BOOK REVIEW: Don’t Fear the Forward by Marc Majers

Reviewed by Claudia Taller

This slim book on website design is not a how-to book but an approach to website design. Majers is a web strategist and Director of Online Services for the Cleveland Institute of Art. He is also the founder of Leading Hands, a family technology blog, and has instructed Web Design at Cuyahoga Community College. He believes website design is no longer a static skill but a process that drives results, a response to readers who visit a website.

Don’t Fear the Forward demystifies website design and tells the author’s story of how he arrived at the process he describes in the book. We get the feeling that he cares about his readers with his conversational style and message that we should keep learning and changing, molding the site as needs change and the message morphs. He writes, “consider this a companion looking over your shoulder as you embark on your next product and wonder if you are taking the right step.”

The book is slim at 103 pages and a 4×6-inch format that is small but powerful. As with anything in life, if we have a website, we need to keep learning, modifying, and changing the approach. The author has some great ideas on how to keep your website strong and interactive, but you have to follow through and focus on it one step at a time so you know your goals, like who your audience is. The book is based on what the end users of the product, your website, want from a website. A checklist is included in the back of the book.

The book helps website owners with search engine optimization and pay-per-click ads, suggests designs for home pages, and how to get started. Majers suggest that you get organized and keep it simple. There’s no reason not to believe Majers knows what he’s talking about.

Don’t Fear the Forward: The Secret to Building Successful Websites can be purchased from the author at http://DontFearTheForward.com.

Claudia Taller is the author of Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries and has been a Cool Cleveland contributor for many years. She helps writers and other creative people discover possibilities for their lives through Igniting Possibilities events. She has written articles for numerous publications over the last decade and blogs at http://ClaudiaTallerMusings.blogspot.com. Her book can be purchased at http://OhioLakeErieWineries.blogspot.com and makes a perfect gift for history buffs and wine lovers.

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