Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand [Paperback]

Gerry McGovern (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Content - not fancy graphics - sells your product on your website. Read this book and apply it. We did". Maurice Coleman, Head of Commercial Strategy, Aer Lingus "Gerry McGovern's "Killer Web Content" is a must read for marketing and communications professionals who crave the ultimate results for their online presence. Not only is "Killer Web Content" educational and informational, it's an entertaining and useful collection of tips and techniques where you'll find both insight and inspiration to create web sites that talk to your audience in a language they want to hear." Karen O'Brien, Siemens Corporation. Manager, Web Content "An easy read and I would recommend it as a helpful guide for anyone who wishes to conduct a critical audit of their internet presence... A sleeves-rolled-up, helpful book that tells you that a website is a specialised publication that requires just as much editorial care as a newspaper or magazine. Financial World (December 2006) 'This short, sparky primer uncovers value in a neglected business asset.' Director (January 2007)

Product Description

Written by a corporate specialist in web development who has advised Microsoft and HP, Killer Web Content provides the strategies and practical techniques to make sure your web content matches your customers' needs. Accessible, concise and practical, this guide distills the information and insight major companies pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for and shows any website owner how to present your material in a compelling way which follows the accepted rules of layout and navigation that will keep site visitors on your site longer. The book also covers the complicated world of optimizing search results and explains how to integrate blogs, RSS feeds and email newsletters into your total web presence.

 

 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: A&C Black; 1 edition (November 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071367704X
• ISBN-13: 978-0713677041
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #212,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very basic overview of web usability in general; few specifics on writing, October 31, 2007

By	E. M. Fitterer (Vashon, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand (Paperback)

I'm a usability researcher who's looking to get some concrete suggestions about how to write better for the web. That's what I was hoping to find in this book--a guide with detailed suggestions for how to do this type of technical writing. Instead, there are very few concrete suggestions in this book about how to write well, other than vague platitudes about keeping phrases short, and providing users with the content they'd like to see. Duh.

I read this thing cover to cover in about an hour. Mostly I learned that "killer" rhymes with "filler." A lot. If it has not yet occurred to you that you might want to talk to your customers about what they're looking for on your webpage, then I guess this book would be for you and would provide you with that revolutionary insight. That's all the advice there is in this book--talk to your customers to find out the content they're looking for on your webpage, and then deliver that content to them in small, easily digestible phrases. Again, duh.

For people who are just starting out on this type of research, there's really no detailed advice on how to conduct this "talking to your users to find out what they want" research though (other than some more platitudes like "be a good listener."). If you want more detailed advice on how to do research like this, I'd say search the web for "wants and needs analysis" because that's basically what this guy is recommending. If you can't find enough things for free on the web about that, there is a good chapter in the book "Understanding your users" by Catherine Courage on this technique. That book is also great for giving you a wide toolset of techniques for usability.

He also gets a little bit into persona creation, which is basically a fancy way of saying it helps to imagine who your customers are and have a picture of them in your mind as you design your user experience. Again, you can find free stuff on the web about this or check out Tamara Adlin and John Pruitt's book "The Persona Lifestyle" to get lots of great information about this technique.

If you're truly just starting out trying to figure out how to make your website better and you don't know where to begin, I think a way better guide is Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think." That book provides a great overall context for providing great user experiences in general.

I am looking forward to reading the new Ginny Redish book on this subject! Her stuff has been high quality in the past and so I expect she will have a bunch of actual information on how to write for the web as opposed to the filler in this book. It's pretty ironic that a book all about providing great content without a bunch of filler is...a bunch of filler. It was a killer for me but not in the way it intended to be.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Web content finally matures, July 8, 2007

By	mb99 "mb99" (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand (Paperback)

I've read a few books about web content and website management over the years, including some of Gerry McGovern's previous works. Some are good, some ok, many terrible. This is the first book where I feel a real maturity has been reached. Gerry totally gets it. He focuses on the real issues impacting sites with pin point accuracy, and offers real, tested solutions to fix them. If you follow the suggestions in this book your site *will* improve, and by improve, I don't mean something fuzzy, but I mean help you achieve real, measurable business goals. I learnt a lot from this book and will no doubt continue to.

The back cover of the book says if you only buy one book, make it this one. I couldn't agree more.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Web content management made simple, July 15, 2007

By	Janet Musick "freelance editor" (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand (Paperback)

I've been a Gerry McGovern follower for several years, and his work is always right on target. Killer Web Content, while amazingly simple in concept, is focused and effective. It breaks down the art of content management into bite-sized pieces that anyone can use to improve a website's ability to deliver exceptional value to customers, which should be the goal. Forget flashy, splashy, self-serving websites; create one that brings customers back over and over because you've got something to offer. McGovern's work provides guidance in a real world way.