Secrets of Successful Web Sites

I have been so thrilled with this book! I have a small web design business and have several books on design and web design.THIS book is wonderful at covering the business aspect of the process and has saved us hours and shortened the learning curve of how to manage a project and how to deal with clients.Some points they bring up we had thought about but others we hadn't and this book brought them to our attention. We are using several of their ideas and plan on implementing others.I recommend this book to everyone who asks me about how to run a design business and am thrilled with the opportunity to do so here.

Project management finally has a bible to call its own! In this wonderful book, David Siegel begins the reader with tales of websites. He goes through how they were conceived, born, and how they grew up. (I love the Land Rover story) The stories are a quick read and contain many useful tips to the careful reader. Part two discusses the CLIENT-CONTRACTOR relationship. This is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of web design. Siegel demands that the customer has the right to define the goal of the project, and that it is the responsibility of the Project Manager to LISTEN! No IT deparment mumbo jumbo, no new bells and whistles. Siegel pushes for open and honest communication between the client and the contractor, and slips clever ideas into the book along the way. BTW: The chapter on PRODUCTION SITES is worth the price of the book alone. Overall, a tremendous book, if you produce websites, this is one that you simply cannot miss. Thanks for another great book David!

I bought and read this book more than a year before and I still keep it sitting next to my monitor. I refer to it always, and trust the information inside without exception. I recently purchased my own domain and obtained my first contract as a direct result of the information in this book. It seems that every word between the covers is pertinent and provides valuable advice for the new comer and experienced designer alike. Thank you Mr. Siegel for helping to launch my successful career as a web site designer.

Very direct, with many examples. Clear cut methods you can use to help create, track and manager a web project

I was first attracted to David Siegal's work via his HighFive.com web site and one of his other titles, Creating Killer Web Sites. I have always been impressed with how he designs - in a very simple, yet elegant manner. This book is written in true Siegal style - easy to read and understand. It's also a great book to read during lunch time because you can digest one or two chapters in an hour while enjoying your favorite snack! What I liked the most about the book were two things: the case studies of real life web projects and the project managment methodology. The case studies were humorous at times, spawning the "I've been there." response. But more importantly, the studies outlined what went right, what went wrong, and how these companies involved overcame the hurdles that are somewhat inevitable in this business. I was encouraged to think about the ways I have been dealing with clients and how I might better serve them in the future. Siegal's methodology about project management is clearly described, easy to follow, and has become a standard for the way I deal with clients today. I have had far fewer problems with clients and my clients truly appreciate me exerting the extra effort into the project management aspects of web development. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to succeed in web development.