Your Author Website's Landing Page

 

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer and Self-Publisher

 The internet is teeming with information on everything you can possibly think of. This includes information on your business platform. But with all this information available, there are still many who aren’t aware of the basics, the dos and don’ts of an author online platform.

I recently came across a website on ‘article submissions.’ Finding it on Twitter and being interested, I clicked on the link.

It brought me to a site with articles on unrelated topics. There wasn’t an About page or any information on what the site was about. And there wasn’t a Contact or Services page.

This marketer/business owner was leading people back to his site, apparently to sell something, but the site was completely ineffective. It was one of the most puzzling sites I’ve ever seen.

So, the question is: If someone lands on your website by accident, through a search, or via a social link, is it effective? Is it visitor optimized?

To answer these questions, you first need to know the fundamentals of a business website. And a business website can be an author’s site, a freelance writing site, a home business site, or a small business site. The basics are the same for all websites that sell something, whether it be books, services, or a product.

To guide you in the right direction to creating a visitor-optimized website, let’s go over the very basics.

Online marketing 101 is to create a website that works, a website that converts visitors into clients, customers, or subscribers.

This is the foundation of your online empire, and an effective website needs to immediately answer these four basic questions:

1. Who are you?
2. What are you offering?
3. Why is what you’re offering worthy of the visitor’s time, money, or email address?
4. Is the path to what you’re offering, the path to the YES, simple? (The YES is the potential customer’s positive action, whether it’s opting into your mailing list or buying what you’re offering, or other call-to-action)

Let’s go over each element:

1. Who You Are
Make sure your website has an About Me page. In addition, your landing page should clearly identify who you are. Don’t let the visitor have to hunt you down – don’t let her have to search through your site just to find some information on you.

Tip: Keep the About Me content conversational, like you’re talking to a friend.

2. What You Have to Offer
Your landing page needs to quickly convey what you have to offer. To do this, you can use an image with content or a video. Video is highly effective—it has been proven to increase conversion rates. 

Tip: Keep the ‘key’ information above the fold. This means it must be visible upon landing on the page. The visitor shouldn’t have to scroll down the page to find it.

3. Why What You’re Offering is Worthy of the Visitor’s Time/Money/Email
Let the visitor know the value of what you have to offer. Show how it will benefit her. And, if possible, make it seem exclusive. Figure out a way to make the visitor think he can’t get what you’re offering anywhere else.

Tip: The visitor must perceive the value of your offer as higher than its cost.

4. Is the Path to What You’re Offering (the Path to the YES) Simple?
Marketers use the acronym KISS (Keep it Simple Silly) to emphasize the importance of simplicity. Your website should be easy to navigate, focused and clear, have a simple design, and have an easy path to saying YES.

Tip: To keep it simple, have only one or two steps for opting in or to taking another call to action. 

To further cement the ‘tell it all and tell it quickly’ website strategy, the new timeline is only 3-5 seconds to get the job done. That’s the length of time you have to grab the visitor, let him know who you are, what you have to offer, and how it can benefit him. Longer than that and the visitor will bounce back to his search results.  
    
Ready, set, go!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is a working children’s writer and self-publisher. If you need help with ghostwriting, rewriting, editing, coaching, or publishing, visit Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi. 

You can check out Karen’s books HERE.

Connect with Karen on social media. 

 

The Author Website: Which is the Best Hosting Service?

 

Contributed by Margot Condor

Make no mistake, as an author you are embarking on a business. To be successful you must be willing to step outside the creative space and learn how to market your product. Even if you’re traditionally published, there will be an expectation that you get involved in the process of driving traffic to your bookstore.

Websites are no longer optional investments for businesses in the twenty-first century, if you’re a professional, an online presence is important. Sure, social media landing pages are good, but if you want to put yourself out there as a serious writer, you need a website.

The question becomes how much are you able to invest in that website?

As a new author, I have only just begun to research the various options for creating one, and I can tell you I hit a wall immediately when it comes to cost.

What I find absolutely maddening is the fact that many of these sites do not have an easy-to-find cost options page. When I tried to Google this simple question and I get directed to a page that says “Get Started.” Basically, it means unless you commit, you don’t find out what you will be paying! They obscure the cost and want you to join before that information can be seen. I really don't like the lack of transparency!

