KEEP YOUR AUTHOR WEBSITE EXCITING BY RITA KARNOPP

We all know that your eye-catching website is your business card to the world.  It should be the ‘first impression’ you want to portray to readers, writers, editors, publishers, clients, and even agents.

Your website should not only tell about you, but should display books, articles, or services you have to offer.  A website is not a waste of money – on the contrary – it should be one of the best investments you make in your writing career.  It should more than double the money you’ve invested.

Unlike blogging, where our motive is to engage others in a discussion, your website’s main goal is to inform people about you and what you have to offer.

I must admit here, I would rather write than worry about my website!  There you have it.  I’m not the most savvy when it comes to all the wonderful social networking opportunities we have these days.  Let’s face it – in the ‘old days’ we had a business card, maybe a flier, sent out postcards, and a hand-shake.  Yep, relatively easy.  If you stick to those practices, you’ll sign your death-warrant as an author.

If you’re not visible on the social networking scene, you’re missing out on a great opportunity.  It all begins with your website.  So how do you create an exciting, fresh, and crowd pleasing website that will engage those willing to ‘visit’ you?  The expression I love the most is ‘learn to be tech savvy and maintain a strong buzz.’

GETTING STARTED – There are some basic items that should be on your website to meet visitor expectations.  I’d suggest you go out and visit several of your favorite author’s websites and get a feel for what they share, how they share it, and think about how you can ‘create’ your own space to reflect who you are.

You should be building a platform whether you’re published or non-published and this begins this with your website.  Always keep in the back of your mind this site should be compelling, current, and friendly.

Begin with the basic setup pages as follows:

ü  Welcome – home page

ü  Bio Page– who are you and what do like to do besides write

ü  Portfolio Page– what books are available/blurbs – links directly to ordering them

ü  Review Page

ü  Contact Page– include email, agent/publicist info, blog page, Twitter, FaceBook, Linkedin, Hootsuite, etc.

ü  Calendar/Events Page – book signings, guest, interviews

ü  New Releases Page – What are you working on?  Date new releases.

Verify you’ve considered the following:

ü  High resolution photos and book covers

ü  Terminology current – portfolio and not library, etc.

ü  Is your site easy to more around in?

ü  Double check ‘links’

ü  Avoid Flash and music – will slow down page load-time.

ü  Double check site loads on popular browsers (Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox, etc.)

BUFF IT UP – You want to engage your visitors.  Don’t be ordinary – be extraordinary.

Keep a link to your website on Facebook and Twitter, etc, —and record your social media fan and follower numbers, because they can come in handy when querying agents or talking to publishers about how you promote your books.  It reveals you know the market and you’re successfully being noticed.

As it’s important to have an outstanding website, it won’t do you any good if the information is old, links don’t work, or if you haven’t spiffed-it-up from time-to-time.  You know that seeing the same site over and over will not excite or prompt you to return – same applies to your site.

Put a monthly reminder on your calendar to visit your own website and update it.  Check your ‘buy’ links and make sure they’re working.  Designate an area on your ‘home page’ that will alert visitors what’s new and where to find it.

Be sure to keep reviews updated . . . it’s an inexpensive selling tool.  Same goes for pictures – change them out every month.  Keep your site fresh and new.

Do you have a newsletter?  Make sure it’s on your website and a place it’s available for them to sign-up. 

Do you have a blog?  Again, make sure this information is available.  Create a link so they can pop over and sign-up.

It boils down to being consistent – this will keep your visitors engaged with compelling content that makes them return time and time again.  Take your website to the next level – and your writing career right along with it.

YOUR WEBSITE IS YOUR ELECTRONIC BUSINESS CARD – By Rita Karnopp

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!