Great book! Dives into the pyschology of marketing copywriting. Shows you how to set up the structure of a marketing piece. (creating a need, filling the need with your product, etc.) Very helpful tid-bits and nuggets of information. Also has great email copywriting tips too. The perfect writing companion for any marketing copywriter. I read this before I became a copywriter and am so glad I did. It helps explain the underlying factors of why people buy--and how to manipulate the mind with well crafted copy. Excellent, fairly fast read. Has examples of websites and emails in the text. I plan on high-lighting and dog-tagging mine in the years to come!

I love the way Maria not only lays everything out for you in a step-by-step method, but she also takes you on a journey of the psychology behind why people respond to direct marketing.

For people who want to use the itnernet to sell a product online, this book has it all. Furthermore...beyond just websales, it is a great and valuable book about direct marketing methods in general.

She knows her stuff. I found myself, taking notes on my kindle and highlighting numerous amounts of text.

In short...buy it...you'll be glad you did!

Although I've been selling online for years now, I honestly cannot understand how much I've been missing out on.

I picked up "Web Copy That Sells" thinking I might get 1 or 2 good ideas and make it worth the money.

Boy was I wrong!

I literally got over a dozen incredible ideas that I've now implemented into all my sales copy and have seen a great response already - just within a few days.

I now use it for all my e-mails, sales pages, signature files, and everything else that would be considered "copy".

I highly recommend this book to ANYBODY writing online - whether you're a full time copywriter or a beginner just starting out!

[...]

This book is awesome. I use it as reference for all my web copy. Best book on "web copy" I've read so far. Excellent details.

This book is simply astonishing, and the value of content is unmeasurable.
Mostly, if you are familiar with e-business, internet marketing and yada-yada books, what you usually get is a book, what reads fast, makes you laugh, but after you read it, it lefts zero value for the most purpose, why you bought the book - for growing your business skills.
This book is just opposite. It starts with a tips, hints, how-to-write examples and steps - in so incredible manner, that you READ IT SLOWLY, because you understand, that this is a value, that can not be just skipped fast.
More!
After i read about 50 % of it, I took a notebook, and literally, started from 1 page again, to make a hints on notepad.
And this is a first business book, in my solid over 100 business book collection, where I did so.
And again guess why?
Because Maria Veloso gives you so much hints and tactics that you can use now, that you simply can not read this book like fiction novel - you will forget something, and literally every page contains a gem - the only question for me is why author gives away so much tips and hints - I am afraid she is literally making herself less competitive.

One thing about 2 negative comments there.

Note, that they talk about ethics, morale and bla bla bla. What does it hints you? It says, that book is dangerously powerful, and this is a weapon in your hands, a real weapon in business world to fight against the competitor. Ethics? Heh, your competitor will eat you, and ask waiter for a salt and pepper for better taste if they could, what ethics we can talk in 2008, especially in e-business?

...And even advanced copywriters will gain some valuable insights. The main point that Maria makes in "Web Copy That Sells" could be summed up in the phrase "Know your customer". Specifically, she impresses on the reader that most people surfing the web are in a very specific psychological state (information-seeking) that you have to understand so that you can structure your writing in a way that grabs their attention immediately and leads them through the sales process. The best parts of the book:

1. Maria shares her "blueprint" for writing effective copy on the web. 5 questions that you can use to essentially form the framework of your sales letter before you've even started writing.

2. Psychological devices taken from NLP and other branches of psychology that get your prospects more involved in your copy and increase conversion.

3. An easy formula for writing "mouthwatering bullets" that paint a picture of how your customers lives will improve when they purchase your product.

4. A checklist that you can use to find out if your copy has as many sales-inducing elements as possible, and how to troubleshoot if things go wrong.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to pursue a lucrative career in online copywriting, or anyone who just wants their copy to have an "unfair advantage" over the competition (haha marketing cliche).

THis is THE BEST Web Copywriting Book On the market...Hands Down!!!!

You will walk away from reading this book learning just about everything you need on the subject of Web Copy.

I was so inspired that I ordered her CD course and I can't tell you how valuable her material is. She OVER Delivers. You feel that she wants you to succeed and not out to make a quick buck.

She shares all of her secrets and doesn't hold anything back. What you get is everything that all the top web copywriting and marketing guru's use and MORE.

I'm thinking of starting a copywriting business based on what I've learned from this book and her CD course.

Thanks Maria

I've really enjoyed Maria Veloso's book. I've put many of her ideas to work in my own sales letters and writing.

I've realized the importance of making your sales letters have the look and feel of an article rather than a typical sales letter.

But beyond that you get a complete copywriting course for $15. I've read many books on copywriting but this one is unique because it deals specifically with copywriting for the web.

