"An excellent book. Provides a practical and readable way through a maze of possibilities. Entrepreneurs and their advisors will find fewer better investments than this publication."

Professor David J. Brooksbank BSc (Hons) MSc PhD PGCEd FHEA,
Director of Enterprise, Cardiff School of Management, UWIC

“Nigel Packer’s book on Internet Marketing will be of enormous value to those who want to enter this vital sphere of commercial activity.”

Lord Peter Walker of Worcester MBE PC
Formerly: Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Secretary of State for Wales

"You were right...again! Once I started I just had to keep on going to the end. A good read with lots of sensible insights into the subject. Hope it sells well as it deserves to."

Allan Gray
Head of Regional Business Development,
Department of Enterprise Innovation and Networks South West Wales,
Welsh Assembly Government

Roger M Phillips
Formerly: CEO of Iveco Ford Ltd

Many small businesses follow the "build it and they will come" philosophy of website development, and then wonder why their website is costing them money instead of generating it.

Packer explains in simple terms what business owners need to do to make the internet work for them.  He takes the reader through the process of planning, commissioning, marketing and maintaining a website, while always bearing in mind who the website is for - the customers.

Eminently practical, Packer explains relevant technological terminology in simple easy-to-understand phrases, and give practical suggestions for ways in which any small business owner can implement changes.

Whether starting from scratch or updating your company's current site, you would be hard pushed to find a better or more useful guide to getting the best out of your website."

by John Ling, Speed reads, the marketer magazine, p.48 May 2009

Packer explains in simple terms what business owners need to do to make the internet work for their business. He takes the reader through the process of planning, commissioning, marketing and maintaining a website – always bearing in mind who the website is for – your customers.

Eminently practical, he explains relevant technological terms in simple, layman’s terms, and gives practical suggestions on how to implement changes. Whether starting from scratch or updating your current site, you will be hard pushed to find a better or more useful guide to getting more out of your website."

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) bookshop

Packer purposely does not overcomplicate his book as is commonly done in such business manuals.  On the contrary, he provides description of the basic marketing principles, highlighting how fundamental they still are to all businesses.  Thus, he shows the execution of these principles as being of the utmost importance to beat competition and control and extremely technical, advanced marketplace.

Packer asks the reader various questions from defining exactly what type of website a particular business needs, to challenging the reader's understanding of their customers will want and need from a website.  These all contribute to bringing about a successful site but also a better business person.

Books reporter, Start your Business magazine, p20 September 2008

"This is a readable book aimed at non-technical people wanting to get a website that works for their business. I recommend it to technical people too, because although it uses plain language, that simple makes it easier and more fun to read.

The author has been helping UK businesses fix their under-performing websites for many years, and wrote the book for managers and business owners who heard him speak at conferences, wanted more help and questions answered, but often didn't have the budget for consultancy fees.

The book explains the kind of mistakes people make when setting up a website and why they make them, and then takes the reader step by step through the process of creating a website that works. He covers all the essential elements thoroughly, and in enough detail for someone to do the whole process themselves if necessary. Or to gain enough depth of understanding to employ a designer, specify what is needed, and ensure that the result is up to scratch."

Mark Hughes
Best Web Marketing Books reviewed at:
http://www.thewebalyst.com/best-web-marketing-book-reviews.htm

"Nigel Packer jumps right in and begins with a solid background for newcomers. He gives an overview of the ‘digital world’ and outlines some of the questions you should be asking about your website (e.g. ‘what does my site do for my business?’, ‘can it be found by existing or potential customers?’ etc). He goes on to provide explanations - from HTML to blogs and wikis. Those with knowledge of the net might think this is a little exhaustive; however, I found it helpful to review my knowledge base.

Having laid the foundations, Packer covers how to conduct background research. Experienced marketers might find this a little self-explanatory – after all, shouldn’t you already know how to conduct basic market research or identify your target audience? Still, those new to marketing will find the details quite helpful. Nigel covers everything from identifying your customers and competitors to outlining research methodology – even providing a step-by-step list of dos and don’ts.

