Futher tips for your author website

By Katie Stahl, Publishing Assistant

Back in September, we brought you an article on author websites—how important they are to a book’s success, what to include on them, and how to find a great web designer. Today, we’d like to share some tips on how to make a good website even better.

First up, a bookseller offers ten tips for authors to make their websites more accessible to both readers and booksellers on the site "Dear Author." Tips include featuring a printable booklist on your site (so that readers can print it out and bring it to a bookstore) and a link to your contact information on your home page (so readers and booksellers can connect with you and provide feedback). Also important is to "toot your horn" by including any awards you’ve won—readers want to know why they should choose your book over another author’s book. In general, keep things simple for visitors to your site; they shouldn’t have to work to buy or sell your books. And, for the golden rule of author websites, the more information you can provide, the better: "Honestly, what it comes down to for a great website is info, info and more info. If readers and booksellers are getting what they need from your website, readers can get in and out of the bookstore that much quicker, will buy MORE and have more time to read great books!!!"

So what about what not to include on your website? Yen Cheong’s "The Book Publicity Blog" covers those tips. Authors should avoid dark backgrounds, small or multiple fonts, unused features (like a blog that is never updated), slow flash animation, and book trailers that play automatically. Also, make certain that each page on the site has a unique address, or permalink, for easier navigation. The bottom line is that readers looking up books online aren’t looking for entertainment; they are seeking information.

Once your site is up and running, how can you evaluate its effectiveness? Run it through Website Grader, a (free!) tool that measures a website's marketing effectiveness. When evaluating sites, Website Grader takes numerous factors into consideration, including traffic, social popularity, and technical factors. Along with a grade, you’ll also receive some advice on how to improve the website. So with all this advice at your fingertips, what’s stopping you from creating a grade-A website of your own?

Please feel free to share any additional tips or links to other blogs on websites in the comments.