Although my experiences do not jive with all of her conclusions, nevertheless there are some really powerful techniques in this book.

I like the NLP stuff in there as well. I was looking at a course that was about $200 but I believe what she taught just in that one NLP section was likely better.

Why? Because these NLP copywriters aren't great writers. They use all sorts of NLP concepts, but the overall writing makes me click away from the page.

Why would I want to buy a course on copywriting from a sales letter that I'm not even interested in reading completely. So Maria shows you how to use the NLP power of influence in a way that really works.

Next I love her question process. It really simplifies copywriting. Overall this book is an excellent resource and a book that I refer to again and again.

I get the negative criticism of this book. There's a fine line between persuasion and manipulation. I personally would not let my credit card near the examples of copy in this book and yet I realize that I'm likely not her target audience for those sites. Maria presents many techniques here and explains them simply and in an easy to understand way. It's up to the writer to choose the techniques that meet the writer's ethical standards and that will be effective with the target audience.

I appreciate the writing system that Maria presents, which helps me get clear about what I want to say in a persuasive manner that meets my own ethical standards. I even appreciate reading about techniques that I don't feel comfortable using, because I'll be able to identify them both on websites and in conversations with salespeople.

So far, I haven't read many books on writing copy and I found this one very useful. I would have appreciated some examples that didn't feel so manipulative.

I am glad I purchased this book. It did have a number of good techniques, and brought awareness to several ideas that will help to lead us in a new direction.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a system to help push online sales in their market

This book is well written and very straight forward. It's full of useful information that can be implemented easily for maximum return. I highly recommend it.

This book gives some good Web Copy hints that are applicable to most types of web sites.
Even though my main language is Portuguese and I only publish sites in this language, most of the tips from this book are also applicable to my language and I believe to other foreign languages either.
The price I paid for this book is very low, comparing to any seminar I would attend with this same subject and I`m sure a seminar wouldn`t be able to provide so much information.

Amazing book, every page is full of great value content.
Maria really gives a lot of great to the point tips to create great web copy that sells!
Full with step by step guides, blueprints, simple THE BEST!

When I read non-fiction books, I highlight and write in the margins of the book what points are interesting and applicable.
There is not a page in this book that does not have my handwritten notes - in fact if I was to find any criticism in this book ... it would be that there was not enough space in the margins to write notes!!
The wisdom contained in this book is very relevant and can be applied to any business.
I was a copywriter way before the web was a prominent tool in the marketing mix, and I have to say this book really makes it simple to understand and apply the art of copy crafting.
This book is also very easy to read which you would expect (or hope!) from a book on copywriting. I got through it on a 8 hour plane trip.
I was also more than a little amazed to find anyone who would give this book a 1 star (albeit there were only 2 when I wrote this review) ... Their gripe it seems is that they believe the advice given in this book is immoral. Not so. This book shows you how to turn your web presence into a medium which illicits a response, rather than being an online brochure. Let's face it - if you are in the copywriting industry your craft is to illicit a response. The billions of web pages aren't out there to be wallpaper. Your website should be designed to get a visitor to engage with your brand and company. Not to visit, say to to oneself "hmm that's interesting" and leave.
If you have a site that is not getting as much business as you would like, whether it be inquiry, subscriptions or purchases - you need to get this book. You will find countless and easy to apply tips through-out.

This one is good for beginners. If your new to copywriting or writing sales copy for the web, you'll learn from this one. Although it goes a little deeper, I found it to be to general over all.

The title says web copy and I wish it would have stayed focused on that topic only. It also goes into such topics as traffic and e-mail marketing, but only in a very general way and honestly I really didn't get much from those chapters. I've learned more from the internet.

The big disappointment and this could be just me, is it did not cover what I thought it would. She talks about working with Mark Joyner and being present for the detailed tracking he did in the early years, he even wrote a lengthy intro for the book. Sadly very little of that seemed to make it into the book.

Maybe I took the purpose of the book wrong, but after reading the introductions, I thought I was going to gleam some great copywriting details, those tested heavy on the internet, but no such luck.

It's not a bad book by any means. If your just learning copy or you have some extra reading time, it's worth getting. If your serious, spend your money on works by John Caples or David Ogilvy. Better yet get The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugarman.

Like any book that purports to guide users to successful writing "for the web," Maria Veloso's "Web Copy That Sells" has to be read with an open mind, a grain of salt, and a willingness to adapt her techniques and advice to one's own particular situation.

That said, the fundamental tips she offers are sound and the reference value of this work is considerable. Her expertise allows for a fluid use of examples, particularly as they relate to the psychology of selling. I would recommend "Web Copy That Sells" to people starting out as copywriters or for those with experience who would like to approach their existing site with "a new pair of glasses."

