Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Small Websites, Big Results
A small book with a big idea - Iain Laskey investigates.
| Product | Small Websites, Big Results |
|---|---|
| Company | Paraglyph Press |
| Web | www.paraglyphpress.com |
| Price | From £20.99 |
| We like | Jargon free, different take on design |
| We don't like | |
| Rating | |
| Requirements |
Having read a great many books on how to develop highly functional, technically advanced websites, my first thought on flicking through this one was "Huh?" Small Websites, Big Results by Doug Addison goes for a back to basics approach and argues that for most businesses, a rambling behemoth of a web site isn't what is needed. Instead they should be considering something simple yet still high in quality that concentrates on providing what customers actually need as opposed to what a web designer thinks they ought to have. Doug Addison argues that too many websites have become bloated and hard to navigate and that we need a back to basics approach. Contentious stuff.
The 15 chapters cover a wide range of topics from the basic small site concept through to specifics for restaurants, trade services and others. Along the way the author takes in marketing, navigation and the sort of functionality that users will appreciate most. It's worth mentioning that small site really does mean small and in some cases, argues the author, a single page will do.
Each chapter is full of example web sites which illustrate what has been done right or wrong. Some of the screen shots are a bit small but in the main they are sufficient to get the point over in a visual way which the text then amplifies upon.
Refreshingly, Small Websites, Big Results is suitable for non-techies and doesn't contain a single line of HTML. It is purely a book on sensible design and how to approach a web site's content and layout whether it's a new one or a rewrite of an existing one.
I particularly liked the chapter on web site focus. It's all too easy to launch a web site without thinking why it's there. Is it to help the customer or you? Perhaps you might put information online that would take the pressure of your enquiries desk. It could be the site is designed to save your customer time by providing some services online thus saving them a trip to your premises.
The writing style is clear and concise, as is the layout. The author gives the impression of having a great deal of real world experience and the roster of clients his web production company has worked with is impressive.
My only real complaint was some rather dated advice on using meta-tags to help search engine ratings - almost none of them use meta tags now. I also felt some of the example sites looked a little old fashioned design wise which didn't always help the "this is how you should do it" argument. Finally, I would have liked to have seen a few case studies with before and after screen shots to show that a site can be greatly simplified without losing its impact.
These small quibbles apart, this is a good read for web designers who want a new way to look at things as well as people who want to create or improve their business's online presence.
