Yes, You Need an Author Website!
(Here Are the Absolute Must-haves)
When it comes to marketing yourself as an author, there are a few things you might want to consider, including a press kit and author photos. One thing you absolutely need, however, is an author website. Yes, even in our age of social media, a website is not a marketing step you want to skip over. After all, social media platforms can come and go and their algorithms always change, but a website is yours. It’s your piece of real estate that you wholly control.
In this article, we will give you the key elements of any author’s website, big or small, so you are sure to leverage this critical marketing tool.
An Eye-catching Homepage Banner Image
Any good website offers visual elements that entice a visitor to linger, and your homepage must be as welcoming as possible. Nothing sets the tone as much as your banner image. Go beyond plain colours and pick images that evoke the mood or themes of your writing.
A Welcome Message
Your homepage is the red carpet you roll out for your visitors. A strong welcome message is an effective way to 1) connect with visitors and 2) tell them more about yourself and your books. Does the welcome message have to be long? Not at all. Even just a paragraph is fine, so long as it is well-written, personable, and encapsulates your essence.
Your Book Cover
If you are uncertain whether you should feature your book cover on the homepage, we are here to say “Yes!” If you have a multi-page website, you do not want to divulge too much about your book on the homepage, primarily in the interest of keeping your homepage clean and clutter- free, but you do want to let people know about your book. So, do showcase it (along with direct “buy” links) right on the homepage.
An “About” Page
While your welcome message invites people to your website, people also want to know more about you. Sharing an author bio is particularly critical if you are seeking to position yourself as a thought leader in your field, so do include one on your website.
A “Book(s)” Page
A page dedicated to your book(s) is the best way to compel people to buy your work. This is where you include a synopsis, any book reviews you have received and purchasing links (to Amazon and/or any other retailers that carry your book.)
These are the absolute musts for any author website, but they are all easy, and best of all, you will largely be repurposing content you have already created. Even if you have a very straightforward single-page website, you can still feature all the elements we’ve covered in this post. Now that you know what to include on your website, it’s time to design it! At the Aaxel Author Group, website design is just one of our many marketing services. Even better, we offer both an elaborate multi-page design or our One page Starter Website for those authors who want a minimal—but still professional—online presence.
Of course, a website is only one piece of the marketing puzzle. To get a bigger picture of what a marketing strategy looks like, check out our post on book marketing plans.
Want to learn more about website design or any other marketing service? Contact us!
