The Big Red Fez: How to Make Any Web Site Better

The Big Red Fez: How to Make Any Web Site Better

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63  ·  rating details  ·  205 ratings  ·  24 reviews
YOUR WEB SITE IS COSTING YOU MONEY. IT'S ALSO FILLED WITH SIMPLE MISTAKES THAT TURN OFF VISITORS BEFORE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO BECOME CUSTOMERS. According to marketing guru Seth Godin, a web site visitor is a lot like a monkey looking for one thing: a banana. If that banana isn't easy to see and easy to get, your visitor is gone with a quick click on the "Back" button.

In th...more
Paperback, 324 pages
Published 2002 by Free Press
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Sue Cartwright
‘A web visitor is a lot like a monkey looking for one thing: a banana. If that banana isn’t easy to see and easy to get, your visitor is gone with a quick click on the ‘back’ button.’

They key message in this fun and fast book about website design, is that the reason so many websites were in financial trouble at the time was because the engineers were in charge. Their over-programmed, over-thought and over-built websites were a hacker’s dream, funded by venture capitalists who embraced the engine...more
Erin Caldwell
I'd been meaning to read this for a while and considering this is a book about websites, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself laughing out loud at certain parts. It is admittedly a tad dated -- but really, any book about the Web inherently becomes dated ... likely by the time it makes it to print. But it was a nice, amusing reality check and included some great quips and one-liners that will make explaining Web best practices to clients and colleagues easy and memorable.

Btw, it's also a very...more
Ann Simmons
My third Seth Godin book this year. This one's a super quick read - I read it in an afternoon. The subtitle is "How to Make Any Web Site Better." And it delivers - still. The book is over ten years old, so the websites he references are old. However, the information he's conveying about what makes a site great IS still relevant. I got this book on the recommendation of Laura Roeder. Thanks, LKR.
Bex
It's really amazing that for a book 10 years old, most of Seth's comments are just as relevant today. I guess that's why he's so successful! The web page screenshots are a trip down memory lane, and though the specific issues don't appear on the web often today, the overall principles are being ignored left and right! I wish he'd do an update--it wouldn't be hard at all! Easy read, and worth the 30 minutes it takes to read it!
Cody Dulock
Seth Godin is the guy who always asks you questions that you have to figure out, but along the way gives tons of examples and tips. All of his books are put into the simplest-non-technical-reading form so anyone can pick up on it super fast! This book definitely touches on the marketing fundamentals behind web design and why they are important.
Thursday
"The Big Read Fez" is essentially a series of examples, showing how to make any website better. Considering how difficult some of these concepts have proven for some web designers, I think that the structure of this book really makes a difference in getting across the central ideas.
Danielle Nelson
Fast read. Definitely dated (although it was interesting to see how little Amazon has changed in 10 years). A good overview of the basics - should be a starting point for other things.
Matthew
It was written in 2001, so some of the context is outdated, but this book gave me an outstanding paradigm shift and new direction for company website and business model in general.
John
Ok book on web design, though not nearly as clear as Don't Make Me Think. He gave examples and problems, but no pictures of solutions.
Jamie Christensen
Another great hit from Godin. Good book to get quick hit ideas on building a great web site. I appreciate how there's no fluff with Godin, just compelling thoughts in a fast, concise format.
Rebecca Schweitzer
Super quick, easy read that will help you make your website better. The advice is simple. The steps toward improvement are even simpler.
Lori Grant
An optional-read book by Seth Godin on marketing for the knowledge worker, manager, executive, or entrepreneur.
Michelle
This was a very easy read featuring Seth Godin's commentary on bad/good websites.
Brandon
A must read first book for anyone building a site or ecommerce store.
Susan Sorrell
Great tips on making a good website.
Michelle
Nov 17, 2007 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Entrepreneurs
This book was excellent--short and sweet and to-the-point. I would recommend it to anyone who is an entrepreneur and wants to or already uses web sites for business. It has several recommendations that I never thought of but also reviewed several things I already knew.
Kay
A very short book about web site design. It's a good book but I basically was already thinking along these lines so I didn't get much extra out of it. Would probably be a good book for people that don't use the net much and want to build a web site.
Ruby
Jan 16, 2008 Ruby rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who market anything.
Shelves: non-fiction
Seth Godin writes well: concisely, clearly, and succinctly. This book is therefore a really quick read that will instantly improve any marketing efforts you undertake.

His thoughts on Power Point are all but revolutionary.
Chad
"The Big Red Fez: How To Make Any Web Site Better" by Seth Godin is a book that can be read very quickly, yet it has a lot of useful information in it.
Michelle
It's a quick read by blogger Seth Godin. Just has snippets of advice for web site design.
Catur pw
insight for web developer and SEO specialist, nice to read
J.t
Jun 16, 2013 J.t marked it as to-read
Rich
Jun 14, 2013 Rich marked it as to-read
Paulo Silva
Jun 12, 2013 Paulo Silva marked it as to-read
Justin
Jun 12, 2013 Justin marked it as to-read
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Jun 11, 2013 Evelin marked it as to-read
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The Big Red Fez: How To Make Any Web Site Better (Paperback)
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Seth Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change.

Godin is author of ten books that have been bestsellers around the world, and he is also a renowned speaker. He was recently chosen as one of 21 Speakers for the Next Century by Successful Meetings and is consistently rated among the very best speakers by the audiences he addresses.

Seth was founder and CEO of Yoyodyne, the indust...more
More about Seth Godin...
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers

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