The Necessities of an Author’s Website
What exactly is an Author’s Website?
Your author’s website is basically your platform.
It is your online “home”. The place where you showcase your brand. The place where people can find your books and everything else you offer.
There they can contact you, find links to your other sites or profiles.
Your readers may want to know about you and what you represent before purchasing your products.
If you are an unknown writer, your website is a perfect place to show to the world that you are an expert in your field by highlighting your accomplishments and ventures.
Like I am highlighting my journey to A New York Times Bestselling Author.
It may not be the perfect journey, but it’s a journey.
And I do humbly thank you for looking on.
So…. Let me answer your other question.
Do All Authors need Websites?
It is highly recommended that all authors have at least one website.
A website is your digital calling card. Your introduction to the writing world.
Now, with so many people getting on the writer’s bandwagon, it’s easy for you and your books to get lost in the crowd.
Your website will help you stand out; to become unique and distinguishable. It is also a base for our fans to hang out with you.
As with any social media group, followers love to hang out with their leaders and readers are no different.
They love knowing all there is to know about their favorite author and how they think.
If you do not know yet, I have mentioned it before. The words website and blog are now interchangeable, and people use them to mean the same thing. But technically, the website is the place where your blog lives.
These are just some reasons you will need to have a website, and I am sure with your endeavors you will find much more.
For me, the following is the most important reason for owning a website.
It is a great tool for marketing your books and services.
As your business grow (yes writing is a business and you are now an entrepreneur) you can showcase your books and other writing related products on your site and can also integrate other shopping components such as a shopping cart, PayPal payment button, digital downloading tools, etc.
These will make it easy for your customers and readers to complete purchases without difficulties and without leaving your site.
And we don’t want that now, lol.
KEY FEATURES OF AN AUTHOR’S WEBSITE
Okay, here are a few features you can start with. -
These may not be all the components for your site, but they are some of the most important features.
1. Your authors’ Bio.
This comprises five or more lines and tells the world a little about your background, why you write and your future goals.
2. Book Page.
This is a special page that showcases your books. It should be comprise of your book description, title, book cover and reviews.
Some writers use separate pages for all their books, while others pile them all on one page and use a separate page for their new releases.
Ensure to include links to retailers where your book is presently available.
3. Blog.
As I mentioned earlier, your website can also house your blog.
Here your fans can connect with you and your present and future projects.
4. A Mailing list or sign-up form.
This is one of the most important features of any writer’s arsenal.
All the bloggers I follow states that this is the most important, must have part of your website. Simply because everyone believes that the money is in your email list.
You can lose everything that you own online, and your business will collapse for a while, but if you have your mailing list, then you have the core of your success and past progress.
A mailing list helps you to keep in contact with your readers.
Any future book releases and announcements could be easily communicated to the members of your list. Resulting in conversions and sales as your email list is the best place to pitch your products to an already devoted following.
Here are some components of a successful site:
1. Keep it clean and uncluttered.
2. Ensure that it is easily accessible.
3. Provide purchase links.
4. Ensure that links are workable.
5. Be social. Include social share buttons.
6. Communicate with your readers regularly.
7. Post regularly.
8. Minimize response time.
9. Be kind. It is nice to be nice.
Always!
So, there you have my take on the importance of an author’s website.
I hope reading this encouraged you as it did me. The journey continues.
