Purpose of Website/Blog
- Author Presence – This is your primary online place to represent you the author and your brand.
- Books – A place to tell the world about your books and where to find them.
Blog vs. Website
Blog: The term is short for “web log,” and may contain a few pages.
- Set-up – Easier to create than a website.
- Informal – Written in a conversational style.
- Content – Personal online journaling, photos, artwork, videos, covers, and more.
- Interaction – Encourages readers to respond and be responded to as well.
- Book Links – Supplies links to your books and where they are sold.
- Other Links – Links to other social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
- Updates – Frequently updated, at least bi-weekly.
Website: This is a permanent online address where information about the author and their book(s) are described in detail.
- Set-up – More extensive set-up required, either DIY or by a professional.
- Formal – More formal and professional style.
- Content – Interconnected pages, images, book covers and descriptions, links to booksellers, media information, and more.
- Interaction – Little interaction with readers unless the website contains a blog.
- Updates – Static and the content is not regularly updated.
Domain Name
- Ownership – It is important to be listed as the “Registrant” whether you purchase it or someone else does on your behalf. Otherwise, you will not have access to it.
- Details – You need the username and password for it.
- Purchasing – There are many places to buy a domain name and many extensions available (.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .eu, and more)
- GoDaddy – world’s largest registrar for $2.99 https://rebrand.ly/5xlp8nx
- Network Solutions – domain registrars for $5. https://rebrand.ly/gc4foti
- Expiration – Usually needs to be renewed annually or every couple of years.
Contents of Author Website
Home Page
- Header – Author name, tagline, and maybe a headshot.
- Tagline – A catchphrase that encapsulates in no more than three to six words what you are as a writer.
- Starla Kaye – Romance books that turn up the heat
- Starla Criser – Stories to warm your heart
- Tagline – A catchphrase that encapsulates in no more than three to six words what you are as a writer.
- Cover – Cover of your most recent book or covers of all your books.
- Links – Social media links.
- Content Pages – Links to specific pages: About the Author, Latest Release, Upcoming Release, Events, Books, Blog, Contact
- Newsletter Sign-Up – If you plan on doing a newsletter.
- Use a service like MailChimp or Constant Contact to collect emails. Their form goes on your website and signups go directly to your email list.
- MailChimp – https://mailchimp.com/
- Constant Contact – https://rebrand.ly/slzwdno
- Use a service like MailChimp or Constant Contact to collect emails. Their form goes on your website and signups go directly to your email list.
About Page
- Author Bios – Preferably have two.
- Long version – Put this on the “About the Author” page.
- Short version – Put this on the “Home” page, with a link to read more on the “About the Author” page.
- Professional Headshot
Latest Release
- Book cover, description, and where available.
Upcoming Release
- Book cover, description, and where available.
Events
- Upcoming book signings, speaking engagements, etc.
Books
- Booklist – Printable list of all books
- Categories/Series – Drop-down lists of different book categories or series (if more than one)
- Starla Kaye – Western, Contemporary, Historical
- Starla Criser – Books for Adults, Books for Children, Senior Anthologies
- Individual Book Page – Each book should have its own page with a Long Description (150-200 words), cover, and purchase details.
- Start with a bold, clear, and punchy headline that highlights something interesting about the book (genre, key topic, theme) in 25-30 words.
- Sets the mood and shows the readers the author’s style.
- End with a strong close that encourages the reader to purchase the book in 25-50 words.
- Who the book is for, for fans of…, great gift for…
- Avoid time-sensitive language to keep it from becoming outdated: “latest,” “soon,” “forthcoming,” “most recent,” or “last year.”
- Offer an excerpt for viewing or download.
- Fiction Book – Describe the plot, settings, and key characters.
- Non-Fiction Book – Detail the subjects covered, important people, places, and things.
- Each book should also have a Short Description to be used as a pitch for book discovery and sales purposes.
- This is what appears in publishing catalogs, trade show copy, online websites, marketing materials, press releases, online retailers, and more.
Blog
- Content
- Titles – Use captivating titles to hook readers.
- Topics related to your book(s), topics with which you are knowledgeable.
- Announce about posts on social media to drive traffic to the website.
- Two-way discussion to encourage comments and your response to them.
- Contributors – Have readers, peers, industry experts and others contribute to the blog and build a network of supporters.
- Photos/Graphics – Visual content catches the key; use royalty free images.
- Sale – Hint (ask) for a sale by mentioning your book at the end of the post, including a link for purchasing.
- Updates – Weekly or at least bi-weekly.
Contact
- Use a form that hides your email address to keep spammers away.
- Ask for basic information: email address, name.
Monitoring Website Traffic
Sessions
- Number of times people come to the site.
Unique Visitors
- Number of distinct people coming to the site.
Pageviews
- Number of pages viewed on the site.
Bounce Rate
- Percentage of visitors to the site who see one page and leave the site (bounce off).
- High bounce rate – Consider rethinking the site content or layout.
- Low bounce rate – Visitors are liking the content and you are achieving reader engagement.
Average Session Duration
- How long someone stays on the site.
- Indicates what people are doing on your site.
Top Content
- Track the content that gets the most page views.
- Can tell you what pages are high-performing and what to do more of
Social Visits
- Use the Traffic Source section of Google Analytics to find out what social media sites are sending the most traffic to the website.
Keywords
- Track the keywords people use to search to get to your site.
- Consider using more of them on your site, especially the homepage.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
- Consider the traffic source keywords.
- Do not overly optimize using too many keywords and phrases that the site is hard to read.