Small Business Websites That Work

By Sean McManus
Published by Prentice Hall (Pearson)

About the author and publisher

At a glance:

Author biography from the book
About the publishers: Financial Times-Prentice Hall
Why did I write this book?
Some of my favourite things
Soundtrack to writing the book

Biography from the book

Sean McManus is a consultant and journalist. He studied International Business at Aston University and has been building websites and consulting small businesses on their online strategy for three years.

Among other things, his articles have explored how to make websites useable by the blind, how perfumiers hope to send smells over the internet, and how to personalise your site with a cartoon avatar. His articles have appeared in magazines including Business 2.0, Internet Works, Internet Magazine, Personal Computer World, Customer Loyalty Today and Marketing Week.

About the publishers: Financial Times-Prentice Hall

This is how the publishers introduce themselves in the book:

In an increasingly competitive world, it is quality of thinking that gives an edge - an idea that opens new doors, a technique that solves a problem, or an insight that simply helps make sense of it all.

We work with leading authors in the fields of management and finance to bring cutting-edge thinking and best learning practice to a global market.

Under a range of leading imprints, including Financial Times-Prentice Hall, we create world-class print publications and electronic products giving readers knowledge and understanding which can then be applied, whether studying or at work.

To find out more about our business and professional products, you can visit us at www.business-minds.com

For other Pearson Education publications, visit www.pearsoned-ema.com

Why did I write this book?

Through my work consulting small businesses it soon became apparent that there was a knowledge gap between those buying websites and those supplying them.

Small business managers often couldn't evaluate designs because they didn't have enough experience online and couldn't tell whether the site was a success or not because they didn't know what it was supposed to do for their business. Companies would often complain that the time wasn't right for the internet or content themselves with measly visitor levels, when it was obvious their website wasn't effective.

Website designers were conditioned to prioritise beauty over function because that's what companies were buying. The designers didn't have the business background to guide small businesses in deciding what to put on their website and how to use it to grow the company.

'Small Business Websites That Work' teaches managers in small businesses and marketing managers in larger organisations what they need to know in order to commission a website that works for their business. It also shows web designers what's important to these companies, and so bridges the knowledge gap.

I hope that this book inspires managers to think more creatively about putting their business online and enables them to be more successful on the internet. I also hope that website designers will read it and use the advice to guide all their clients to greater success.

Some of my favourite things

My current favourite fiction book is: 1984 by George Orwell
My favourite non-fiction book is: Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh
My favourite film is: Back to the Future
My favourite song is: Ethnicolor by Jean-Michel Jarre
My favourite album is: Wish you were Here by Pink Floyd
My favourite joke is: the one about the former tractor enthusiast
My favourite food is: Chinese
My favourite homepage cliche is: including a list of your favourite things

Soundtrack to writing the book

These are the albums I listened to most while writing the book. Click on the covers for more information on them or to buy them. The links open in a new window.