Community Building on the Web: Secret Strategies for Successful Online Communities, Adobe Reader

Note: This is a backlist title that originally published in April of 2000.

What's the point of creating a great Web site if no one goes there--or worse, if people come but never return? How do some sites--such as America Online, EBay, and GeoCities--develop into Internet communities with loyal followings and regular repeat traffic? How can Web page designers and developers create sites that are vibrant and rewarding?

Amy Jo Kim, the author of Community Building on the Web and consultant to some of the most successful Internet communities, is an expert at teaching how to design sites that succeed by making new visitors feel welcome, rewarding member participation, and building a sense of their own history. She discusses important design strategies, interviews influential Web community-builders, and provides the reader with templates and questionnaires to use in building their own communities.

Amy Jo Kim is a recognized expert in the field of online community design. She is the founder and creative director of NAIMA, a 21st century design studio that has designed online environments for a wide range of clients, including America Online, Adobe Systems, AT&T, CyberCash, Electric Communities, Fujitsu, Mpath Interactive, MTV, NetNoir, Nickelodeon, Oracle, Paramount, PlaceWare, Redgate, Sony, Viacom, and Yahoo. She also teaches online design at Stanford University. Her article on the fantasy game environment, Ultima Online, appeared in the May 1998 issue of Wired.

Table of Contents

1. PURPOSE.