In the past ten years, a whole new world of opportunity has opened up for the professional copywriter: Internet copywriting. Web copywriting is writing copy for online use; examples are writing website copy, blogging, electronic newsletters and articles, online advertising, electronic journals, online how-to guides, and web training materials. A Web copywriter may work for an Internet company, but more often than not works for a copywriting or advertising agency who supplies web copy to companies. Also, the Internet is a ripe opportunity for freelance copywriters.
The Web customer is a little different than the traditional print and media customer. You need to approach writing web copy differently--it entails its own set of tips and techniques. You should educate yourself on the ins and outs of electronic copywriting.
I highly recommend a few excellent books that teach the intricacies of online copy writing:
The Online Copywriter's Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Write Electronic Copy That Sells. The Web has developed its own set of rules and attitudes for writing hard-hitting marketing copy. This book is the first practical and authoritative guide to what exactly those rules are and how they differ from writing for print audiences. From novices just taking their first copywriting steps to veterans looking to add impact and results to their online efforts, it covers everything from general fundamentals of writing effective copy to specific Internet copywriting tips and traps.
Web Copy That Sells: The Revolutionary Formula for Creating Killer Copy Every Time. This guide presents copy strategies that have been proven time and again in the e-commerce arena. Maria Veloso, perhaps the most widely acclaimed online copywriter in the world, reveals her revolutionary approach based on five simple questions, which, when answered, make the copy practically write itself.
Copywriting for the Electronic Media: A Practical Guide. This book takes into account the many changes in electronic media, covering aspects of electronic copywriting such as tone and grammar; basic style mechanics and legal and ethical considerations; advertising basics; the mechanics of radio and television copywriting; and specialized forms of electronic media content other than commercials such as public service and political announcements, broadcast news, online material, and teleplays. Makes abundant use of writing exercises and contains plentiful examples of aired copy.