Tom Vassos, Strategic Internet Marketing (Que, 1996, US $24.99)

As Internet Strategies Manger for IBM Canada, Vassos knows how to use the Web for business. What I like about this book is the way he blends a sensitivity to strategy, with an easy-to-understand discussion of the technological possibilities available on the Internet.

Vassos begins by describing the ethos of the Internet community, expounding his Internet Underwear Theory (e-mail is informal because people read it at home -- in their underwear) and Gift Economy Theory (the Internet penchant for free information). Next, he develops a rather sophisticated Internet Bullseye Marketing Model to enable a business to decide whether its product or service is a good fit for marketing via the Internet (well worth the price of the book!). The main structure of the volume is Vassos' "17 stages of Web site development". While a particular stage may not be applicable to every company or industry, in general, the higher the stages your company can achieve, the greater benefit it will derive.

The stages are: (1) launch--plan your strategy, (2) repository--publish your content, (3) link--connect to other Web sites, (4) cool--use advanced technologies such as Java, Shockwave, RealAudio, etc., (5) interactive--interact with other stakeholders, (6) database--integrate corporate databases, (7) advanced repository--use advanced content update strategies, (8) advanced interactive--use instant and automated interactive strategies, (9) personality--give your site character, (10) mass customization--create customized content for individual visitors, (11) outbound--reach stakeholders proactively, (12) integration--integrate with content or services from other Web sites, (13) commerce--conduct commercial transactions, (14) application--extend the reach of your corporate applications, (15) global--meet the needs of the global community, (16) strategic alliance--align with corporate partners, and (17) closed loop--monitor results and evolve your strategies. Vassos covers three or four stages per chapter.

He is careful to illustrate each point with screen shots and URLs of sites he designates "Web Diamonds," each of which is kept updated at the publisher's Web site. This is one book Web marketers will want to ask Santa for. ;-)