This article will explore the various options I researched. In order to get the information, I share with you here, in some cases, I just had to ask other authors what web hosting service they use, how easy their site was to create and use, and what they paid. I’ll explain later what I finally decided for myself and why.
 
Let me begin by suggesting that you buy your own domain, (this is the URL of your site) this can be added to any of these plans to make it easier for your readers and fans to find you. I use Dynadot: https://www.dynadot.com/). On the average it is around $12 a year.

I should say that there are several sites offering variations on the same basic package, they have templates, and they are easy to set up, even if you know nothing about coding, which I don’t. When you find a template you like, you can customize it to fit your needs. Drop in your own images, add your text, add pages, there are a lot of ways to make them unique to you. The template is just a place to start.

I was so impressed with the variety of options out there now. Many years ago I designed my first artist’s website with the help of my husband who does know all those magical things that turn a series of digits into images on your screen.

The design part was a laborious endeavor and took me forever. Of course, at that time, the only way to get a website designed, other than going through that grueling process, was to hire a pro to do it. But that wasn’t affordable for me or many creative people I knew. It still isn’t.

A DETAILED LIST OF HOSTING SERVICES FOR AN AUTHOR WEBSITE

1. WIX was the first to show up on the market that let you drag and drop your art into easy-to-use templates. The problem there was the lack of a personal URL. Last time I built a WIX website for an art collaboration they offered a way to get around having a link that featured WIX in your e-mail address rather than your name, by opting for a paid WIX site rather than the free one. Now… they no longer offer the free variant.

It is difficult to find the payment options on their site, so I’ll just give you that direct link: https://www.wix.com/upgrade/website

It starts with 3 GB of storage space for $16 a month, to 100 GB of storage space for $45 a month. Each of their tier options offers a variety of services. On the upside, they have a huge choice of templates, more than most: 900+ and 250+ apps. It’s easy to use and not a bad price, depending on how much you plan to load on your pages.

2. WEB.COM is another do-it-yourself website builder. They offer a free domain with your website package. With drag-and-drop template designs. They give you one-hour free tech support with their experts. It will work with WordPress, eCommerce, and shared hosting platforms. You can also move your existing WordPress website to Web.com hosting. They have a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee. Evidently, some sites crash a lot. They promise theirs will not.

Web.com offers 24-7 customer support by phone or through their online help center. They do not have a free plan. Their low introductory rates draw users in, but renewals are much more expensive. For example, starting at $4.95 to $19.95 per month, that only lasts for one billing cycle. Afterward, they jump up to $9.99 to $39.99, which is a significant increase. So, once you’ve committed and built your beautiful website, you end up paying a lot more than you expected. Seems dishonest to trick people who are not paying attention to the small print.

But if you stick with them, one upside is the social media integration for platforms including Instagram, Disqus, and Pinterest. You can showcase your Instagram Feeds, add a Pinterest “Pin It” button or link all your social media profiles. With the eCommerce Essentials or eCommerce Premium plan, you can sell on Facebook or Instagram to get your followers on your sales funnel. https://www.web.com/

3. GO DADDY has a free option; just pick a template to start. There are 15 categories with twenty options in each one to choose from. Add your content and business info to make it yours. Use built-in marketing to let people know you’re open for business. Manage everything from one dashboard on any device. Upgrade to an online store when you're ready to start selling. Their paid options are from $12 to $23 a month.

4. WEEBLY is impressive, although, similar to these others. I like their clean and simple interface, where everything is easy to find. Including their price structure which is quite affordable. They have the drag-and-drop builder, like the others, but also some extras that are not common elsewhere: Advanced animation effects, custom fonts, video background elements for dynamic designs, and you can add your own videos too. There is a built-in photo editor. This web builder appeals to the artist in me.

5. PUBSITE: I was very interested in this site. A couple of writers’ webinars I attended gave presentations about this site and it looks like an amazing place designed specifically to support authors. It is also a do-it-yourself website platform. It lets you easily display all your books, excerpts, videos, social media links and feeds, author tours, and online bookseller links, and you can sell your books directly from your website. Seems there are two options for blogging, design in-site or import your WordPress blogs that you created elsewhere.