However, it’s not until halfway through the book that Nigel starts to tackle selecting keywords, optimising your site for search, site design etc. He continues to provide instructions and the chapters on keyword selection and customer targeting are granular, explaining how search engines work and prioritise search terms. This part is quite technical and I found myself a little lost when reading about ‘meta tags’ and ‘head codes’.

The book ends on a less technical note, giving practical advice around finding the right designers/developers, potential costs, and what to do once your site is up and running. Overall, I found the book helpful, giving practical tips and guidance on how businesses can get the most of their websites. For the most part, Nigel assumes little knowledge of online/digital and avoids jargon/tech-speak. A read if you’re new to building sites – and an extremely helpful refresher if not."

Simply the best book on creating your own business website, 17 Nov 2008

By Justin Lusty "Justin Startup author Lusty" (London) –

I don't give good reviews lightly but I'm going to have to make an exception in this case.

At last a guide to creating a website for small businesses that is practical, jargon free and bursting at the seams with great tips. Why it has taken so long for someone to write such a practical guide, who knows?
I have read over 50 books on the subject and always found them jargon laden and quite irrelevant to a first time business-person trying to create their own site. This book is different.

What is more, having interviewed over 250 women entrepreneurs, for our new book on starting a business ,it is clear how important understanding how to develop a good website is for the success of a new venture. In fact it is essential. This will be the book we recommend to all our clients and it may be the best few pounds you ever spend. A bargain.

My only complaint is the graphic design of the book, which disguises the great content. In fact many of the books in this "Right way" range are quite weak, out of date or poorly laid out: however, this book must now be the flagship in the range and deserves a place at the top of web design titles.

Buy with confidence - it's good, easy to understand and up to date.

Justin Lusty

By A reader

If you're looking for a good, thick, very readable book on website redevelopment - not just web design, but specifically getting a new website that works as part of an effective, cohesive Internet marketing strategy - then this is the best general-purpose "primer" book on the subject I've ever read.

Backing up his points with evidence, and using real and hypothetical examples of what works and what doesn't, the author goes through a number of chapters answering questions that serious business people will invariably ask - "what's wrong with the current website?", "who is the website for anyway?", "what are our competitors doing?" - in a clear, concise but non-patronising way, all aimed at getting business leaders to recognise their website might need work (even if it's not immediately obvious) to improve its effectiveness and provide ROI. The last third of the book - perhaps the most interesting bit - assumes you've taken that step, and is taken up with very practical advice on choosing and instructing a web designer that meets your needs, copywriting and promotion.

If you do business on the Internet in any way, you owe it to yourself to read this book!

Bang on the money..., 14 May 2010

By C. Silverstone "Goonet UK" (Bolton England)

This book is superb for anybody who is interested about getting the most from your website. Nigel has done all the hard research so you don't have too.

This book has really helped my business. It's about understanding your customer's needs for a website rather than your own.

It uses a simple formula that is a website should provide a return much greater than the investment.

I particularly like the terminology that is broken down so that anybody can understand websites and internet marketing.

It outline how to produce aims and objectives for your website and how to do a great brief so your designers can get you a website that's exactly what you and your customers want.

This book is a must read for anybody serious about business!

If you want the upper hand on your competitors in this tuff economical downturn then I'd advise to read it.

It's helped my business Goo-Net UK

Thank You

Excellent book., 20 Dec 2009

By Ms R Cook

This is a really great book, I read it in a couple of evenings.
Gives a great overview for any business owner and helps put the complicated world of internet marketing into perspective.
Highly recommended.

A real eye opener, 26 Aug 2010

By Guy "guf3" (Derbyshire) -

If like me you run your own business but you spend much of your time working alone & you can't always afford to pay for " expert" advice & you have to do things for yourself , well this is the book for you.
I found it a real eye opener ; simple straight forwardly written with plenty of do's & dont's.
You won't be disappointed with the info contained in this book & one simple tweak to your web site would easily pay for this.

Excellent!, 27 Oct 2009

By Ms. J. A. Trevithick (UK)

I have had this book for a few months now and it is never far away from my desk at work.

My job involves keeping track of our 2 websites and I am always looking up different sections in the book to give me tips and ideas on how to optimise the webistes.

I would definately not be without it now!

