick orientation and this has none of that. Just a realistic examination of the subjects that you need to address to get a web-based business off the ground.

If you're going to begin a new venture, you want to follow detailed advice from someone who has successfully started an online venture. Steve Slaunwhite is that person. As he writes inside the cover, "I built that website (his first website) into a six-figure money maker for me, and helped dozens of other entrepreneurs do the same."

Whether you have never launched a website or already have a foot in the web-based world, you need this book. It contains hundreds of time-tested tips and insight which will save you hours of experimentation (read wasted time) and put your business on the right course for success. As Slaunwhite writes in the introduction, "I've also included hundreds of recommended websites, online tools, products, services, and other resources."

I read this book cover to cover and plan to read it a second time (yes, it's that worthwhile). "The information is all hear. The next move is yours."

Get this book, read it carefully (and repeatedly), take action on the advice and wear out the pages. You will be glad you did.

This book offers real, practical advice for those trying to start up an Internet based business, unlike so many other "resources" that are just a way to sell you on some product or another.The advice makes sense and can actually be implemented in the real world and the language is not too technical for the beginner. A greta buy for anyone interested in starting a business online

Very informative book. I got this book because I was starting an ecommerce website and wanted an overview of the process. The book was well-written and informative. It does not contain everything you will need to know about starting your own web-based business, but does a good job of going over most of the steps. I would recommend this book to someone who is starting their own web-based business.

It's nice to read a book that delivers the contents of what it boasts about on the back cover. This book was very complete. The most beneficial part I got out of it were the tons of online resources to go to for assistance on the various subjects. There are many short and sweet chapters for easy reading. It will be a good reference tool down the road. It was very well written and organized.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business book is such an informative and useful book the only thing that seems to be missing are all the get rich quick gimmicks that fill so many business books. While the author, Steve Slaunwhite, does give examples of successful internet based businesses, he doesn't make any outrageous claims about getting rich overnight.

What he does do is give the reader a basic understanding of the different types of Web-Based businesses and how to increase your chances of success by using more effective strategies. The author discusses everything from selling a physical product online (even offering a list of wholesalers) to affiliate programs to the more technical aspects such as picking an appropriate domain name and building and managing the web site.

Once the fundamentals are covered, Slaunwhite offers guidance on important issues such as increasing traffic and converting visitors to the web site into customers. What like about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business is that it provides a solid foundation of basic knowledge. It stays focused on the most useful information and doesn't get bogged down in the kind of tedious irrelevant details that makes me feel like I am slipping into a coma halfway through the first chapter. The book also offers guidance on how to avoid potentially costly mistakes, so even if you don't become and internet millionaire, at least you can maximize the profits you do make.

Stephanie Ann, Author

THE CHEAP DIVA'S GUIDE TO FRUGAL AND FABULOUS LIVING: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style, and Have Fun for Less Money!

Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business joins others in the excellent 'Complete Idiot' series (which is not really 'for idiots', but rather a user-friendly series for anyone and everyone!) and offers an easy survey of the basics of how to create and operate a successful cyberspace venture. From how various online businesses conduct their business to selecting among best web hosting options and creating user-friendly sites that attract surfing clients, this is a pick any general library will find popular.

This book offers the most comprehensive, accurate, and realistic coverage on the topic I've seen in any one book. What sets it apart is it gives new and aspiring entrepreneurs what they're starving for: detailed, step-by-step advice on how to turn an idea into an online business - with NO hype or empty 'get rich quick' promises. Encouraging, informative and filled with helpful examples, this is the book that will finally guide small business owners past the roadblocks that stop most people from successfully selling products, services, and information on the web.