It sounds very user-friendly and they have thought about everything you need as a writer. Pub Site has a monthly fee of $19.99 which includes hosting. Which comes to around $240 a year. Not bad considering all they offer. Everyone I have talked to who uses it has had great things to say about it. 

6. SQUARE SPACE:  I have several writer friends who swear that Square Space is the way to go. Honestly, after researching it, this is my least favorite choice, and I would not recommend Square Space to any writer who is not very tech savvy. This site does not offer a free plan either.
 
The cost to build a website with them depends on the number of pages, custom features, and functionality you choose. You pay extra for search engine optimization. You pay more if you have a project deadline, like a book launch. You pay differently depending on the expertise of the person designing for you. The cost of expert help is around $100 an hour. You’ll end up paying at least $2000 on the low end for their help with the design.

They want you to buy your domain name through them at the cost of $20 to $70 yearly. (I pay $12.00 a year at Dynadot.com) Then on top of all that, their yearly hosting fee is between $200 to $600 with an average cost of $300.

7. CANVA PRO is what I will be using, I saved it for my last entry as I am sharing more links on this one. I am already paying for the pro app to make leader magnets and social media ads. Canva Free, Canva Pro, Canva for Teams, and Canva for Education users can publish websites for free. But you get a lot of extras with the paid options.

There are a ton of templates for anything you want to do, all for $120 a year. Included in all plans are: Docs, whiteboards, presentations, social media templates, video, print options, and of course Website hosting is included in that price. All designing is drag and drop and easy to use. My feeling is that their design options are as good as any of the other sites I researched, but in addition you can create a lot of other things to help with promotion.

On the Pro option, they have amazing goodies: starting with 100 million stock photos, videos, and graphics, (if you need them. I have my own images that I created; I don’t use stock). But that alone is huge! For authors who want to self-publish, you can use their royalty-free stock and design your covers in Canva.

Logo and brand kits are available. There are some impressive video editing tools. For example, you can remove images or backgrounds in videos with one click, you can auto-match soundtracks with video footage. You get Magic Eraser, Magic Write, and Beat Sync.

Another cool feature: you can schedule social media content on 8 platforms! There is 1TB of cloud storage, which is way more than the other sites offer. That beats all other sites on options and price.  I’m not sure I will use all of that, but it is included.

Be sure you build on a website template. They have other templates that look similar which are for portfolios. I made the mistake of building a whole website design with multiple pages and then realized I could not make it live because it was not made for website. The tabs look different: a website template has a little square icon on the tab, all other design templates have a circle with a C in it.

Here are some additional links for “how to” if you also want to try Canva Pro:

How to use your own domain with Canva
(You can buy your domain URL through them or with an outside hosting company).
https://www.canva.com/help/publishing-websites-own-domains/

How to create a blog on Canva:
https://www.canva.com/learn/how-to-start-a-blog/

Your blog can be linked to your Canva website:
Choose the "embed" option in the Canva design editor then paste a link to the blog post into the embed field. The blog post will then appear in the design where you can resize it to fit into the design as you like.

Here it shows you how to do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eSkF6NR9Ys

You will first need to host your Blog elsewhere. Hostinger.com is an affordable option. It manages over 29 million users across 39 countries worldwide.

Hostinger's Key Plans:
Single Shared: $1.99 per month (discounted price)
Premium Shared: $2.99 per month (discounted price)
Business Shared: $3.99 per month (discounted price)

Creating a newsletter on Canva:

https://www.canva.com/newsletters/
https://www.websitebuilderinsider.com/how-do-i-create-a-newsletter-on-canva/

Newsletter e-mail from Canva:
https://www.websitebuilderinsider.com/how-do-i-make-a-newsletter-email-on-canva/

I haven’t finished building my website yet. But I hope you will look for Margot Conor and check out what I put together with Canva! I’ll be posting updates there. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margot Conor has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until the COVID lock-down that she had enough time to dedicate to the craft and bring something to completion. Having finished her first novel, she went through the grueling two-year process of editing. Now she has jumped into the author's world with both feet. She's preparing to debut her first novel, which means learning how to promote it. The last year has been spent attending many writing retreats, seminars, and writers' events. She also listened to presentations specifically on the topic of publishing and book marketing. She will be sharing what she learns with the reader.

