Web Words That Work: Writing Online Copy That Sells

Web Words That Work: Writing Online Copy That Sells

Released December 2012
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: 9780133354102

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Book description

Write great search-optimized, customer-optimized web copy!

(No experience? No problem!)

Need to put together a website? Or post to your company’s Facebook page? Or write a great Google AdWords ad? You know it’s important. Your image is at stake. Maybe a lot ofmoney, too. But you’re not a professional web copywriter. Where do you start? Right here. Million-selling author Michael Miller will teach you, show you, guide you–even if you’ve never done it before!

Think you can’t write? Hate to write? Forget school: Here are all the professional-quality online copywriting tips and tricks you need right now. Miller will help you find your voice, organize your message, use links, get great search results, and a whole lot more. Best of all, you’ll learn how to grab hold of people in seconds–because that’s all the time you’ve got!

• The perfect web copywriting guide for every entrepreneur, small businessperson, blogger, and website owner

• Keep it short, keep it simple!

• Think like your readers, fire them up, and get them to act!

• Write text that search engines and humans will both love

• Be absolutely clear! Squeeze all the confusion out of your content

• Make sure you know just enough grammar and punctuation

• Combine text and visuals to make them both work better

• Choose the right delivery formats

• Integrate your copy into an existing web page design

• Work well with web designers and developers

Detailed, expert guidance for writing:

