It’s safe to say not all author websites are created equally, but some must-haves for author websites can’t afford to be ignored. As a whole, the elusive group of creatures known as authors tend not to be the most technically-minded folks on the planet. They’d rather be making up stories, daydreaming, or drinking coffee or booze than tending to their author website. Not to mention it can be quite the hassle to find time to tweak one’s website in the middle of tending to all of life’s incessant demands. Yet, it’s hard to escape the crucial role a website plays to any author’s career.
This year, I will be covering blogging tips for authors, target readers, local marketing, and marketing audiobooks. Feel free to explore Word Bank’s archive of marketing posts. In particular, you might find the more technically minded Author Website Checklist of interest.
Must-Haves for Author Websites
Chances are (unless you’re an SEO expert), your author website isn’t going to drum up a huge amount of traffic that will result in many visitors buying your book. However, an author website is essential for growing your platform and for connecting with readers who want to know more about you and your work. Think of an author website as an online calling card. It’s your point of contact with the world. As such, it’s in your best interest to make sure the site provides a great user experience.
Most Recent Book Featured on Landing Page
The benefit of a static landing page over a list of blog posts or an about page means you can feature your latest book cover, a blurb, and brief biographical info. Is your call to action clear? You want to to entice visitors to either buy your most recent release or perhaps download its opening chapters for free. If you’ve written a series, consider offering the first title for free. This is a way to capture email addresses so you can stay connected with your fans.
Genre-Specific Site Design
Customize your site to align with the your genre so visitors can surmise this at a glance. If you wave the I-write-in-five-genres proudly, a top-notch website is the least of your worries. Use complementary colors along with easy to read and sizable font faces. Take advantage of white space and images, but avoid busy animation, image sliders, or audio. You site needs to load fast, or else you run the risk of visitors clicking away.
Email List Sign-up Form(s)
Beyond setting up hosting and choosing a website template, sign-up forms for free downloads in conjunction with newsletter or post delivery via email are a must. See this post for newsletter tips. It’s best to use a service like MailChimp to capture email addresses because you will have access to stats on opens and clicks, not to mention the ability to segment your audience for various messages.
Bio/About Page, Contact Form, Social Media
Consider going with a shorter user-friendly bio that can be digested at a glance, followed by a more detailed version. Contact forms are generally more inviting than listing your email address, so get comfortable using them. And for the love of all that is social media, have you made it easy to share your posts once read and to follow you on various social media platforms? Does your Twitter handle show when a post is shared?
To Blog or Not to Blog?
Only maintain a blog if doing so doesn’t get in the way of your “real” writing. Interacting with potential readers can be a great way to build community, but it’s also time consuming. A quarterly or monthly newsletter is a must to stay connected with fans, but a blog is an author’s personal choice. Regularly published posts do help keep a website continually discoverable by search engines, but you’re more likely to find readers via other marketing means.
Books, Products, Services, and Testimonials
Make sure to provide a page that features all of your books. Kudos to you if you’ve set up your own online bookstore, but at the very least, include links to the retailers that sell your titles. Also include a web page focused on any products or services you provide. If you get decent traffic, it might serve you to look into starting an affiliate storefront. Testimonials and reviews can either be placed on an appropriate page or given a page of their own.
Author Media Kit
Make it as easy as possible for reviewers, interviewers, etc. to find and use your author photo, book covers, and book-related information such as appearances. Consider including a table of contents to ease navigation. There’s no need to place your bio, etc. in two places. Merely include a link to the associated page. None of this vital information should have to be hunted for. Creating the ultimate author media kit is time well spent.
Respond to Readers
Take the time to get back to readers who write to you. Whether it’s a shoutout on Twitter, a blog comment, or an email, make it a priority to connect to let that fan know you have read their message. This is a must until you’re so inundated with fan mail that it would be impossible to respond individually to each one. Chances are you are a ways off from that!
Avoid Turning the Site into a Huge Sales Pitch
Please, whatever you do, don’t constantly remind readers to buy your book or to please post a review. This is extremely cheesy and spammy and wears thin very quickly. On the other hand, do whatever you can to make your book appealing to readers in other ways. If you do blog, consider writing about subjects related to your book whether its fiction or nonfiction. Be helpful and authentic. That will help sell your book.
Extras!
This might include things like free short stories, book-related pictures or illustrations, or videos. Always try to add the most value possible to keep your readers coming back for more. Such freebie may be posted on your website or perhaps only made available as a download or as exclusive newsletter content.
Tweet ThisWhat else might you add to the list of must-haves for author websites? Are there any author websites you’ve visited that you feel are particularly well done? Consider sharing in the comments below.
