Foreword xix

Acknowledgment xxiii

Introduction to Third Edition xxv

1 GETTING STARTED: THE DYNAMICS OF

WEB SELLING 1

Three Fundamental Rules for Writing Web Copy That Sells 3

Rule 1: Don't Make Your Website Look Like an Ad 3

Rule 2: Stop Readers Dead in Their Tracks 7

Rule 3: Capture E-Mail Addresses 9

The First Look 11

Web Copy Dos and Don'ts 14

Reading on the Web 18

Words Tell, Emotion Sells 19

How to Become a Great Web Copywriter in Five Hours or Less 22

2 A SIMPLE BLUEPRINT FOR WRITING KILLER WEB COPY 23

Creating the Blueprint: Five Simple Questions You Must Ask 25

Question 1: What Is the Problem? 25

Question 2: Why Hasn't the Problem Been Solved? 26

Question 3: What Is Possible? 26

Question 4: What Is Different Now? 27

Question 5: What Should You Do Now? 27

The Anatomy of the Blueprint 27

Putting the Blueprint to Work: Five Easy Steps to Making Your

Web Copy Sell 32

Step 1: Inject Emotion 33

Step 2: Add Bullet Points, Bonuses, Guarantee, and Close 35

Step 3: Add Credibility- Building Elements 38

Step 4: Add Psychological Devices and Involvement Devices 39

Step 5: Replace Rational Words with Emotional Words 40

Reinforcing the Framework: A Summary 43

3 CRAFTING YOUR COPY 44

Constructing Your Web Copy 44

The AIDA Principle 45

The Unique Selling Proposition 46

Making an Impression: The First Paragraph 48

The Offer You Can't Refuse 48

Testimonials: Effortless Selling 50

Talking About Money: How to Introduce the Price 54

The Minor- Purchase Technique 55

The Daily- Cost Technique 55

Keep on Selling: Writing the Order Form 56

The Money- Back Guarantee: A Deal Maker 57

The Close: Signing on the Dotted Line 58

The Call to Action 59

Get a Calling Card: The Opt- In Mechanism 59

How to Construct a Riveting Headline 63

What's in a Headline? 64

The Building Blocks of Winning Web Headlines 66

Choosing Your Words: Tips, Terms, and Concepts 70

Words to Avoid in Your Web Copy 71

Words to Use in Your Web Copy 72

Dos and Don'ts of Web Copywriting 75

The Long and Short of It: How Long Should Web Copy Be? 81

How Well Does Your Website Sell? 83

Formula for Mathematically Measuring the Selling Quotient of

Web Copy 83

4 E-MAIL MARKETING: THE INTERNET'S KILLER APPLICATION 88

Traffic Conversion: Turning Visitors into Customers 88

Wagging the Website 89

Why Your E-Mail May Be More Important Than Your Website 90

The Frame- of- Mind Marketing Method for Writing E- Mails 93

Breaking the Sales Barrier 95

The Future of E-Mail Marketing 96

How to Make Sure Your E-Mail Is Delivered 97

How to Avoid Spam Blockers 98

Does Your E-Mail Test Positive as Spam? 102

How to Write E-Mail That's Read 102

Seven Elements of E-Mails That Sell 103

Put the Competitive Edge into Your E-Mail Marketing 113

Adapt as Your Audience's Frame of Mind Changes 114

Using E-Mail to Get Attention 115

What Really Works on the Internet Sometimes Doesn't 118

SIG File: Your Online Business Card 119

How Your E-Mail Reputation Affects E- Mail Deliverability 120

5 USING PSYCHOLOGY TO MOTIVATE PROSPECTS

TO BECOME PURCHASERS 125

The "Reason Why” 126

The Zeigarnik Effect 126

The Cliffhanger 128

Hypnotically Persuasive Language 129

Embedded Commands 129

Presuppositions 130

Linguistic Binds 132

Reframing 134

The Appearance of Consistency 136

Contradictory Thinking 137

The Cyrano Effect 139

6 THE ART OF CHANGING YOUR PROSPECTS' MINDS 149

What Role Does Emotion Play in Mind Changing 154

The Three Principal Triggers of Mind Change 155

Emotional Resonance 156

Redefi nition 156

Resistance 157

The Trifecta Neuro- Affective Principle in Short Copy 165

7 INCREASING SALES THROUGH THE USE OF

INVOLVEMENT DEVICES 171

Involvement Devices and the Recovery Principle 179

8 ONLINE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS: IT'S WHAT YOU

DO AFTER PEOPLE VISIT YOUR WEBSITE THAT COUNTS 184

The Opt- In Offer: Your Most Important Asset 185

Five Keys to an Opt- In Offer That's Impossible to Refuse 187

Presenting the Offer 189

How to Write Irresistible Autoresponder E-Mails 189

Quick Primer on Autoresponders 189

Crafting Autoresponder E- Mails to Your Opt- In Prospects 190

Crafting Autoresponder E-Mails to Customers 191

How to Format Your E-Mails for Optimum Readability 192

How to Write Free Reports and Promotional Articles 192

Tips for Creating Search- Engine- Optimized Articles

That Magnetize Hot Leads and Customers 194

Guidelines for Writing Newsletters and E- Zines 197

Tips for Creating "Monetizable” Content 199

The Anatomy of a Successful E- Newsletter 202

Guidelines for Writing Online Ads, Signature Files, and Banner Copy 206

Three Tips for Writing Online Ads 207

Writing Copy for Interactive Advertising Banners 209

9 WEB COPYWRITING IN THE AGE OF WEB 3.0

AND BEYOND 211

Blogs 212

Social Bookmarking Sites 212

Social Networking Sites 213

How to Craft Highly Targeted Facebook Ads That Deliver

Leads, Sales, and Profi ts 213

Authority Sites 216

Marketing via Online Videos 218

How to Create an Online Video That Drives Massive

Traffi c to Your Website 221

How to Create High- Converting Video Sales Letters 224

How to Optimize Your Video for Search Engine Purposes 228

Uploading Your Video 230

Resources for Creating Your Video 232

How to Write Copy for Mobile Devices and the "Portable Web” 233

Optimizing Your Website for Mobile: What It Means 234

Guidelines on Optimizing Website Copy for Mobile 237

How to Write Copy for Infographics to Generate Free Website Traffi c 242

The Role of Copy in Creating Infographics 243

Case Study: [...] Portal Website 244

Additional Tips for Using Infographics for Online Marketing 250

The Benefi ts of Using Infographics in Your Content

Marketing Strategy 251

10 LAST BUT NOT LEAST: TYING IT ALL TOGETHER 253

Track It, Fix It: What to Do When Web Copy Is Not Working 254

Four Steps to Web Copywriting Success 257

Track Your Results 258

Two Degrees of Separation 260

11 THE LUCRATIVE BUSINESS OF WEB COPYWRITING 263

How to Find Web Copywriting Clients 264

How to Contact Prospective Clients 267

What to Charge— And How to Ensure That Your Clients Pay You 269

Intellectual Property Licensing 270

Directory of Resources 272

Books and Courses 272

Resources for Creating Online Marketing Videos 273

Resources for Creating Infographics 273

Index 275