Growing Your Business Online: Small-Business Strategies for Working the World Wide Web [Paperback]

Phaedra Hise (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Hise, the technology editor of Inc. magazine, has written an outstanding guide for businesses wanting to use the World Wide Web. She offers case studies of small businesses already using the web to show what the web is, how to get your business on it, and what the web can do for you. After giving a brief but thorough explanation of the Internet and the World Wide Web, Hise discusses the different types of Internet providers that offer web sites for businesses. She then talks about the design of sites and the differences between designing and maintaining a site in-house or having it outsourced. She also discusses several web site models and what a business can do on the web. A business can use the web to sell products in an online store or cybermail, do promotion, maintain customer support, or network internally for employee policies and news. A wonderful appendix of sources includes Internet providers, software and hardware dealers, and publications. An extremely helpful and timely work for general readers.?Joel Jones, Kansas City P.L., Mo.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

As the World Wide Web has expanded, so has the number of books about how to do business on it. This latest guide is one of the most practical and has the benefit of being able to utilize helpful examples from the growing accumulation of success stories. Hise is a veteran business and technical writer who is now an editor for Inc. magazine, which is must reading for those who operate small businesses. She explains how to open an Internet account and shows ways to keep up with the changes that occur regularly on the Net and with the technology used to access it. Hise contrasts the option of building one's own Web site with that of outsourcing the responsibility. Using "captured screens" that vividly illustrate her points, she demonstrates techniques for publicizing sites, attracting and tracking visitors, and making sales and deals. Hise concludes with comments from nine experts who look at the future of the Internet. Included are appendixes that list software for "getting online and browsing around" and identify Internet service providers. David Rouse

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Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: Owl Books (NY); 1st edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805047387
• ISBN-13: 978-0805047387
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,155,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best book out there for small-mid cap firms, March 31, 1999

By 

Gregory McMahan (Tottori, Japan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Growing Your Business Online: Small-Business Strategies for Working the World Wide Web (Paperback)

Hise's book is probably the best text out there for those intelligent laypeople who aspire to profit and succeed on the net. The book shows you exactly how some small and mid-capitalization firms are actually putting the internet to good use. Bear in mind, however, that 'good' does not necessarily mean profitable. There is no marketing spin in this book, and everything a growing small to mid-cap business would need to know to make a successful and profitable debut on the web is presented in a clear, easy to read fashion. The book is appropriately organized into ten chapters, and includes six highly useful appendices covering extended resources (print, internet, software, and related organizations) on topics such as getting online, website maintainance and development, site promotion, site tracking and ecommerce transactions, as well as other small business resources and contact information for companies profiled in the text. This book takes you through a guided tour of the web, what it is, how it evolved, how it works, and what you can do with it (for business and pleasure). Four very useful chapters are solely devoted to getting a website up and running, and include information on choosing a good ISP, building a good site, outsourcing for talent, and various site models one can use to guide one's own web project. Three more chapters are devoted to site promotion, online transactions, and the real purpose of marketing: tracking visitors and maintaining customer loyalty. A final chapter is solely devoted to internet related prognostications from (the then) leading cyber gurus (1996), many of which have now come to pass. Those who read this book should pay very close attention to the case studies in each chapter, as a lot of good information is hidden there. One glaring minus for the book is that it has few, if any examples of retail on the web. However, in Hise's defense, you do get a lot of good, practical tips on how to do retail well on the web. Another noticeable minus is the lack of information on legal issues surrounding the web. For example, Hise does not delve into the thorny question of who owns what when you outsource web site development, nor does she get into the hairy issue of protecting yourself in cyberspace. Many companies have been made more efficient by the net, and that is a plus. However, given the sheer cost and time necessary to put up a good site, the book's real audience is the manager in the mid-cap company. Because of the costs involved in developing and maintaining a good website, this book is most appropriate for those working with the deep pockets of a small to mid-cap company. Micro-cap and home-based business owners can also pick up some very useful hints here as well, but may be limited by the relatively high cost of implementing them. Overall, I think that this is the best book out there for a simple, understandable explanation of online business. The book tells you how to use the net not only for profit but also for greater efficiency and operating productivity as well. This little book, packed with a ton of good information and first-class resources, really packs a wallop. Hise has succeeded tremendously in writing a book that any intelligent, aspiring businessperson can benefit from.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no bullshit, May 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Growing Your Business Online: Small-Business Strategies for Working the World Wide Web (Paperback)

This book writes about what companies are really doing online--what works and doesn't. It's not a bunch of hype from some consultant. The case studies are great

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read for beginner., November 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Growing Your Business Online: Small-Business Strategies for Working the World Wide Web (Paperback)

Nearly half of the book are case studies. It's not quite difficult for any non-technical reader. The first few chapter can be skipped if you are familiar with the internet and the web. What I get after reading this book? Encouraging. It tells you what to do with very few don't. Anyway, if you need techical know-how, try others. If you need some business perspective, try this.