The Online Copywriter's Handbook

In The Online Copywriter's Handbook, Robert Bly — one of the world's most honored copywriters and the bestselling author of The Copywriter's Handbook — turns his attention to the unlimited marketplace of the Internet. The result? The first book to apply long-established persuasive techniques to the interactive capabilities and unique possibilities of the Web.

While the psychological hot buttons and decision drivers may be similar, the techniques of persuasion online are different — often dramatically different! Look to The Online Copywriter's Handbook for inside tips on how to write brilliant copy for:

• Websites
• Home pages
• Internet direct mail
• Banner ads
• Landing pages
• E-zines
• Web-based documents
• And more!

Let today's master copywriter show you how to take your online copywriting to the next level of effectiveness, success, and profitable results!

• Part I: Fundamentals of Writing Copy for the Web
1. Writing for the Internet
• On- or Offline, People Are People
• But Print and the Internet Are Not the Same
• Will the Internet Make Print Obsolete?
• Content as a Marketing Tool
• Content as a Product
• Ubiquitous Delivery
2. Fundamentals of Persuasive Online Copy
• Gain Attention
• Focus on the Customer
• Stress Benefits
• Differentiate Yourself from the Competition
• Prove Your Case
• Establish Credibility
• Build Value
• Close with a Call to Action
• Give the Reader a Reason to Act Now
3. Adapting Existing Print Copy to the Web
• Do a Gross Edit of the Document
• Scan into an Electronic File
• Update the Technical Content and Check for Accuracy
• Reduce the Promotional Content and Tone
• Increase the Informational Content and Tone
• Place Strategic Hyperlinks Where Useful
• Insert Dynamic Headlines and Subheads
• Do a Fine Edit to Tighten and Strengthen the Text
• Proofread
• Post the Document on the Website
• Ask for Feedback
• Making Your Online Documents More Persuasive with AIDA
• Critiquing Online Documents
• Reaching the Non-U.S. Internet User
• Push Yourself to Do One More Edit
4. Illustrating Your Web Copy
• Words Versus Pictures
• Photographs
• Tables
• Categories
• Accented Points
• Circle Ratings
• Pro and Con Charts
• Quadrants
• Using Visuals to Display Relationships
• Organization Charts Display Hierarchy
• Visuals That Communicate Sequence
• Visuals That Represent Cause and Effect
• Creating Visual Metaphors
• Number Charts and Graphics
• Flash Presentations
• Part II: Web Copywriting Tasks
5. Creating an Effective Website
• What's in a (Domain) Name?
• Choosing Your Domain Name
• Keep Your Site's Objective in Mind
• Write Copy to Fit the Buyer's Mood and Intent
• Account for Different Communications Styles
• Write What Your Prospects Want to Know
• Why Should Customers Buy from You and Not Your Competitors?
• Create a Site Map That Meets Your Marketing Objectives
• Eight Steps to Consider Before Writing Website Copy
• Pictures Versus Words Revisited
• Use the Word Free—A Lot
• Stress the Benefits
• Understand the Three Cs of Web Marketing
• More Ideas for Your Website
• E-Commerce and Special Offers
6. Home Pages and Splash Pages
• Splash Pages
• Home Pages
• The Three Home-Page Styles: Splash, Ad, and Tabloid
• The Home Page Sets the Website's Tone and Style
• Home Page Buttons
• The Elements of Style on Your Home Page and on the Web
• Avoid Sexist Language on Your Site
7. Other Web Pages
• Welcome Visitors with a Guest Book
• Smooth Landing on Your Landing Page
• A Shopping Cart Helps Visitors Purchase Online
• Don't Miss a Links Page
• FAQ Page
• Selling Your Wares with Product Pages
• Contact Pages Put You in Touch
• Information Pages Draw Visitors Like a Magnet
• All About the About Us'' Page
• Can Long Copy Work on the Web?
• To Sum It All Up
8. Internet Direct Mail
• Opting in Your Lists
• Basic Format
• Baiting the Hook
• Writing E-Mail Marketing Messages That Sell
• Enhance Your E-Mail Marketing with Graphics and Animation
• To Sum It All Up
9. Advertising on the Internet: Banner and E-Zine Ads
• Banner Ads Versus E-Mail Marketing
• Nine Common Banner-Ad Mistakes to Avoid
• Placing Banner Ads
• E-Zine Advertising
• How to Write Headlines That Sell
10. Electronic Newsletters: E-Zines
• Size and Frequency
• Building Your E-Zine Subscriber List
• Promoting the E-Zine
• Designing Your E-Zine
• E-Zine Content
• Twenty-Nine Article Ideas for Your E-Zine
• E-Zine Writing Tips
11. Web Documents
• Guidelines for Writing Copy for the Internet
• Special Considerations for High-Tech Marketers
12. Web Promotions
• Bookmark
• In Search of… Search Engines
• Promote Your Website in All Your Marketing
• Power-Packed Direct Mail
• Using Direct Mail to Drive Business-to-Business Leads to Your Website
• Print Ads That Drive URL Visits
• Match the Response Form with the Promotional Offer
• Make Your Website Famous with the Power of PR
• Resources
• Glossary
• Bibliography

It is not really a book about copywriting, online or offline, it is more a book about designing web-places based on tried and true AD concepts. These has worked in the offline press and promotion based world for ages. So, nothing new under the sun and a bit of a disappointment.