Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity Jakob Nielsen New Riders Publishing www.useit.com/jakob/Webusability/ Search engines, directory editors, and end users prefer sites that are simple and easy to use. Though not all advice presented in this book is search engine friendly, the information will help web site owners create sites that enhance the end- user experience and increase sales conversions. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability Steve Krug New Riders Publishing www. sensible .com/ If I had to select only one book that would be required reading in a web site design class, this one would be it. Even though Don't Make Me Think is classified as a usability book, it is a must-read for all web site designers who plan on creating a user-friendly web site. It also provides usability reviews and site design problem-solving tips. Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed Jakob Nielsen and Marie Tahir New Riders Publishing www.useit.com/homepageusability Usability gurus Jakob Nielson and Marie Tahir present 113 guidelines for a user-friendly home page and analyze the home pages of popular web sites such as About.com and Microsoft. This is a great book for determining the effectiveness of your home page. The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources the Search Engines Can't See Chris Sherman and Gary Price CyberAge Books www.invisible-Web.net/ Enormous expanses of the Internet are unreachable with standard web search engines. This book provides the key to finding these hidden resources by identifying how to uncover and use invisible web resources. Mapping the invisible web, when and how to use it, assessing the validity of the information, and the future of web searching are topics covered in detail. Net Words ”Creating High-Impact Online Copy Nick Usborne McGraw-Hill www.nickusborne.com/ Nick Usborne speaks, writes , and consults on strategic copy issues for business online. For web sites, emails, and newsletters, he crafts messages that drive results. This book is a guide to creating copy that connects with customers and increases sales conversions. This is one of the best web copywriting books available. Web Redesign Workflow That Works Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler New Riders Publishing www.web-redesign.com/ Planning is one of the most cost-effective things a web site owner can do, especially when it comes to creating search engine “friendly designs. Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler provide a framework for a cohesive web workflow plan that saves web site owners time, money, and headaches . Read this book before designing your web site. |