8 Reasons Why You Still Need An Author Website
How often have you heard an author say they don’t need a website? Or stumbled on an author's website that’s outdated, disorganized, or hard to read?
Neglecting your website is akin to leaving money on the table. And in this competitive landscape, authors who are serious about making a living from their writing can’t afford to do that.
Our job is to build a community of loyal readers and lifelong relationships.
Being a financially successful author is a dream job! Writing books and engaging with our readers is so much fun. However, to be financially successful, we have to market our writing and engage with our readers. We want to connect with our readers at least weekly, so they get to know us and are eager to purchase our latest book.
We have to use every effective tool available to market our work and engage our audience. Few tools are more effective than our websites. Our website is our storefront, business card, and portfolio. It enables us to access our readers and share our work easily.
Here are 8 ways to use your website to build your community of readers.
(1) Social media gets people interested in your content. However, you must engage them further through your author website and newsletter to turn them from followers to readers.
Social media is a virtual, 24/7 marketplace. It’s a great place to browse, discover, connect, and network.
There are four stages that someone goes through before they’re ready to buy anything: awareness, consideration, conversion, and loyalty. Walking consumers through each step is called funnel marketing. Marketers call social media a “top-of-funnel” strategy.
Social media is a top-of-funnel strategy because it creates awareness about your product. This means that social media gets people interested in your work, but they’re probably not ready to engage, let alone buy from you.
Research about Instagram reveals that after seeing a brand, product, or service on Instagram, 79% of people search for more information; only 46% make a purchase.
84% of Instagrammers use the platform to discover new products
80% like to research new services or products on Instagram
81% use Instagram to help them decide whether to purchase from a brand
I’ve found this to be true for myself. I follow thousands of people but only check out content from about a dozen people. I buy from an even smaller group.
I always check out someone’s website before I buy from them - I want to know that they’re credible (they know what they’re talking about) and execute well.
The individuals whose content I engage with consistently have a robust digital platform - websites, email newsletters, and long-form free valuable content like YouTube videos, blog posts, and freebies.
You’ll want a robust digital platform to engage your readers fully. Here’s how to do that:
Execution Tip:
Once your reader finds you on social media, get them on your email list by offering a freebie download in exchange for signing up for your newsletter. Then send them weekly newsletters highlighting your latest content. Finally, save the content on your website for SEO purposes. The content can be short or long blog posts, videos, or podcasts. The key is producing something your audience loves and relates to your work. For example, if you write about motherhood, you could offer weekly weeknight recipes or bedtime stories.
(2) Some of your readers will prefer connecting through email marketing and content stored on your author website.
Want to know a secret? I don’t like social media. I use it for work, but I find it distracting, annoying, and sometimes harmful to my emotional well-being. Comparison is the thief of joy, and social media seems to capitalize on comparison and envy. You never know what’s going on in someone’s life behind the shiny Instagram filters.
I don’t use social media daily, and when I do use it, I don’t usually spend more than 15 minutes. My iPhone says I spend an average of 4 minutes on Instagram daily, and it’s the only social media tool I use.
I’m not the only one. I know dozens of people who aren’t on social media. At best, people like me find social media distracting. Spending an hour scrolling without getting anything done and feeling worse is easy. At worst, many of us find social media depressing and anxiety-inducing. For example, researchers
I prefer following someone on YouTube, listening to a podcast, or getting email newsletters. The content I find on these platforms is more helpful and engaging. I feel like I’m getting to know someone a little more deeply.
I often reply to email newsletters and start an exchange with the person who wrote the email and run the brand. It feels like talking to them one-on-one versus watching them at a conference, which is what social media often feels like.
Your readers might want that level of connection too. So you’ll want social media, a newsletter, a website, and a content strategy to connect with your readers as much as possible.
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman), publishing industry expert and publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and the author of The Business of Being a Writer, said about the value of her website compared to her social media: “These days, I get more noticeable results from my website and blogging efforts, email newsletters, and in-person networking than I do from social media. Not that I want to give up social media—quite the contrary—but I could walk away from Facebook and still earn a living. Not so with my website—it’s absolutely fundamental.”
Execution Tips:
To do this, consistently post content on your website that your audience will love. For example, I post weekly blog posts and related Youtube videos about digital strategy for my audience of authors, podcasters, and thought leaders.
Then, send a weekly email to your followers reminding them that you created new content for them that they can find on your website.
Doing this gives your readers three potential touch points with you: (1) they see your name in your inbox, so you subtly remind them of your work and services; (2) they read your email and can respond directly to you, creating a feeling of friendship; and (3) they can view the content on your website.
(3) Diversify your author platform with your author website and newsletter.
A few months ago, I liked a post and received this message on Instagram:
I ignored it, but it happened again a few more times over the next few weeks.
I reached out to Instagram, hoping they would fix it. Luckily they did.
This incident reminded me that social media isn’t reliable.
First, platforms come and go. A decade ago, the most popular social media platform was Facebook; now, Instagram and Tik Tok are more popular. From 2018 to 2022, Facebook grew by 12%, while TikTok grew by 133%.
Thousands of writers built their platform on Twitter; now, more than 30 million users are expected to leave Twitter because of the chaos after Elon Musk purchased the platform.
Second, social media algorithms are constantly changing, and you have very little control over these changes. For example, because of TikTok’s quick rise, Instagram rolled out Instagram reels and prioritizes accounts that post more reels. It takes a lot of effort and resources for your entire brand to pivot constantly based on ever-changing social media algorithms.
