Reviews
Summaries of marketing books/articles read, courses taken, computer programs we like or dislike.Course Reviews
"Starting and Running a Successful Website", Emory Center for Lifelong Learning
The class was developed and run by Jon Horn. We were very impressed with his knowledge and ability to make sense of the immense amount of information available about websites. If you are interested in creating a website (either on your own or with website developers), we recommend this course. Here’s why:
1. There was a great overview of the different web programming languages and software. The discussion was broad enough to understand the uses for the different types of languages. This overview was far superior to the ones found in website tutorials – which are typically too detailed to provide the broad overview needed. You could also get your specific questions answered (there are so many programs available, even a good overview doesn’t quite suffice).
2. The course contained a great tutorial for anyone setting up their own website. There was an indepth discussion on finding and registering domain names as well as choosing a web hosting plan. Unlike researching these topics on the web, you will get an unbiased view and will learn about options you might not have known were available through your own research.
3. E-commerce options were reviewed, revealing many ways for a website owner to add to their revenue stream.
4. The section on “Interpreting Visitor Statistics” was very helpful for marketers, business owners and website managers.
Computer Program Reviews
Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS4, $399 (students buy for $199)
Dreamweaver is a software program for website development. Overall, we give this software an A grade. That is not to say that it is super easy for a novice to use. However considering the complexity of all the different web development languages, it is relatively easier. This software is not for those who want to get a website up as quickly as possible and get on with their business. There are many website templates for that – not to mention website developers. But if you want to spend the time, have a certain look that you have in mind and you want to have complete control of your website, then Dreamweaver is a good option. Here are some highlights of the program:
1. The program adapts and grows easily with the user’s capability. It works for website development newbies and more experienced professionals. In fact it is the most used software program by website professionals.
2. It works well with all Adobe programs like Adobe Photoshop as well as many Microsoft programs like Word, Excel, Access, etc… The copy and paste feature makes building a site significantly easier.
3. If you have heard of languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, but don’t want to learn them all, don’t worry. Dreamweaver incorporates all these languages within the software, allowing you to have some very up-to-date effects on your website. You don’t even need to know what all these languages even are!