Most highly recommended, 22 Oct 2009

By K Lawrence (UK)

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has a website they want to maximise their marketing opportunities from. Alternatively it is also an excellent read for who those involved in business support in some capacity or those studying and researching the subject. My reason for purchase was in order increase my understanding of the topic when providing business mentoring for clients with their own websites.

It is an extremely well written book, which is both easy to read and compelling due to the obvious expertise Mr Packer has in his subject matter and the fluid style of his writing. The content is relevant and compelling, especially in todays competitive market where true understanding of customers is vital for all businesses. Good use of anecdotes support the pertinent steps required in transforming websites to achieve their full potential and also help prevent the common pit-falls.

The author has found the perfect balance between providing sufficient information and detail throughout and yet refraining from the use of excessive technical jargon.

All in all 10/10 - a `must read' and definitely `the book' to purchase if you only intend to read one book on the subject. It does all it claims on the cover, will arm you with all the information you need to initiate incredible improvement and leave you eager to commence the transformation.

Before you get a website / redesign a website - read this book!, 30 Sep 2009

By Mrs. Carol V. Mann "no1mum" (London, UK) )   

Everything you need to know about planning a website but were afraid to ask! It's a minefield out there... this book is gold-plated armour for you if you need a website. If your website doesn't work it's because you didn't read this book or engage Nigel T Packer's services and plan your website properly before you started.

A lot of advice in a user friendly format, 26 Sep 2009

By Sandy

Read this book after seeing a presentation delivered by the author to a group of small business owners. His enthusiasm for the subject was apparent on that evening and is replicated in the way this book is written. He clearly encourages businesses to succeed through internet marketing. I certainly learned a few lessons, some on the night and a lot more through reading this book. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Nigel.

An excellent resource for anyone that owns or is developing a website, 28 Nov 2008

By Mark Ronconi

As a web designer and online marketer of several years, experience has shown me that very few clients fully understand their role in the development and maintenance of their website.

This book spells out what every business website owner should know. It takes you right through the process of planning, commissioning, marketing and maintenance, in a way that is easy to follow and jargon free.

Whatever your budget, if you are planning to create a website for your business, read this book first. It will save you (and your designer) time, money and stress ... and, most importantly, you'll end up with a website that delivers a return on your investment.

Anyone thinking of creating, or improving their Commercial Web Site should read this book, 26 Nov 2008

By MR GARRY R HARTLEY (High Wycombe, UK) - Easy to read - this book has helped me to understand how Internet Marketing works and has given me the tools to effectively brief my Web Site designer. This will save me £ in unnecessary work or misunderstandings. I highly recommend this book.

Crystal motivation!, 24 Nov 2008

By Stewart "Drascombe Boats" Brown (Hampshire, UK) -

This book motivated me to rebuild our ancient website; a job that I would otherwise have shied away from, & gave me the confidence to tackle the technicalities that I would not otherwise have understood.

In this world, there are two types of people:

• Those that make easy things difficult. Avoid them.

• Those that make difficult things easy. Embrace them.

Embrace Nigel T Packer & buy the book. It is excellent.

Easy for all to understand....., 12 Nov 2008

By Julie Willliamson (U.K.) –

Not being technically proficient I was impressed with how easy this book is to read and understand. It gets the points over without being technical - I can leave that to the web developer! I was able to produce a website design brief that the web developer was very happy with - he said that it was the first one he had been given and it has made his job a lot easier. Reading the book has given me much more confidence in understanding and dealing with the issues of developing a website. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a website that needs attention or those who have not got one yet. Read this book before speaking to your web developer.

A good basic guide for business, 12 Jan 2009

By C. P. Jones "syncretist" -

Nigel T Packer has written an excellent basic guide for business owners who want to improve their online presence. As a web developer, it makes my life much much easier if clients (both big and small) read this book first so that I don't have to explain the rationale behind all the things that I am proposing to do to make their website effective. This improves the relationship - clients now understand what they are paying for. My time and expertise.

The Internet is all about 'marketing' not computers and technology or software - this common misconception is dealt with well by Mr.Packer as is the idea that just getting a fancy website built is 'job done'. It isn't. It is just the start.

