Here are a few great web resources (people, companies, tools, websites, and books) I like. (This is a partial list)
Usability
- Shari Thurow and Omni Marketing Interactive – provides search engine optimization (SEO), Web site usability, information architecture, and Web site design services for a wide variety of industries
- Nielsen Norman Group – Evidence-Based User Experience Research, Training, and Consulting
- Human Factors International – Usability consulting and training
Analytics
- Annielytics.com – Annie Cushing’s Blog – A great resource for SEO, Analytics & Data Visualization
WordPress
- WordPress.org and WordPress.com – a fantastic CMS (content management system) that powers ~38% of all websites
- Studiopress – Premium WordPress Themes powered by The Genesis Framework
- Elegant Themes – WordPress themes and a great blog
- Yoast – The Art & Science of Website Optimization
Marketing
- Heidi Cohen – Actionable Marketing Guide
- Copyblogger – Solutions for Smarter Content Marketing
- Marketing Land – Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips
- Action Plan Marketing – no-hype marketing for independent professionals from Robert Middleton
- CXL Institute – excellent marketing training. Peep Laja and team have created a wonderful resource
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Search Engine Land – News About Search Marketing & Search Engines
- Search Engine Watch – Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Search Advertising (PPC) & Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider Tool – one of the best tools out there for diagnosing site issues
- SEMRush – By far my most used tool. A powerful and versatile competitive intelligence suite for online marketing, from SEO and PPC to social media and video advertising research.
- Majestic SEO – Link intelligence tools for SEO and Internet PR and Marketing. Site Explorer shows inbound link and site summary data.
Books
- Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter) by Steve Krug – a great introduction to usability and keeping things simple. Sounds easy but it is very difficult to accomplish with success
- Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (Interactive Technologies) by Janice (Ginny) Redish – a classic on how to write for the web
- Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content by Colleen Jones. Clout explains the key principles of influence and how to apply them to web content.
- Search Engine Visibility, Second Edition by Shari Thurow – my all-time favorite book on laying down a web site foundation for your visitors – when you do that, the search engines will love you
- The Art of SEO (Theory in Practice) by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Jessie Stricchiola, and Rand Fishkin – my go-to-guide on the nitty gritty of SEO
- When Search Meets Web Usability (Voices That Matter) by Shari Thurow and Nick Musica – these guys are pros when it comes to thinking about the user experience and its impact on search. A great book.
- Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond by
Louis Rosenfeld, Peter Morville and Jorge Arango – a classic book about IA - Content Strategy for the Web, 2nd Edition by Kristina Halvorson and Meliss Rach – one of my favorite books on content strategy
- Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click? by Susan M. Weinschenk, Ph.D. – great insights on applying principles of persuasion research
Other Stuff
I very much enjoy the music on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and Eclectic24 (they stream)