Website Magazine's Summer Reading List
The summer months present a perfect time to recapture your 'Net enthusiasm, grow your business and expand your thinking. Luckily, there are a variety of resources to help make this season a productive one, from trade shows and white papers.
Website Magazine's 2013 summer reading list includes books from some well-known executives like Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, as well as authors out of industry leading corporations like Forrester Research and Altimeter Group, so sit back, grab a glass of virtual lemonade and dive in to summer success.
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
When Web professionals think of customer service in the digital age, many think of Zappos, because the online shoe and apparel shop has built an empire on allocating marketing money into the customer experience and prioritizing Zappos's Core Values ("Deliver WOW through Service") for both employees and users. In his new book, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh details many of the unique practices at Zappos and also the trials and triumphs of his own entrepreneurial success, personal growth, and redemption.
What's the Future of Business?
Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences
Brian Solis, principal at Altimeter Group, leads readers through the new generation of consumerism to show businesses the power of user experiences to improve business performance, engagement and relationships. "What's the Future" will also inspire readers to rethink their business models, approaches, and customer and employee relationships in order to create profitable, shared, real-world experiences.
With increasing numbers of self-employed workers, value-based pricing will play a key role in the underpinning the viability of this current employment trend. Co-authored by FreshBooks co-founder and CEO Mike McDerment and Donal Cowper, "Breaking the Barrier" addresses value-based pricing (versus hourly) for small businesses and design professionals. This e-book (available for free download) has gotten rave reviews from folks like Tim Ferris (4 Hour Work Week), Michael Gerber (The E-Myth) and John Jantsch (Duct Tape Marketing).
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg shares her personal stories, uses research to shine a light on gender differences, and offers practical advice to help women achieve their goals. The book challenges us to change the conversation from what women can't do to what we can do, and serves as a rallying cry for us to work together to create a more equal world.
Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral? Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger has spent the last decade answering questions like this. He's studied why New York Times articles make the paper's own Most E-mailed List, why products get word of mouth, and how social influence shapes everything from the cars we buy to the clothes we wear to the names we give our children. In this book, Berger reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become contagious, from consumer products and policy initiatives to workplace rumors and YouTube videos.
42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business
Written by communications professional Jennifer Jacobson, this book is designed to help working professionals find social media that fits their business and get the most out of their social media presence. From networking communication, to social branding, "42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business" addresses specific rules of engagement, as well as the fundamental approach to online, as opposed to traditional, media. Reviewers say this book works well for both social media newbies and more experienced professionals.
Digital Disruption: Unleashing the Next Wave of Innovation
You always knew digital was going to change things, but you didn't realize how close to home it would hit. In every industry, digital competitors are taking advantage of new platforms, tools, and relationships to undercut competitors, get closer to customers, and disrupt the usual ways of doing business. The only way to compete is to evolve.
James McQuivey of Forrester Research has been teaching people how to do this for over a decade. He's gone into the biggest companies, even in traditional industries like insurance and consumer packaged goods, and changed the way they think about innovation. Now he's sharing his approach with you.
