Content Strategy for the Web [Paperback]

Kristina Halvorson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0321620062 | ISBN-13: 978-0321620064 | Edition: 1

If your website content is out of date, off-brand, and out of control, you're missing a huge opportunity to engage, convert, and retain customers online. Redesigning your home page won't help. Investing in a new content management system won't fix it, either. So, where do you start?
 
Without meaningful content, your website isn't worth much to your key audiences. But creating (and caring for) "meaningful" content is far more complicated than we're often willing to acknowledge. Content Strategy for the Web explains how to create and deliver useful, usable content for your online audiences, when and where they need it most. It also shares content best practices so you can get your next website redesign right, on time and on budget. For the first time, you'll:
 

• See content strategy (and its business value) explained in plain language

•  Find out why so many web projects implode in the content development phase ... and how to avoid the associated, unnecessary costs and delays  

• Learn how to audit and analyze your content

• Make smarter, achievable decisions about which content to create and how

• Find out how to maintain consistent, accurate, compelling content over time

• Get solid, practical advice on staffing for content-related roles and responsibilities

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Content Strategy for the Web will do for Web content what Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think did for Web usability." - Interactions Magazine

"Content Strategy for the Web is the best thing to happen to user experience design in years." --Peter Morville, co-author, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Kristina Halvorson is the founder and president of Brain Traffic, a nationally-renowned agency specializing in content strategy and writing for the web.

Widely recognized as one of the country’s leading content strategists, Kristina speaks regularly to audiences around the world about how to deliver useful, usable content online, where and when your customers need it most. She has led content projects for hundreds of websites across dozens of industries. Her presentations about web content are consistently given top ratings at conferences and by clients alike.

In 2009, Kristina curated the first Content Strategy Consortium to facilitate a national dialogue about this emerging discipline. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband and two children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (August 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321620062
• ISBN-13: 978-0321620064
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Computers & Technology > Web Development > Content Management
  • #14 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Interface Design
  • #92 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Web Design

More About the Author

Kristina Halvorson is the CEO and Founder of Brain Traffic, an internationally-renowned content strategy consultancy. She's a passionate evangelist for the practice of content strategy and is widely recognized for her groundbreaking work in defining and promoting the field.

In 2009, Kristina curated the first Content Strategy Consortium to facilitate a national dialogue about this emerging discipline. In 2010, she delivered the keynote address for the world's first Content Strategy Forum (Paris, France). She has appeared as a featured speaker at Web 2.0 Expo, An Event Apart, SXSWi, IA Summit, Future of Web Design, Voices That Matter, Online Marketing Summit, and dozens of other international venues.

Kristina is the author of Content Strategy for the Web (New Riders, August 2009). The book helps to define the discipline and business value of content strategy, offering simple steps for introducing the discipline into the web project process. It also gives practical advice on staffing and resource allocation for web editorial roles and responsibilities.

Kristina is a past president of the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA), one of the country's largest and most active IMAs. Her professional background includes marketing, sales, public relations, and playwriting. When she's not traveling the country making the case for better web content, Kristina can be found hanging out at the Brain Traffic offices in Minneapolis, or chasing after her two kids in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A solid book for content strategy NOT content creation, February 25, 2010

By 

Roland King (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Content Strategy for the Web (Paperback)

First, while it may sound obvious, let me state that this book is primarily about content strategy; it is not a user's guide to developing quality Web content. I believe a few other reviews have misrepresented this book, so please consider this before purchasing.

With that said, the book gives a very effective in-depth look at content strategy (or the lack thereof) for large corporations. However, there is quite a bit of repetition throughout the book, particularly in the beginning of each chapter. Halvorson also gives off a bit of a condescending tone in some of her writing, which can be a distraction.

The book is really aimed toward an audience that is already aware of how to develop good Web content but needs assistance building a strategic plan to implement it. By far, the best chapter is Audit (4) which goes into great detail on how to audit your site's current content.

The book is worth reading -- especially if you are in a large corporate setting -- but will not be completely useful if you are not adequately educated on how to create quality content. Before purchasing this, I recommend reading Janice (Ginny) Redish's "Letting Go of the Words."

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkably compact and effective overview, October 17, 2009

By 

James "James" (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Content Strategy for the Web (Paperback)

As a content strategist with 15 years of experience, for multinationals and smaller, national clients, I can say that every word in this compact, straightfoward guide rings true with my professional practice. Ms. Halvorson's ability to break the horribly messy world of global web content into its component parts, to present it in a concise, and yet personal and pleasant way, is nothing short of remarkable. If you are an editor, strategist, or another kind of content specialist, you can quickly gain an understanding of which processes, tools and knowledge are needed in every phase of planning, creating and governing content. If you are an executive or other person in charge of a web presence, this book will enable you to start gaining control of your content and making sure it's the best it can be. It will also give you the basis to make a case for content within your organization. Most organizations today are dominated by IT and visual design, with little or no expertise in the area of large-scale content development for interactive products like websites. I use this book to teach at the University of Rotterdam, to sharpen my own process, and to explain to clients what this business of international web content is all about. Where I go, it goes! Thanks, Ms. Halvorson!!!

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find yourself replacing "lorem ipsum" at the 11th hour. Read this!, October 29, 2009

By 

Nicole Netland (St Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Content Strategy for the Web (Paperback)

As enjoyable to read as it is valuable. Halvorson puts the spotlight on the current state of content on today's websites and it's not pretty. Thankfully, she offers a digestable process for getting back on track and changing the game - completely. Only, however, if you are brave enough to get into the content details - because that's where the battle between killer and total suckage is decided. Not on the "pedestal" of user experience design.

As a manager of an Information Architect team at a large multi-national retailer, I have already started to circulate other copies around the team. I personally appreciated the spot on description and differentiation Halvorson makes about hiring a copywriter at the last minute to take orders and replace the "lorem ipsum" on a wireframe versus engaging a content strategist and web writer who have an entirely different perspective and value to offer.