Finally, social media accounts go down, and people frequently get locked out of their accounts. For example, Semrush, the powerful and popular SEO tool, shows that 8,000 people monthly search for the term “Instagram account disabled.”
If this happens, your only recourse is to contact Instagram and hope they will unlock your account. Unfortunately, you can't appeal their decision if they choose not to restore your account.
Social media tools come and go and evolve; don’t build your financial security on one tool exclusively.
Diversify your platform investment by also building a website and a robust newsletter.
(4) You’re a professional author, so act and look like it with an author website!
You wouldn’t show up to a business meeting in sweats, would you? So why show up to the digital world (where we all live now) without a polished website?
The more successful you are, the more likely your readers and people interested in networking with you or hiring you will Google you to see if they know, like, and trust you.
Make no mistake - your audience will judge you based on your website.
94% of a brand’s credibility is based on website design, 56% of people don’t trust a business without a website
Dara Hyde, Senior Agent at the Hill Nadell Literary Agency in Los Angeles, said at the Los Angles Times Book Festival in April 2022: “An author’s digital presence is important and indicates their professionalism at being a professional writer, especially for non-fiction writers.”
A professional and well-maintained website will show your commitment to your craft and create credibility with potential employers and readers.
Execution Tips:
Make it easy for your audience to get to know you and your work through your author website. At minimum, your author website should contain:
Reviews of your work,
Links to your latest work,
Any press mentions, presentations, podcast episodes, or additional writing,
An about page with personal details,
Contact details
Pictures of you
(5) You’ll have more and better opportunities with an author website.
Your digital presence (i.e., your website, newsletter, and social media presence) is your modern-day business card and portfolio for future opportunities. Therefore, your digital presence should intentionally and comprehensively reflect your work and brand to maximize your opportunities.
Potential publishers and people who hire you for speaking engagements or other opportunities will almost certainly check your website and assess your credibility based on your website.
Your audience will judge you based on your website:
94% of a brand’s credibility is based on website design, and 56% of people don’t trust a business without a website
Your author website can easily help build the know, like, and trust factor with your readers and potential employers. Your author website can include links to all your most important work, including books, writing, presentations, press mentions, podcast episodes, speaking opportunities, or teaching.
Even better if your website includes multimedia like audio and videos of you. Audio and video content is a great way to build your know, like, and trust factor – i.e., your audience knows, likes, and trusts you. Videos, in particular, are great for building trust, with 63% of consumers more likely to purchase a product or service after watching a video.
Kathleen Foxx, an Author, Editor, and Podcaster said her website is her central spot for chronicling her work: “I like to have a website. I kind of look at is as a go-to for a resource of info where everything author-related is in one, easy-to-access spot. I like when authors do blogs, post updates, pics, etc. letting us know they’re real and human. I think it’s extra important when pubbed.”
Hannah Kirshner, Author of Water, Wood & Wild Things, said her website is her business card: “You need an author website that functions as a business card, at least. Listing (favorite) published work is useful for pitching. If/when you publish a book, it’s convenient to have buy links and events all in one place (linked in your social bios and email signature).”
Bianca Marais, Author of three novels, including the bestselling The Witches of Moonshine Manor, and host of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, said about the importance of having websites: “Publishers definitely want you to have a website by the time you publish.”
Erin Coughlin Hollowell @BeingPoetry hires authors for speaking opportunities and said about the importance of websites: “As someone who hires writers for a conference, yes [you need a website]. I look at them to see where a person is publishing, working, etc.”
Richard Mirabella, Author of Brother & Sister Enter The Forest, said he recently learned the value of having a website: “I didn't have one until last year, and I have discovered that it's important to have one. Agents look at them, so do editors.”
(6) You can expand your services with an author website.
In today’s world, being an author isn’t just about being a writer. We’re also screenwriters, editors, speakers, coaches, and consultants.
A website helps authors develop their business beyond being a writer. For example, your website can list other writing, editing, speaking, coaching, and consulting services or sell products such as e-courses.
(7) Your author website makes it easier to have direct access to your audience.
You’ll want to communicate directly with your readers to share your latest books, writing, services, insights, and events. Maintaining a website and a newsletter sign-up on your website are excellent ways to collect your reader’s contact information and engage your readers directly without being at the mercy of social media platforms.
For example, want to send out a calendar event to remind your audience of an event? You can’t do that with social media, but you can do that if you have a website and a newsletter.
(8) Your author website and newsletter make it easier for your audience to get to know you.
If your reader is on your website, they’re eager to get to know you better! They want to know your likes and dislikes and personal details like where you live and what you like to do in your free time.
They also probably want to hear from you regularly. The more weekly long-form content you can provide, the better. I love hearing from my favorite authors like Gretchen Rubin, who hosts a happiness podcast and sends weekly emails.
Use your author website and newsletter to help your reader get to know you. Send your audience weekly content that’s posted and stored on your website for easy future reference.
Conclusion: Use your author website to engage your audience and sell your work.
Your author website should be the foundation of your digital presence and work with your social media, newsletter, and long-form content (blogs, podcasts, Youtube videos) to engage and gradually move your reader through the marketing process from follower to reader.
Your author website should also reflect your brand and allow readers, potential publishers, employers, and partners to learn more about you and your work.
Question: How will you improve your author website this month?
Are you an author looking to build your platform? In this post, you'll learn 8 reasons why you still need an author website for SEO, to build trust, and to expand your services. We'll also give you tips on how to make your website look professional and increase your opportunities.
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