[.ca] The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Online Business (ISBN 0789721937)

Amazon.com Review:
There's no mystery about why Internet-centric businesses figure prominently in the popular consciousness these days: they're a great way to make a lot of money. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Online Business acknowledges that you can make a killing by taking a Web company public and explains, in layperson's terms, a bit about the process. However, the real service in this book is in the way it brings the reader down to earth by puncturing visions of instant e-wealth and then diligently explaining how to make real (read "bankable," not necessarily "enormous quantities of") money. The income streams you can build are generally tiny by Wall Street standards, but they can be very significant on a personal or family scale. You'll get a realistic view of Web business here, and that's why this book is worth reading. The book suffers a bit when it attempts to explain the mechanics of Web publishing (a huge subject that's covered far better elsewhere), and there's very little discussion of the specific procedures involved in setting up a site to take credit cards. (This is a significant omission.) Coverage of soft matters, however, is good. The reader gets a tour through the thought processes involved in developing a business plan, plus all the details online entrepreneurs have to take care of (including dull things like fulfillment and order processing). Having a good idea and an attractive Web site won't cut it. Rather, a successful business has to know its product, know its customers, and unfailingly provide top-flight customer service. This book shows how to do all three. --David Wall Topics covered: Selling products and services on the Internet, as the startup process applies to everyday entrepreneurs. Sections deal with defining a business plan, getting money for startup and growth, designing a Web site that draws and retains customers, advertising, marketing, and fulfillment.

Don't bother:
This book tries to cover all aspects of e-commerce on the internet but stays at a "dummy" level in terms of educating the reader about the specifics. It lacked depth and was too general for me to get anything out of it. Plus it is cluttered with many outdated and annoying web references that detract readers from the chapter readings.

A great reference tool:
There are a lot of references to resources on the web relating to the topics covered in the book. Just what I needed! The book has straightforward and simple writing about the considerations of starting and running a web site for profit. Then if you want to do more research, there are plently of URLs to start your research on the web about the resources available. Perfect for a beginner. This book also is showing up on bookshelves under the title "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Online Business" under the same ISBN. Gordon Whyte is not given credit as an author on this version, he just does the forward for the book.

Best book for the starter:
After reading this book, I have started my own website. It gives most of the information required to setup online business