 You can learn more about Margot and her writing at her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/margotconor/

Your Author Platform - Is It Ever Too Soon to Start?

 

 By Karen Cioffi

Newbies to the writing arena have many questions about creating an author platform. And, the most puzzling one is whether they need a website before they have a book published or in contract.

In fact, I’ve recently been questioned twice about whether a newbie with NO book on the publishing horizon should bother to start working on a platform and more specifically on an author website.

Both individuals felt it would be like putting the cart before the horse.

It’s important to know that this, though, is far from the case.

Creating a website at the get-go is putting the horse before the cart. It’s one of the forces that will pull you forward and help you establish your online platform, your presence and visibility.

So, the answer to the title question is NO.

It’s never too soon to begin your author platform or your author website if:

- you want to be a writer or an author
- you intend to submit manuscripts to agents and/or publishers
- you intend to self-publish a book

The time to get your online platform started is RIGHT NOW. And the foundation of your platform is a website.

Keeping up with Marketing Trends

When one author mentioned she was writing a children’s middle grade book and didn’t have a website, I responded that it was a mistake. I told her websites are an essential part of an author’s online platform.

Her reply caught me by surprise. She was advised by a well-known and respected institute for children’s writing that she should wait until she received a book contract before creating a website.

If this were 10 or 15 years ago that advice would make sense. But, today, agents and publishers want to know what the potential new author’s platform is beforehand.

The size or lack-of-size of an online platform can make or break a contract.

The powers-that-be expect you to have a website in place and be involved in social networks before you even submit a manuscript. They expect you to be a big part of the marketing involved in selling the book.

Jane Friedman, Media Studies instructor at the University of Virginia and former publisher of Writer’s Digest, advises that authors must cultivate a relationship with readers every day of your life. And she advises that you start TODAY.

Why do you need to start your online platform TODAY?

In a single word, the answer to that question is TIME. Establishing an online platform takes time.

It takes time to establish yourself as an authority in your niche. It takes time to develop a relationship with your readers. It takes time to develop trust. And it takes time to broaden your reach and acquire followers/connections.

Real life example:

One of my former clients created a website. She also created pages on two of the major social networks. She did all this way before she started to get her book written.

The results? She has thousands and thousands of followers on both social networks. I’m talking about over 30,000 followers at the time of writing this article.

You can be sure I added this information when writing the query letter for her.

Do you think this will make a difference in a publisher or agent’s view of this new author?

You bet it will.  

They’ll know she’s able and willing to help sell her books.

Since your website is the foundation of your author platform, it’s absolutely, positively necessary to get a website setup and optimized as soon as possible.

It’s from this focal point, your hub of information, that you will draw the attention of the search engines and readers. You may even catch the attention of a visiting editor, publisher, or literary agent.

Your website is also the place you will get readers to sign-up for your mailing list – further building your marketing reach. It’s the place you will begin a long-term writer-reader relationship.

Think of your author website as the launching pad of your book marketing platform.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, a successful children’s ghostwriter with 300+ satisfied clients worldwide, and an author online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing. For children’s writing tips, or if you need help with your children’s story, click the link above.

You can check out Karen’s books at: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/books/

 

 The Lazy Way to Be a Great Writer

Positive Thinking and the Writer

How to Write Vivid Scenes 

Free Coffee Chat with Pinterest Specialist Deb Gonzales

Writers on the Move's Linda Wilson has been working with Pinterest guru, Deb Gonzales and is sharing her information with all of us, along with an invite to a free Zoom meeting where Deb will discuss marketing strategies.

 

Hello, there! I’m jumping in real quick to see if you’d like to join me for a quick Coffee Chat via Zoom on Thursday, September 23 at 1:00 EST. Our clients are  doing so many cool things with their websites and platforms. I’d love to share their marketing strategies with you. Perhaps they’ll give you some ideas you might like to try.  You see, we’re preparing our platforms to capture the holiday content trends on Pinterest. We’re busy culling our content and crafting our pins with an eye to capturing our audience’s fancy at the precise time they’ll be searching for our wares. I’m eager to show you what we’re doing. I’d also like to lead a discussion about why someone would choose to establish a marketing platform on Pinterest in the first place. Is it really worth the effort? We’re discovering so much about clarifying goals and establishing strategies to meet them. We’re also learning that, unlike other social media platforms, we have to step away from the impulse to shine the light on ourselves to discover ways to edify our audience. As one client mentioned, “I love that this [Pinterest] is all about the other and not about me. It feels right.” I agree. I hope you can join us  for the Coffee Chat on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 1:00 EST.  Sign up here if you think you might be able to come.  Have a great week! Deb

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2021 deb gonzales, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

 

What’s Different About an Author’s Website?

