This is a must-have book for anyone associated with preparing web copy. Being a good writer does not necessarily translate into preparing effective web content. Consequently, even an English major will find many useful ideas concerning the unique world of the web. With plenty of color, excitement, and examples, this is a friendly reference book to place next to your keyboard. It is not a web developer’s technical manual, but rather assists users in preparing an effective message for website visitors.

The logic of the presentation moves from planning to organizing, and then to final content, but the reader is able to jump about as desired. With over 300 pages, there is plenty of information to digest.

The chapters are interspersed with “interludes” with more specific tips. A list of chapter titles is a quick way to provide an overview the content: “Content! Content! Content!”; “Planning: Purposes, Personas, Conversations”; “Interlude 1: Content Strategy”; “Designing for Easy Use”; “Starting Well: Home Pages”; “Getting There: Pathway Pages”; “Breaking Up and Organizing Content”; “Focusing on Conversations and Key Messages”; “Interlude 2: Finding Marketing Moments”; “Announcing Your Topic with a Clear Headline”; “Including Useful Headings”; “Interlude 3: The New Life of Press Releases”; “Tuning Up Your Sentences”; “Using Lists and Tables”; “Interlude 4: Legal Information Can Be Clear”; “Writing Meaningful Links”; “Using Illustrations Effectively”; “Getting from Draft to Final”; “Interlude 5: Creating an Organic Style Guide”; and “Test! Test! Test!” Many chapters have case studies of actual web content and chapter summaries. Overall, there is a helpful bibliography, a subject matter index, and an index of website examples. There are more than 100 public and private websites referenced throughout the text.

The author’s messages are concise and focused: Know your visitors. Prepare informational content that is readily skimmed and easily accessible by all. Be findable via search engines. Use an inverted pyramid with the key message first. Have a clear headline. Utilize short conversational sentences. Create meaningful links. Illustrations should be part of the message. Be factually accurate. Use reviews to improve. Usability testing is vital. These are some of the many useful ideas that readers will truly understand and be able to put into practice after using this book.

The author is accessible and invites contact. I recommend this truly complete and informative book.

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