Tuesday, January 19, 2016

5 Features Every Author’s Website Needs

Time and time again, the wide expanse of the internet has proven to be a crucial tool in marketing. Whether a professional writer wants to connect with their audience or an up-and-coming author needs to promote their new book, a key tool in achieving success is to build a website. There are many cheap web design company out there. In order to get your website noticed, it can’t be something thrown together without a strategic plan- Rome wasn’t created in a day, right? These top website features will keep the readers coming back to your site, and will exponentially further the marketing of your books.

1. Clean Format
A book is a direct figure that portrays an idea, and your website should be just that. A site with a one column format, meaning your posts and updates are wrapped vertically down the page, is easier to read than a site that has no system or categorization. The design of your site and the fonts you decide to use also play a major role in keeping your readers’ attention. Simple fonts and a clean color scheme will never fail, and your audience will thank you for it.

2. Email List
Once readers have visited your site, how do you keep them coming back? Emailing lists are so widely used because they are great sources of information to give to the public. Email marketing services like MailChimp and VerticalResponse allow you to conveniently send email updates to your readers while also promoting your books and future writings. Your readers have the choice to sign up for your newsletter, so make sure you have an email list page or widget out in the open, readily available to the public.

3. Social Media Buttons
Communication with readers is so important for an author. You can collaborate ideas, gain feedback and critiques, and even make new friends. Social media is essential for a writer to not only promote themselves, but to connect with everyone in the industry. Having social media buttons available on your website will allow interested visitors to follow you on your social accounts, thus creating a larger reader’s circle. There are a number of different social channels you can add here, the most popular being Facebook and Twitter. Usually website templates have social media buttons already integrated into the CSS, but various tutorials are available online to add your own customized buttons.

4. Blog Posts
There’s a huge difference between simply having a website and operating a blog. Sure, with a website you can promote your book, include facts, maybe share a bit about yourself, but there isn’t much growth beyond that. Readers would be more inclined to visit a site with updated posts, hence the beauty of owning a weblog. By merging your website into a functioning blog, you’ll combine the promotion of your book with posts that showcase your unique voice. The blog posts can be about anything you choose, but would better market your work if they were directed towards your published books.

5. About the Author
Short, sweet and to the point- that is what an author’s “about me” page should be. This gives you the chance to share a little about yourself and better relate to your viewers while sneaking in some of your completed achievements. If the page seems to stretch on for miles, it looks less interesting to the reader. Keep it short while also keeping it factual. Read more here about how to write an about me page.

An author’s business website design can improve their chances of being noticed with the use of a clean interface and interesting posts. Anything that can help the writer better connect with the public, such as emailing lists and social media, will always be an asset. A website is a beneficial step on the ladder to success.

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