Maria Veloso shows how amazingly simple it is to write unbeatable web copy. Web advertising is different from print, and this books takes you step by step through the process of creating that killer web page and joining it with effective email. This book also points to invaluable web sites that are effective tools. Dog-ear the pages with the keywords so you write good, strong, emotional copy. If you send a lot of E-Mail, then the chapter on E-Mail Marketing shows you proven techniques that, alone, make this book worth the price! Cash in on her real-world experience as a top performer with the best people.

Bill McCormick, PAID Claims, LLC
Do You Want PAID Claims?
www.paidclaims.com

I found the book interesting and enlightening. I think with all ideas you have to temper this to your audience. I would not use this to attract the CEO of AT&T in the form she presented. However the concepts and steps ring true as long as they are toned down to suit your market. We are just working on some sub pages tied to adwords campaigns to test the waters.

Very similar in style to [...]

I read this book in days highlighting areas for future reference. I enjoyed the book's approach and it was very well written. Veloso didn't leave any stones uncovered. Above all, it was like a college refresher course but more practical and focused to the needs for those desiring to improve their web copy and content. Additionally, after reading the book, I ordered a second to share with my internet marketing people and staff at Gloves-Online.

Web Copy That Sells is well written, easy to read and a great resource for improving your web copy.

There are a number of points that Maria makes regarding web copy that apply equally to all areas of business as well as life. For example, she points out that you cannot simply model some successful website and expect the same results. You must model the process. That is go through the same process that the creator of the successful website went through.

The book is not only a resource for web copy that sells, it is also a very good marketing course. She points out that potential customers must know you, like you and ultimately trust you before they will do business with you. She provides a step by step method to accomplish this.

Maria is right on when she talks about the importance of the first screen and why you must concentrate on what's in it for the viewer. The website should not be designed as an ego boosting medium. You must keep the viewer's point of view in mind.

She provides a good list of dos and don'ts for web copy. There are plenty of other tools such as a formula to evaluate any website.

Scattered throughout the book are excellent marketing lessons - words tell, emotion sells - fear of loss is a better motivator than desire for gain. You would do well to read and understand these very valuable marketing lessons.

This is a very good resource for anyone responsible for their own or their company's website.

This book had some useful ideas, however given the amount of knowledge the author claims to have I feel she is keeping all the good stuff for her copy writing courses.

Rather light on useful content. Joe Sugarman is a much better choice.

This book is absolutely priceless. I hear what some of the critical comments say. The fact is they are not grasping the brilliant lessons and enormous time savers Maria shares in this book that apply across the board to writing copy and marketing on line. First off, she makes it very clear her book is about what it says, writing web copy that sells, not writing web content. The whole point and value of this book are the formulas that will save INCREDIBLE amounts of time while ensuring you address every element that goes into capturing paying customers online. THAT'S the value. The actual words you use in writing your own specific copy are up to you. You don't have to sound like a snake oil salesman. I sell upscale b2b, business owners and senior executives and what I learned in the book is indeed killer. Practical lessons that I can immediately apply. Read this book and combine what you learn with Frank Rumbauskas Never Cold Call Again (and I haven't in the past 6 months), Metaphorically Selling by Anne Miller, and Richard Koch's The 80/20 Principle, The Secret of Achieving More With Less, and then work hard (sorry) and you'll be a lean mean money machine.

One thing I am very cautious about is all the copywriters that have made the change to copy writing over priced self generated programs on how to get rich copy writing (i.e. Bly, Masterson, Silver and others). Do a search on google to find good resources to seriously research the feasibility and process to make such a transition and your head will spin clicking on all the sites by these gurus with $500 to $2,000. This seems to be a whole niche that has become popular today to go side by side with network marketing. Get rich easy and quick with my magic formula to becoming a copywriter. (I do NOT put this book in that category, like I said this book is easily worth multiples of its price). I am also NOT saying that the money to be made in the industry is not accurate. Just like in network marketing where I did in fact make 6 figures a year in that industry for a while. The reality was it took HARK WORK, which terrifies most of the folks looking for the ever elusive easy buck. And as P.T. Barnum always knew, there are plenty of folks who want to believe it be so. When ever someone truly discovers the secret to becoming rich plugging into some formula system is the day everyone you know will be rich. The reality is if anything worked like that you couldn't stop it from sweeping the country. No one would be poor anymore...and I guess the new poor would be the least rich, right?

Bottom line, buy this book. If you use the principles, formulas and concepts Maria teaches you, you will indeed make a lot more money than you are now. If it sits on a shelf gathering dust waiting for the someday you are going to use some of the stuff it won't make you one single cent.

