Review: Net Results: Web Marketing That Works

I was prepared not to like this book. After all, any book is suspect that lists an Internet services company rather than a person as the first author. Perhaps the purpose of the book is to hype US Web, I think. It probably is, for that matter, since many of the examples illustrate how US Web helped its clients solve site design and marketing problems. But the book is much more than self-promotion; it is sound, clearly articulated Web marketing information and strategy.

The authors begin by describing the six primary Return On Investment website models and how they work: brand-building, direct marketing, online sales, customer support, market research, and content publishing/services. Next, they discuss the impact of eight Web value propositions: interactive, personal, infocentric, instantaneous, measurable, flexible, interlinked, and economical. "A strong site," they suggest, "is likely to exploit many, if not all, of these features." Along the way they impart tips for using -- and not using -- each of these elements. A third chapter cautions companies to design for the lowest common denominator in one's audience.

They devote a full chapter to selecting a domain name for a company: "Domain Brand," they call it. In addition to common advice, they suggest registering every domain that a surfer might enter to find your company, as well as each of the company's product names. These foundational chapters introduce the basic concepts without turning into a newbie introduction to the Internet. Each chapter includes annotated references to Web resources containing further information, with a comprehensive appendix listing hundreds of helpful sites.

Part II is devoted to what US Web calls "audience development." "Our paradigm of Audience Development," they say, "holds that the Internet is a constellation of micro communities. We find audiences who are interested in the value proposition, and then evangelize and recruit." They include chapters on search engines, online communities, contests, sweepstakes, and other special promotions, public relations, and paid Web advertising. I found the section on "Public Relations for a Digital Age" especially well-done. Basic but not patronizing, the chapter provides clear strategy steps and useful suggestions.

I found Net Results: Web Marketing That Works to be a very useful resource for online marketers.

Read more articles from Web Marketing Today, Issue 44, May 1, 1998