• Web pages

• Online articles

• Blog posts

• Social media updates

• Web ads

• Email promos & newsletters

• Online press releases

• Online help & FAQs

• Smartphone & tablet content

• Web interfaces

Michael Miller has written 100+ non-fiction books, including The Ultimate Web Marketing Guide; B2B Digital Marketing; Using Google® AdWords and AdSense; Using Google® Search; The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization; Sams Teach Yourself Google Analytics in 10 Minutes; and Facebook for Grown-Ups. Miller’s books have sold more than one million copies worldwide. He has earned a reputation for clearly explaining technical subjects to non-technical readers, and offering exceptionally useful real-world advice on complex topics.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Contents at a Glance
  4. Table of Contents
  5. About the Author
  6. Dedication
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. We Want to Hear from You!
  9. Reader Services
  10. Introduction
    1. Who This Book Is For
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. Conventions Used in This Book
    4. Let Me Know What You Think
  11. I. Online Copywriting 101
    1. 1. What’s Different About Writing Online Copy?
      1. Examining the Different Types of Online Writing
      2. Why Online Writing Is Like Any Other Type of Writing
      3. The Unique Challenges of Online Writing
      4. What If You’re Not a Writer?
    2. 2. Punctuation, Grammar, and Other Rules to Live By
      1. Why Punctuation and Grammar Matter—Even Online
      2. Practicing Proper Punctuation
      3. Getting Grammatically Correct
      4. Capitalizing Correctly
      5. Using Active Voice
      6. Dealing with Gender Issues
      7. Proofreading Before You Publish
    3. 3. Conveying Confusing Content, Clearly
      1. Who Are You Talking To?
      2. And What Are You Talking About?
      3. Translating Complex Topics to Plain English
      4. Limiting the Detail
      5. Conveying Benefits, Not Features
      6. Using Examples
      7. Writing Step-by-Step Instructions
      8. Avoiding Jargon and Industry Speak
      9. Writing in a Conversational Style
    4. 4. Keeping It Short and Simple
      1. Why Shorter Is Better
      2. Keeping It Chunky
      3. Writing Shorter Sections
      4. Writing Shorter Paragraphs
      5. Writing Shorter Sentences
      6. Writing Shorter Words
    5. 5. Organizing Your Content
      1. Putting the Most Important Stuff First
      2. Breaking Your Copy into Multiple Pages
      3. Using Headings
      4. Creating Bulleted and Numbered Lists
      5. Using Tables (or Not)
    6. 6. Firing Up Your Readers
      1. Figuring Out What Fires Them Up
      2. Engaging the Reader
      3. Keeping It Short—and Making It Clear
      4. Getting to the Point
      5. Making Promises
      6. Solving Problems
      7. Telling a Good Story
      8. Using Action Words
      9. Including a Call to Action
    7. 7. Finding Your Voice
      1. Giving Your Content a Personal Voice
      2. Choosing the Right Style
      3. Employing a Professional Style
      4. Using a Personal Style
    8. 8. Incorporating Visuals
      1. Why Visuals Are Important
      2. Choosing the Right Type of Visual
      3. Using Clip Art
      4. Using Line Drawings
      5. Using Photographs
      6. Using Charts
      7. Using Infographics
      8. Using Animations
      9. Using Videos
    9. 9. Utilizing Links and Outside Content
      1. How, When, and How Often to Link
      2. Embedding Images and Other Content from the Web
      3. Understanding the Legalities of Linking and Embedding
    10. 10. Optimizing Your Copy for Web Search
      1. How Online Search Works—and Why It’s Important
      2. Understanding Search Engine Optimization
      3. What Search Engines Look For
      4. Optimizing Your Site’s Content
      5. Crafting SEO-Friendly Content
      6. Working with Keywords
  12. II. Writing for Different Vehicles
    1. 11. Writing Web Pages
      1. Writing for the Browser Window
      2. Keeping It Short for Scanners
      3. Organizing Your Content Hierarchically
      4. Linking for Scannability
      5. Embracing SEO
    2. 12. Writing Online Articles
      1. What Online Articles Do Best
      2. Writing Engaging Headlines
      3. Keys for Better Online Article Writing
      4. Don’t Forget the SEO
    3. 13. Writing Blog Posts
      1. Getting Personal
      2. Establishing a Personal Style
      3. Focusing on the Title
      4. Engaging Readers with Your Introductory Paragraph
      5. Keeping It Short—But Not Too Short
      6. Optimizing Your Blog and Posts for Search
    4. 14. Writing Social Media Updates
      1. Understanding How Social Media Work
      2. Keeping It Short
      3. Setting the Tone
      4. Engaging Readers, Socially
      5. What to Post?
      6. Writing for Facebook
      7. Writing for Twitter
      8. Writing for Other Social Networks
    5. 15. Writing Email Newsletters and Promotions
      1. Composing the Subject Line
      2. Writing Email Newsletters
      3. Writing Effective Promotional Emails
      4. Following Through with Your Landing Page
    6. 16. Writing Online Ads
      1. Understanding Different Types of Online Advertising
      2. Writing Effective Copy for Text Ads
    7. 17. Writing Online Press Releases
      1. How Online PR Differs from Traditional PR
      2. Writing for Consumers
      3. Writing for Search Engines
    8. 18. Writing Online Help Files and FAQs
      1. Understanding the Goals of Online Help
      2. Getting to Know the Target Audience (and Their Problems)
      3. Planning and Presenting Your Content
      4. Thinking Like the Customer
      5. Showing Readers How to Do Something
      6. Answering Frequently Asked Questions
    9. 19. Writing Web Interfaces
      1. Planning Your Navigation
      2. Titling Your Pages
      3. Captioning Buttons, Menus, and Links
      4. Writing Helpful Error Pages
    10. 20. Writing for Mobile Devices
      1. Why Mobile Matters
      2. What’s Different About Copywriting for Mobile
      3. Creating Mobile-Friendly Websites
      4. Writing Effective Mobile Copy
  13. III. Getting It Done
    1. 21. Determining the Right Delivery Formats
      1. What Works Best as HTML
      2. What Works Best as a PDF Document
      3. What Works Best as a Word Document
      4. Other Types of Documents
    2. 22. Dealing with Web Page Design
      1. Understanding HTML
      2. What You Can—and Can’t—Do with HTML
      3. Working with Images
    3. 23. Working with Technical and Design Staff
      1. Who’s the Boss?
      2. Why Marketing Should Run the Show
      3. Focus on Content—Not Design or Technology
      4. How to Lead the Team
    4. 24. The Final Word: Think Like the Reader
      1. Everything’s Important, But Some Things More So
      2. Give Readers What They Want
      3. Presentation Matters
      4. Writing Web Words That Work
  14. IV. Appendixes
    1. Appendix. 200 Web Words That Work
  15. Index

Product information

  • Title: Web Words That Work: Writing Online Copy That Sells
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: December 2012
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780133354102