As others have briefly mentioned here, what you get out of Web Copy That Sells will really depend on what you want to sell and how new you are to the field of advertising and the internet.

My biggest complaint about the book was that it comes off as a circle jerk. Meaning, the book concentrates on web copy for selling "revolutionary" courses on how to get rich and how to make mega bucks online. It could be said it's written for an audience that hopes to to sell to themselves.

For those wanting to sell products, rather than 'How To' guides, you might gain a little from this book, yet I suspect those of you who are working in an internet related field will cringe at some of the content. There are even parody websites of some of the advertising styles suggested throughout the book. It really is about writing web copy for a new-to-the-web customer.

It is unfortunate that Veloso spends most of her time discussing copy for actual web sites (even worse is that they are websites selling something aimed at those wanting to get rich), when the reality is that a lot of web copy needs to be written for actual online ads. Online ads for physical products or actual services. This is where many of Veloso's techniques fall flat.

Summary: If you want to learn how to sell an e-book, buy this book. Otherwise look elsewhere.

I'm new to web copywriting so I found this book to be a fantastic guide. Maria Veloso lays out a great blue print to follow and web copywriting exercises to get you on the right path. It's a great resource that I keep nearby for reference. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in web copywriting.

Although the book was very focused on selling, I found the advice very interesting and hands on! What interested me the most was the part with the psychological motivators.

Another excellent book that clearly illustrates how different copy written for the web and for emails needs to be. Maria shares a lot of secrets that any serious practicioner should adapt to the online medium. The magic word here is adapt, since her emphasis is on products. I also find that short copy, or long copy that feels like short copy, is important when writing for an online audience. Still, this book is well worth the money. I recommend it to my clients and Creative Marketing Workshop attendees.

I have a website and I realised that my sales pitch (copy) was poor. I decided to look on amazon for some inspiration. 'Web Copy That Sells' seemed the best option, so I purchased it. I don't read too many books, but I just couldn't put this one down. I have since embarked on transforming my web copy on my website.

The only downside to the book is that it is intended more for direct marketing websites (The ones with the really long pages). However, I have used many of the methods that Maria talks about in this book, even though my web copy is not for direct marketing. I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to create great web copy.

If the title caught your eye--get it. Concise, well-written, obviously backed up by experience, practicable. My business partner and I will be overhauling our web site based upon all of her great tips.

Maria's approach to wriitng this book made me feel like
I kenw here personally. It was easy to follow with great ideas for implementations.

Get a copy, if you only get on tidbit, it's worth the price.

René Remington

Information will help set up my website and make it more user friendly!

Most of the examples are about writing good copy for websites that promote miracle cures, etc. Same with the email marketing section where you get advice on bypassing spam filters. Otherwise has some good advice that would be useful if it was targeted to more mainstream marketers.

I loved the information provided in this book. I also liked that she provided helpful resource sites.

In marketing, perception is key. The one reviewer thought Veloso was describing how to deceive the reader and sell worthless products. What I took from that was how to make sure my worthy info/product did NOT get deleted or disregarded like the cialis, weight-loss pills, et al companies.

As always, you have to consider your audience when writing content. Many of these ideas are universal, but a few of them are geared toward retail type sites. For instance, you may not be able to apply them to a site that is selling large ticket services/products...like IT development($25,000+). But they still sparked thought - "how can i modify this idea to match my buyer's habits."

I highly reccommend the book and refer back to it often when i am working on a project.

This is not the first book I've read on writing web copy, but it is the best. A step-by-step tutorial to help you understand and determine the changes necessary for your success. I found that I've already employed several of the suggestions in this book, but I was missing out on the others because of my own personal perception of the way things are. This book is backed up with tons of user testing to show that just because you perceive something to be true/false doesn't make it so. The book was easy to read, smooth, and very helpful.

I didn't find this book to be appropriate for serious web writers; in fact, I feel that this book gives copywriters a bad name. It goes against the moral code that writers who want to be taken serious should follow and are taught to follow in school. Veloso teaches immoral verbal tricks that can be used to brainwash people into buying into scams that promise to make you rich by doing nothing. I can't believe people actually fall for the tricks outlined in this book, but they do. So if you are looking for some psychological and tricky ways to scam people into buying a worthless product, then this book may be useful. At least I know now after reading this book what the red flags are when someone is selling a vacuous product.

One of the best books for web marketers out there. Not only will you learn how to make your web copy sell but you'll learn about all the different kinds of web copy you must have. For example, Opt-In forms, Auto Responders, e-mails, etc. I had no idea that these things are responsible for the bulk of a web site's conversion rate. Very well written and organized. Step by step instructions. Get it! A great companion to this book is SEO for Dummies by Peter Kent. Talk about a one two punch!