Please share responsibly. Jeri Walker, 2018. Posts may contain affiliate links. Image Credit: Book and Seedling.
One thing I would add, and it’s appropriate for just about any Web site, is that you want to show that the site has a pulse, that someone is actively updating and monitoring it. If you don’t have the time or ability to do this regularly, a simple way to show currency is to add your twitter or other social media feed on the homepage.
Ken, those are great points. It always bums me out when I come across an author’s work who seems kinda cool, but then visit their website only to realize it’s a complete ghost town.
Respond to Readers**
I’ve noticed that some writers respond to their readers, which is way COOL. For example, Lisa Genova, and I’m sure she is quite busy with books and being a Neuro Scientist and all.
I like that. Some of my faves, whom I’ve written to, haven’t even given me the time of day!
As always, Jeri, your advice is priceless. xx
Kim, I’m reading Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck and have visited his website a few times recently. He notes he reads everything readers send him, but he can’t reply to everyone. He puts so much thought into everything he writes, so even writing to write about why he can’t reply to everyone is pretty cool. Now my goal is to write him and see if I get a reply 🙂
Informative and comprehensive post, Jeri, thank you.
Hi, Jet. Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you found the post informative as I aim for that above all else.
Good list. My blog is my website and I have most of that covered. No landing page though.
Alex, there’s always time to add a landing page. I noticed not long ago that MailChimp offers that now. I checked out a few other possibilities as well, but finally settled on the Divi theme from Elegant Themes so add a landing page to this site.
My husband just set up an online store for his comic book. It’s something he’s been meaning to do for over a year, so I’m glad he finally did it. He hasn’t done a media kit, so maybe that’s something for him to do next!
Erica, that’s great that your husband has started an online store. I fully get too how it can take months upon months to get around to doing such things.
Creating a media kit is on my to-do list and great point to link it all to a separate page that contains all the links for ease of access. Very helpful post for new and more seasoned writers!
Thanks, Christi. All this research I do for the editing side of things means my author website better be up to snuff when I finally get around to working on it. I’m satisfied with maintaining a newsletter only for now in that realm.
Jeri, I admire your skill of presenting everything within a succinct post. I like this expression “author website as an online calling card”…I agree! A well-organised site gives you an insight into the work of the author and being busy is an excuse that nobody would like to buy.
While it is essential to interact with our readers, those who come just to throw an insignificant remark really puts me off.
Balroop, thanks so much. I feel the same way too about people who stop by and note, “Great post!” At least they hopefully share it on social media as well 😉
Great post Jeri. Happy to say I have most of the elements you mention. Now I should get thinking about a static page perhaps. 🙂
DG, a landing page would be a great way to draw even more attention to your books!
Great tips…. I agree with you as to Genre-Specific Site Design. A theme/layout that gets along with the chosen genre shows coherence and that is such an important factor. Credibility!
Using widgets to promote books could be useful too. Aside from the different pages to feature them.
Very useful post, dear Jeri… Happy week to you! 🙂
Aqui, adding videos related to an author’s book is a great idea for sure. I wish you a happy weekend ahead 🙂
I like many parts of this post, but keyed in on the–if you blog, don’t let it distract from whatever other writing it is you’re doing. It has taken me a long time to segregate my writing time into blogs, novels, stories and to manage it properly.
I also switched to Elegant Themes last year, but use the “Extra” theme. Boy, their support is top notch.
RoseMary, I know from experience how much blogging can get in the way of my creative writing. On the other hand, I really like to blog and that motivates me to get the writing done. Yet, I don’t want to start a blog for the sake of blogging a book since that creates issues when submitting for publication. Choices, choices, choices…
Great post Jeri. Tons of good advice for existing and would be authors. I hope to join their ranks soon.
Debra, that’s great to hear that you’re working on a book.
These are great tips Jeri! I use MailChimp for my newsletter and I love it. A Media kit is next on my list. It’s so hard to find time for everything!
Meredith, there just never seem to be enough hours in the day. I find that being strategic about implementing this or that can go a long way. I literally have to schedule website maintenance time or I never get around to it.
Hello Jeri,
Hope you are doing great.
I have read full post and it is very informative.
I have recently started a food blog as was little bored with my diary posts,my question is does these apply to food blog too?
I am almost sharing a recipe daily on my blog to attract traffic, and have some recipes in hand if anyone visits my site, do I have to continue this routine or at any point I can change, and if changed will that be a bad decision?
Andleeb, posting more frequently will always help bring more traffic, but what is most important is finding the posting schedule that works best for you. It’s also important to consider how much time you put into promoting each post as well as the various places you share each post. I always tell myself I’ll share my posts with certain groups, but time often escapes me.