As a Published Author, or soon-to-be Published Author, you need a website. Show off your books, show off yourself, correspond with your readers and reviewers, take payments and offer book signings and deals.
I'm already on Amazon. Why do I need a website?
Your author website is all about you. Who you are, what you do, what you’ve written. What you believe in. It's a window on your creative soul.
Your website is a place to let you shine and show readers why they should read your books. It builds your brand. All roads lead to your website. It's your basecamp.
You can list and sell your books, show who's reviewed them and what they've said. You can have conversations with your readers, let them get interested in what you're interested in. Whether it's a full on mission to save the world or a fleeting flight of fancy, you will build yourself a fan base.
Even if you’re starting from social media, people will often want to be directed to your website to learn more about you.
It gives you a sense of legitimacy, a professional edge and and people who find you on Amazon can go visit your website to learn more about you and your book if they’re on the fence. Some readers love knowing how a story came to be. What events or inspiration created it? Who were the characters based on?
If your website is professional and beautifully designed, it's likely your book is a well.
Design
Good web design is all about creating a site that a user ‘gets’. They don’t question why certain things are where they are, or why important pieces of information seem to be missing. The average person may not even notice if a website is well-designed, but you bet they’ll notice if it’s poorly designed.
9 significant points to consider when designing your site:
The look and feel of your site should reflect you and your book(s)
Be sure it is easy to navigate
Highlight your most recent book
Ensure it’s responsive so that it works on all screen sizes and browsers
It’s beneficial to have an accessible website, so those with visual impairments can still access the content
Implementing SEO strategies can help your site rank higher in search engines and gain more organic viewers
Have someone, such as a friend or professional, look over your written content for proper grammar and spelling
Keep things clean and simple Keep a balance between written content and images
6 essentials to include on your site:
Key pages – a page about you (the author), a page about your book(s), a contact page, a privacy policy page
Additional pages that should be thought about – a blog, an event page, a media page
Features such as a newsletter (preferably with an opt-in offer such as a free chapter), endorsements from influencers, reader reviews, and awards
Links to where readers can purchase your book(s)
Links to social media
Call-to-actions (buttons such as ‘Learn more about my book’) that grab readers’ attention.