A timely godsend for anyone who is looking to make sure they have a website that works!, 26 Nov 2008

By Mr. Michael Reed (Linerick, Ireland)

I thought the book was well structured, struck a good balance to keep it understandable for people who want to know - at a high level - what are the key things that need to be planned, decided, and delivered by the website, but don't have either the knowledge, ability or inclination to deal with the "techie" side of this. It communicated well what is obviously years of experience at developing websites that do actually work and deliver results. The book will be a godsend to anyone who wants to make sure their website works for them - 24/7. It will keep you focused on the areas that you need to understand and deliver, (e.g. who is it for? what are the objectives?, etc.); help ensure you select a competent developer and have enough knowledge to communicate, document and agree up front what you need them to delver (and don't mess with areas where you have no expertise or competence!); and show you ways that you can test, benchmark and tweak the performance of your site to deliver continuing performance improvement. An absolute bargain at the price!

A great book for my clients to understand!!, 15 Nov 2008

By C. George "M. George" (Wales, GB) –

As a web designer, I have found this book to be an excellent read, easy to understand and full of very useful information for myself regarding the optimisation process. I will be recommending this book to all my clients in the future as I feel it will make my job a lot easier!!

Easy to read, jargon free introduction to Internet marketing , 13 Nov 2008

By Steven J. Lewis "Justin Lewis" (UK)

This book is a solid introduction to web site marketing. Written in plain English the book takes a no-nonsense approach to the subject of establishing a web site and to the crucial task of marketing the site.

Jargon free from start to finish, the subject matter is written from a (small) business, rather than a technical perspective, which makes for easy reading throughout. The author communicates his expertise in the subject in a straightforward manner and uses real life experiences to get key points across.

The book is excellent value and I look forward to further books by this author.

Finally a book that does exactly what it says on the cover!, 11 Nov 2008

By Roy Allkin "Wolfestone"

This is an excellent and instructive book that clearly and simply outlines the steps you need to take to really get your website working for your business. With it's jargon friendly approach, not only is the book easy for a novice to understand and make real use of but it is also an excellent and informative read for the advanced internet savvy business owner. One of those rare books that combines engaging the reader with it's fluid style whilst also delivering useful and practical advice and information.

a good one, 17 Sep 2010

By RF Recommended. I occasionally do webdesign for family and friends and some tips in the book are interesting.

Existing site or new?, 28 Aug 2008

By Matthew Norman "creativeincolour.com" 

As a company, I already have a website, having paid a web design company to do the work for me a year or so ago, I assumed that would be enough. Having read this book, I have found many ways to improve my website and generate more trade. Having always passed the website side of things over to another party, I am not savvy in the jargon of such things, however found this book easy to read and informative. I have used this book to assist me in adjusting my existing site to gain more traffic and be more user friendly, as well as worked through each chapter with my web designer while creating a new site.
I would recommend this book to any business who has a website ( if you have paid hundreds of pounds for a website, then £7.99 to make it work efficiently is a small price to pay.)

This is an essential book, you have to read it - i love it !, 10 Nov 2008

By Catherine Pottinger

This book is such an easy read a total novice to the internet could pick this book up and understand every point that the author is making. Its not full of jargon and anything that you imagine to be complicated is explained so simply. I love it, I advise all of my clients to read it. I cant believe it is only £7.99 what a bargain ! This book could really turn around all of their websites, using marketing techniques to increase their online sales.
I am looking forward to future books by this great author.

Invaluable collection of techniques how to optimise a website, 11 Sep 2008

By Felix Nolte

This book helped me like no other to expand my business via the internet! Nigel T. Packer takes the reader on an invaluable step-by-step tour regarding how to optimise a commercial website. I guess, executives of small and medium enterprises can have an enormous benefit on this book, without having to be familiar with the technical side of the internet. The book is written in an easy understandable way having no exaggerated technical jargon. Such a useful collection concerning website optimisation for small and medium enterprises is unique on the market. Every single chapter is worth reading it!