As authorprenuers, we must market our products 

i.e., books, articles, and niche. 

Platform, Brand, and Website form the vehicle to make that happen.

Today let’s talk about websites. What does a writer need to set-up a dynamic website, or to update up an existing one?

• Create a Clear Identity

• Create a vibrant headline with an image that is topic or niche focused and describes what you write and might include an image of your latest book cover, or another highlight of your work

• SEO Optimization is critical! Search Engines must find your site and the more often the better

• Create Quality Content, focused and quickly visible

• Use titles that grab readers’ attention

• Titles & Subtitles Keyword effective

• Consistently use Keywords and categories with each post and page

• Include Social Media button links to your pages—ask readers to like and follow you

• Create a navigation bar—a menu bar—that is easy to follow

• What Pages should you include?

• The Landing page, aka the Home Page

• An About page, to introduce yourself, what you are about and your professional bio

• A Contact page

• A Page for testimonials and/or reviews

• A Page to describe your product or services

• A Sales page

• A Blog page

What to avoid:

• Clutter

• Use only one sidebar if at all

• No pop-ups

Remember to update your website periodically. A website is never finished; it is ever a work in progress. Make improvements as you go, as your work transitions, changes and grows.

Recommendations:

• WordPress: offers free themes for the basic structure of your website, it’s the most versatile; it will grow with you to promote and offer value to your readership, as well as handle sales transactions. WordPress uses Plugins to enhance the functionality of each site. www.WordPress.org

• “All in One SEO” is a plugin for optimizing your site with search engines that I have found to be the most friendly to use and the most thorough.

As you consider the design of your website, visit other author websites to check out the ease of using the layout and access to information. The following WordPress Themes for Authors are worth considering: 

• Astra

• Ocean WP

• Author Landing Page

• Ultra

• Writee

https://wordpress.org/themes/search/writers/

YouTube instructional guides for the theme you choose work quite well to speed up the process.

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her writer’s website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
And her caregiver’s website at: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/ 
Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/

 

Market Your Product

Market Your Product

As authorprenuers, we must market our products i.e., books, articles, and niche.  

Platform, Brand, and Website form the vehicle to make that happen. These, along with your mission statement tell your readers who you are and what you are about. Closely aligned they present a consistent message.

Your Platform is a useful necessity for all authors whether you write essays, articles, blogs or books, fiction or nonfiction. Brand is who you are. You are your brand, built by words, images and delivering as promised. Success depends upon visibility. We communicate with clarity and offer valuable information because Content is King.

Tips:

• Start building your writer Platform now without delay and maintain it to keep connecting with your clients; building a Platform takes time,

• Clearly show what you have to offer and what makes your work stand out,

• Develop an email list of subscribers to build your following, and offer subscribers free eBooks, articles, and newsletters

• Guest post on sites within your niche to reach additional readers, and invite those bloggers to contribute to your site,

• Social Media is a part of Platform, use it often,

********

• Identify your target audience’s needs and suggest meaningful alternatives,

• Be the wealth of information that can work for their success with info that solves a problem,

• Qualify your work stating your connections and building expert status as an authority,

• Accept responsibility for ongoing marketing and promotion of your services,

********

• Create or update an email signature to promote your website, book and products,

• Respond to comments, be reachable,

• Join organizations that will support your work,

• Promote, promote, promote with posts and news via your social media pages,

Links of interest:
Create a Strategy that Delivers Great Content: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/06/create-strategy-that-delivers-great.html

What does it take…Great Content: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/05/market-with-content.html

Write clear & concise, personable yet professional.
Know your reader.
Use quotes & antidotes whenever you can.

 
Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts. Visit her web-blog: https://deborahlynwriter.com/ 

Facebook at: Deborah Lyn Stanley

https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour