The message that David Scott emphasizes to both Web designers and marketers is “content drives action.” The maturing Web requires that useful sites have more than sizzle to attract and retain customers. If users can’t find the information that they require on your Web site, a competitor is only a few clicks away. Scott has written a practical, must-read book for anyone involved in Web marketing.

Recognize that the Web is not television, and attention-grabbing design is ineffective for retaining a user seeking content. Once a user is logged in to your site, you already have his or her attention. Scott profiles 20 successful Web sites, and includes additional interview information. The sites are categorized into one of three categories: e-commerce (Esurance), business-to business (Colliers), or a final category that includes nonprofit, educational, healthcare, and politics (Dean for President). The profiles are well written, to the point, and not so long or technical that the reader will lose interest.

After his review, Scott provides a dozen “best practices from Web marketers.” His first rule is to not launch a new site without a comprehensive needs analysis. This may seem obvious, “yet many marketers just jump right into site aesthetics or begin to write content before taking time to analyze how the site fits into a larger organizational strategy.” Each best practice is cross-checked to one of the 20 examples. The book concludes with a variety of short lessons learned. Most of these center on content or customers, for example, “Focus on your customer’s problems.” Again, this is simple advice, but it is profound if it is truly implemented.

This is an easy, fun read, and while one may conclude that the lessons learned are not novel, it is surprising how many times they are apparently not learned or practiced. Helpful screen shots, short chapters for busy readers who must fit reading into short segments, and a generous index make this material worthwhile. Both small and large companies will find useful information. Marketers and designers will want to review this perspective.