Web sites - the dark art revealed, 26 Nov 2008

By ANDREW EVANS ARTIST (WALES UK) - See all my reviews

What a gem this book is easy to read and blows apart the gobledegook that has surrounded web design and web sites for years,from reading this book I found a far greater understanding of the principles involved in promoting a web site,I recently had Nigel do an appriasel of my web site and with some simple easy to do changes my hit count climbed by 20,000,
I strongly recommend this book to any person with a web site.

Excellent step-by-step guide to getting the most out of your website (and web designer), 13 Aug 2009

By Miss B2B "Miss B2B" (Birmingham, UK) - See all my reviews

Bias note: My company is working with Nigel at the moment and we are using this book in conjunction with his advice.

This book will not give you the technical know-how to build a website: e.g. "HTML here, metatags there, this is your first page rating on Google!"

What it does do is to clear your thinking on the type of site you need: what you want the site to do for your company, what research you need (and where to look for it) and what your customers are looking for. Once you have that, you have a design brief and most of the site's content will write itself.

You can then go on to create the site yourself, or you can pay someone to do it. With a clear brief, it is a lot quicker to do the first and a lot cheaper if you decide upon the second.

Possibly the most useful chapter of the book is chapter 13 on testing: this is often overlooked by other "how to" books and often skipped by businesses in the rush to get published. This chapter is worth the price of the book alone (even if you skip everything else) and worth using as a preliminary checklist on your own site if you have already published.

Thanks Nigel from Bransby IT, 20 Jul 2009

By Mr. M. J. Jones -

I have read countless books on the subject of the Internet and marketing, each one filled with technical jargon and methodologies that would require contracting a consultant to decode and explain. Nigel T Packer's book is the first one that gets to grip with the process of getting a website but without all the techno speak that you find in the vast majority of the others. The whole process has helped me to understand the importance of marketing and how I approach the customers both online and offline. No matter how small your company is or how large, the contents of this book should be read by anyone who is planning on starting a business or has been running a business for many years. I am so glad that I found it. Well done Nigel T Packer for writing such a gem.

A must for anyone trying to market their website, 17 Jun 2009

By Mr. P. J. Welbourn (Selby, UK) -

This book is a must have for anyone trying to market their website. Nigel Packer's informal style of writing helps to gently ease the newcomer into website marketing without ever being patronising. The book is also good for those with technical knowledge as it touches on some technical issues. It is not simply about how to get to the top of the search engines, but about reviewing your site to rework various sections to help it maintain good search engine positions and become more user-friendly, the book reiterates idea that your website should be primarily for your customer.

Because of its style of writing, this book is easy to become engrossed in, it mentions many pieces of information that should be included in a website or should be implemented, and also features thing that your site should avoid if you want to make it a success. Throughout reading the book, I found myself continuously underlining ideas that I needed to try when I got back to my computer.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to promote a new site or renovate an older site.

Paul

Excellent read, 29 May 2009

By Jason Gill (Cardiff) –

I found the book very useful. It was full of interesting facts of the do's and dont's of web design. Some of the points raised could sound obvious at first glance but these can easily be overlooked when designing a site. The author thinks like a punter rather than a designer/programmer who, if not competent at their job, could look at things in a purely stylistic way which doesn't deliver sales. Unlike a lot of books I've read in this sector it's also easy to understand and does not try to overcomplicate the message. Well worth a read.

Internet Marketing: How to Get a Website That Works for Your Business by Nigel T. Packer , 6 April 2009

By Richard Bull "iRis Graphic Design Ltd."(Isle of Wight, Hampshire) -

This book is excellent, I am a designer who believed (like most designers I have met), he knew everything about marketing! It is written in a way that makes me realise how little I know and how much I want to know more. I am in the process of re-launching (and more importantly, marketing) my part time graphics business as a full time concern and needed to know more about internet marketing - this book has really helped. Please pass on my sincere thanks to the author Mr Packer. Kind regards Richard Bull, iRis Graphic Design Ltd.

Very very good, 11 Jan 2009

By Claire France (Scotland, UK) –

This engaging book talks to business owners in non techy language about all the things that need to be considered in designing or redesigning a website.

The book is simply very useful at any stage of the process, but to get the maximum out of it, read it before you start work on your site, and before you appoint a web designer. This will put you in an excellent position to guide your business toward a truly superb website.

