You have a website built, but now you need to put information on it. Start simple and work your way into more content as you progress in your career. You’ll need to set up a homepage, an about page, a contact page, and a place to sign up for your email list. Other pages like a book list, a progress report, or book reviews can be added as you publish books. All of these are static pages. They won’t really change. You’ll need to also have a dynamic page that adds new content to the website on a regular basis. This is important to keep fans engaged, but it also helps increase the relevancy of your site and the chances of search engines, like Google, bringing up your website in its results.
1. Homepage
The most important thing to know about the homepage is that it’s your first impression. Don’t make it cluttered or confusing. Make sure that you state the purpose of the website and what the reader can expect from it. You can use the colors and pictures of the page to portray your style as well. If you are writing horror, you might want a darker page (but don’t make it hard to read). If you are writing Christian fiction, you could put a picture of a cross at the top. Try to give the reader a feel for what to expect on your website.
To add content, you can link other pages to the homepage, such as a blog if you have one. When you have books out, this would be a good place to advertise the newest release. You can also have book reviews featured here. Basically, put up anything you can to gain and keep the attention of the reader.
2. Newsletter Signup
The homepage is also the perfect place to have your newsletter sign up form. I created my form and email list through Mailchimp. I have also heard good things about Constant Contact, but I went with Mailchimp because it had the best free software for beginners and is simple to use. If that’s the route you choose, Mailchimp has lots of articles on their website to help you through the process.
I had no problems setting this up. I chose to have a stationary form on the homepage, and then I also made a pop-up form for anywhere on the website. Just make sure you don’t make the pop-up annoying. I’d suggest not having it show immediately when someone comes to your website. You want them to get to know your content before asking them to join an email list. If they don’t know what they are signing up to receive, they will probably just exit out of the pop-up without giving it a second thought.
3. About Page
If you’re like me, you’re thinking, “I have no idea what to say about myself. Can’t I just skip it?” No! You’ll have two types of readers: those who only care about the story and never look into the author and those who grow attached to the author and care about the stories of that author. The first type probably won’t ever read your bio so no pressure there. The second type, however, want to know you better, and they’ll also be your most loyal fans. Don’t annoy them if you can help it.
So, write a bio. It can be simple in the beginning. What made you want to write? What do you like to read? What are your hobbies or weird quirks? Just simple stuff. It makes you seem more like a human and less like a faceless name behind their favorite book.
4. Contact Page
Use a contact form on this page so your email doesn’t get spammed. You don’t want to miss out on an important email because you accidentally deleted it amongst all the junk mail. Refer back to last week’s post if you want to know how I did it.
5. Dynamic Page
Here is the big question: What content are you going add to your website on a regular basis?
You can do a professional blog. I say professional because I don’t recommend keeping an online diary on your website. Future editors and agents will be reading your content, and you want to portray some level of professionalism. You can blog about a hobby (mine is writing, in case you couldn’t tell), do book reviews, movie reviews, or even just short tips about something. It doesn’t have to be long or earth shattering. Just do something to keep your website current.
You could do something in line with your genre. Do you write thrillers and love shooting guns? Write about the hobby and you might gain followers who are impressed with your gun knowledge.
If you have books out, you can do regular updates on what you’re writing next. Fans like to know how the sequel is coming or if a new project in on its way. I certainly keep an eye on the progress of my favorite authors. You could also do updates on what conventions or events you’ll be attending so fans can plan to see you there.
What if you don’t have a book out but blogging sounds like a chore? Do you just want to write stories? Then make that your dynamic page. Post short stories, poems, or a serial story on a regular basis. It will give people an idea of what type of books to expect from you when you do have something to put on the shelf.
There are several more ways to keep your website changing. Get creative. The important thing is to be consistent. If you are going to post something once a day, week, or month, then do it! Show your fans (and potential agents and editors) that you deliver on your promises.
Final Thoughts: Word Of Caution
Images on websites are powerful and necessary, but you can’t just use any picture you find on the internet. If you can take your own pictures, good for you. Otherwise, you have to make sure you don’t break any copyright laws by using a picture online. I found a great post by Julia Rabin on copyright rules when using pictures on blogs, and it includes a list of websites where you can search and use any of their pictures legally. I’d highly recommend reading the article and then bookmarking some of the websites for future use.
Thanks for reading!
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