In today’s world you need to meet the needs of the public. If you don’t have a writer’s website, you are
missing a great opportunity. Let’s face
it – your website is your electronic business card to the world.
It should develop along with your writing career. Your website
should offer— all your books, articles, or writing and editing services. Unlike the purpose of a blog - to involve people
in discussions - the purpose of a website is to inform people about who
you are and to market your books to potential readers, also to entice agents,
editors, and even publishers.
Don’t worry, your website will reward you many times over for
the time and money you invested in it. Make
sure you keep the information on your site up-to-date, make sure the content is
professional and sells what you are offering, spice it up with a little tech flair,
and maintain a robust effort to direct people to the site.
How can you tell if your website isn’t working for you?
Follow the basics. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner writer or a
multi-published author building a platform, your website should fuel basic
expectations.
Information should be structured to easily guide a visitor from step
one to the final click without angst or confusion.
·
The home page needs a welcoming message.
·
Provide an ‘about the author’ page exhibiting published
fiction/nonfiction (and easy ‘click’ links to them).
·
Set up a current ‘reviews’ page.
·
You will want a ‘Books’ page with story blurbs.
·
Provide a contact page with your contact info.
·
What about an events page and/or book signing calendar?
·
How about a ‘services page’ where a visitor may leave a ‘review’
or ‘comment’ about your books?
Once you choose the pages for your website, verify the data and
setup:
·
Use high-resolution book cover images and author photos.
·
Use current menu names.
·
For drop-down menus – simple is the key.
·
Double-check and make sure all links are working.
·
Keep in mind Flash and music intros will slow down page-load
time – I never use them.
·
Periodically verify your site loads properly on all popular
Internet browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome).
Polish the site from
time to time. Once you have your site up and
working, don’t forget about it. The
basics are good but updating and making it a fun experience will bring a
visitor back time and again.
Why not create a ‘reveal secrets’ section on your site? You might reveal a character’s history or share
pictures or trips that inspired the setting for a book.
You might have a ‘history page’ that deepens a visitor’s knowledge
of a subject or place you’re writing about. Create a ‘behind-the-scenes’ info
sheet – include information or quant data that you didn’t use in the book, but
are fun to share.
Trailers or video and audio clips are a great tool. Always keep a link to your website on Facebook
and Twitter. Did you know you can record
fan and visitor numbers? It’s a great
way to know if your site is working for you.
These number come in handy when a prospective publisher asks; “How do
you have a website and how successful is it?”
Never forget it takes but
one click for visitors to go elsewhere.
They will, too, if your site is not kept up-to-date. If you have a site, never leave it dormant or
your numbers will reflect it. I often
ask, “Why have a site if you don’t care to make it work for you?”
Create a ‘call to action’ or a ‘do it now’ prompt on your
site. Why? It will lure visitors to get involved – maybe
they will win a book or a box of chocolates! Sell books and build a platform by including “buy” links to purchase books; e-newsletter
sign-ups; contests for excitement; and so on.
Mark your calendars to review website material monthly and mark
down when/what contests or new additions you want to make on the site. Keep in
mind you don’t want to give everything away at once or have too much happening
or it will be confusing. Connect fun
events that coincide with book releases.
Familiarize yourself
with Internet search
engines? - Even if you hate technology – if you want to use the internet
and all it has to offer - you must learn to be savvy. Search engines scan content on websites in
response to queries typed into a search field. When ‘keywords’ are a
relevant match, that site appears in the search results.
How can you be sure you are using a relevant keyword? The most important keyword for an author is your name,
book titles, even character names. So make a list of your keywords and tweak
your own website code to put the keywords in.
You can find tutorials online, and can learn more about this
topic in resources such as Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide
(available for free at http://bit.ly/d29DIe) and the Yahoo! Style Guide
(free articles are available at styleguide.yahoo.com).
You may hire a web designer or design your own. I designed my own and it was amazingly
easy. The upkeep is equally fun and simple. The choice is yours.
Remember to track your results by watching how many monthly page
views you get, the number of people signing up for an offer, the sales of books
or services—all part of what is called Web analytics. Track your stats, then modify
your keywords accordingly … and save the data.
Don’t forget, Agents and publishers are impressed with great website
stats because numbers drive business. Showing your numbers provide conclusive proof
you market your work.
The bottom line is no matter how many visitors you get a month, make
your site an important asset worthy of your time, energy, and money. More importantly, use your website to show
just how proud you are of your work.
And, if you create a traffic flow that reaches people and sells books –
great!
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