I attended a course run by Nigel, which is something else that I would strongly recommend (If I'm allowed to say that here, apologies if not!) Nigel is one of those rare people in the web marketing world who really knows how to communicate to technical and non technical people alike AND, equally importantly, really knows what he's talking about. I spent years trying to find a web marketeer I could really trust - Nigel is it. Buy the book!

A very helpful guide, 31 Mar 2010

By Andy Green "Andy Green creativity maven"

Most people are overwhelmned when facing the need to manage their website presence.

Through practical advice, lots of personal experiences, the author provides an intelligent yet easy-to-understand roadmap for anyone managing a web site for their business.

Lots of 'why-aren't-I-doing-this' moments.

A really good read

Get ahead of your competitors, 22 Oct 2009

By Lee Woodford "Marketing Consultant"

Anyone who gets this book and applies what they read will be way ahead of their competitors. That is the key though... making sure you do what it says. If you have total control over your business website then this is a must read. All jargon is explained (including your meta descriptions and keywords etc) so you don't have to be an expert to understand this book. Saying that though I consider myself website/internet savvy (I have to be as a Marketing Consultant) and I found the book really useful finding out things I didn't know and reminding me of things I might of known some time ago and that have been lost in the time of beer.

It might not be the most up to date book but many of the principles apply and for the money well worth it. With it's help and a bit of common sense and a bit of trial and error I am number 1 organic listing for a number of my keywords which means I haven't had to pay a penny to Google Adwords to be there and won't be displaced by someone who wants to pay more to get there.

In summary if you can make changes to your website easily and quickly (without having to pay a web designer) then this is a must read and will make sure you appear above your competition without costing you a penny apart from your time.

Lee

"Nigel is an engaging speaker and a knowledgeable expert in his field. I attended his recent seminar on business websites, which was very interesting and provided lots of food for thought.

Also got a copy of Nigel's book "Internet Marketing: How to Get a Website that Works for Your Business" which is a very readable overview of the subject and an excellent primer for anyone looking to redevelop their business site."

Steve Devereux, 04/01/2011

Business for Business Internet Marketing..

adeletatters- 15 Jan 2009

 ...having tried for endless hours to find useful strategies for search engine optimisation and internet marketing I finally found Nigel's book "Internet Marketing" - fantastic - well written and easy to follow - has allowed me to get our company website one search term first page listing at the first attempt - well done Business for Business - you clearly know exactly what your doing and can do the "Business" for any business!!!

from Google maps reviews

Metal Music Videos August 16th, 2009 
5.0 out of 5 stars

A must for anyone trying to market their website
This book is a must have for anyone trying to market their website. Nigel Packer’s informal style of writing helps to gently ease the newcomer into website marketing without ever…

Adrianne August 16th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars

Excellent read
I found the book very useful. It was full of interesting facts of the do’s and dont’s of web design.

Anonymous August 16th, 2009 
5.0 out of 5 stars

This book is excellent, I am a designer who believed (like most designers I have met), he knew everything about marketing!

Adrianne August 17th, 2009 
5.0 out of 5 stars

A good basic guide for business
Nigel T Packer has written an excellent basic guide for business owners who want to improve their online presence.

Batson August 17th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars

Very very good
This engaging book talks to business owners in non techy language about all the things that need to be considered in designing or redesigning a website.

Anonymous  August 17th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars

An excellent resource for anyone that owns or is developing a website
As a web designer and online marketer of several years, experience has shown me that very few clients fully understand their role in the development and maintenance of their…

Fallon August 17th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars

Web sites - the dark art revealed
What a gem this book is,easy to read and blows apart the gobledegook that has surrounded web design and web sites for years,from reading this book I found a far greater…

Biton August 17th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars

A timely godsend for anyone who is looking to make sure they have a website that works!
I thought the book was well structured, struck a good balance to keep it understandable for people who want to know - at a high level - what are the key things that need to be…

I have just finished your book and really appreciated the practical knowledge and wisdom it offers. I will be making changes in line with my very limited budget. Thank you once again for the book and will certainly recommend it to others before they set up their new site. Have an outstanding day.

03/08/2011

John Langford via LinkedIn

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