Websites For Authors: Landing Page Dos and & Donts

Let’s start by explaining what a landing page is. Basically, it’s the default page that visitors land on when they do a search for you or your book on the Internet. Well designed landing pages can entice visitors to take action, either purchase your book, enter contact information for upcoming book signings or venture further into your website. When an action is performed on a landing page it’s known as a conversion. The ultimate goal is to secure as many conversions as possible. So, what can you do to create a great landing page? Here are  few simple guidelines to help you with your landing page.

Design It Well

As an author, you recognize the importance of having an eye-catching book cover. Well, the same things goes for your landing page. Make it visually engaging for your visitors. Don’t burden the page down with heavy, lengthy content. Instead, incorporate elements from your book’s cover into the layout. Tie-in the book with the landing page and visitors will have a clear understanding about who you are, what your book is about and how to purchase a copy.

Get A Reaction

The landing page for your book’s website is like your own personal salesperson. For that reason, you want the page to share a compelling message that makes the page unique and that will increase conversion. This can be accomplished by writing a headline like, “Only 10,000 Copies Available,” or “Read the Bestseller That Critics Are Raving About.” Additionally, you want to be direct with your visitors and state a clear call-to-action such as “buy now” or “subscribe here.” Keep them short and sweet.

State the Value

Remember that whitespace is a friend to any good landing page. More is not better. Keep your content succinct and to the point. Save the flowery language for your book and use your landing page to give short, bullet points about why your book is a must-read and must-buy. Explain what sets it apart from other books within the genre and even one or two about yourself as an author. Visitors that know value are more likely to purchase.

When you create a landing page for your book try to think about what motivates you as a buyer. Use what you know and you’ll have a fantastic landing page constructed in no time.

Websites Designed For Authors

Building author websites to define your online brand

So you’ve written your first novel, or maybe it’s your second, fifth or even 20th, what do you do with your website? As an author in today’s modern world, it’s mandatory to have an online presence. Your fans and readers want to find you and connect with you, and so do the press, literary agents and others. Having a professional, well-designed and well-organized website can boost sales, increase media exposure and set you apart from other authors.

Sadly, many best selling authors have neglected this key marketing tool and still others have jumped on a cookie-cutter bandwagon making their sites indistinguishable from the masses. We spent some time looking at a few outstanding (and disappointing) author websites and put together a list of inspirational URLs that are unique and on point.

Peter Carey. This is a fantastic site that is extremely easy to navigate and leaves no one guessing about who the author is. The color scheme is subtle, but pleasing. Carey has done a great job including audio and video throughout the interface and organized it quite well too.

Augusten Burroughs. A true reflection of the author’s personality, this site is a tribute to creativity and targeted messaging. It’s simple to find the author’s bio, upcoming events, new and contact details. Even though there’s a strong visual presence, it doesn’t detract from the site’s true purpose – inform readers about newest book and find additional information quickly.

Nicholas Sparks. The nice thing about Spark’s site is that it’s perfectly appealing for his target audience. The clean layout and soft color schema have a modern femininity about them. This is an excellent example of how an author is using technology to extend the circle of attraction that his written body of work has among loyal readers.

Stephen King. If you’re expecting buckets of blood or Flash-designed bats to float around the screen you’ll be sorely dismayed. King maximizes his site’s ability to deliver an onslaught of regular news and ongoing updates. Front page (literally) and center, all the latest publicity and coverage is right at your fingertips. At the same time, the site continues to make superb use of navigational components.

Miranda July. Absolutely one of the most innovative author websites ever created. You can’t deny the fact that once you’re on the site you’re instantly hooked and want to read more. Although this site is extremely unconventional, it’s totally unforgettable and sticks with you long after you’ve entered another Google search term. Unfortunately, the actual author site isn’t nearly as impressive as the path that you take to get there. This site is included in our list because it’s a good demonstration of ‘thinking outside of the box’.

We hope these sites offer some assistance when it comes to constructing your own.