Want an affordable and easy-to-update author or podcaster website that wows? Use Squarespace
So, you've written that fantastic novel, a non-fiction book, or a collection of short stories, and now you want to create an online presence to showcase your work and connect with your audience.
Look no further – Squarespace is the perfect platform to build your author website. In this blog post, I'll take you through the top reasons why Squarespace is great for building an author website.
Yes, you still need a website!
In today's digital age, a killer author website is essential for authors looking to make their mark on the world. An author website provides an ideal platform for showcasing your work and connecting with readers, allowing you to establish your brand and take control of your online reputation. Think of it as a home base for promoting your books, sharing updates, and engaging with fans on a personal level. And with the ability to directly communicate with your readers and grow your email lists, you can't afford not to have a website. Plus, let's remember the networking potential! By building relationships with industry pros and like-minded writers, your website can open up new and exciting opportunities you never thought possible.
Here's an article about why you need an author website and the secrets to building a fabulous one.
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A website platform is a tool that helps you build your author website
First, what even is a website platform?! Website platforms are software programs you use to build your website. Think of website platforms as your web wizard - they help you create, design, and manage a website without needing to be a coding genius. With their drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built templates, these platforms let you quickly build a professional-looking website. Plus, they come with nifty features like SEO tools and e-commerce functionality, making it easy to show off your author brand in all its glory. By choosing the right platform, you can look great online, build a loyal following, and catch the eye of a literary agent or two.
When choosing a website platform, consider ease of use, functionality, and price.
Picking the right website platform is like choosing the perfect pair of shoes - it has to be comfortable, stylish, and fit just right. So, when choosing your platform, it's essential to consider factors like ease of use, pricing, and integrations with other vital software for your author career. Think of it as a puzzle - finding the right pieces will result in a stunning and effective finished product. So, with that in mind, let's dig into the world of website platforms and find the perfect fit for your author website.
Squarespace is the easiest website platform for an author website
Squarespace is an excellent choice for authors, as it's an all-in-one platform that helps create an eye-catching and feature-loaded online presence. With various templates designed to display written works, authors can effortlessly find designs that vibe with their unique style and genre. In addition, thanks to the platform's intuitive drag-and-drop editor and customization options, authors can craft a bespoke website without much tech expertise.
Additionally, Squarespace offers essential built-in features like blogging, e-commerce integration for selling books, newsletter sign-ups, and social media sharing options. These features empower authors to share their work and connect with readers, grow their audience, and enhance their online visibility.
And let's remember Squarespace's mobile responsiveness, which ensures an author's website looks and works like a charm across devices, offering a silky-smooth browsing experience for on-the-go readers.
15 Reasons why Squarespace makes it easy for authors to build and maintain author websites:
1. Squarespace is easy to use to build and maintain your author website.
As a writer, you’d probably prefer spending your time honing your craft rather than learning complicated web design. That’s why Squarespace is so great! Its drag-and-drop interface is incredibly user-friendly and intuitive, making it perfect for authors who may not be tech-savvy. You don't need coding knowledge to create a stunning, professional-looking website that reflects your brand and showcases your work. With Squarespace's ease of use, you can focus on your writing and leave the website-building to the experts.
2. Building a gorgeous author website using a Squarespace template is easy and affordable.
Squarespace is known for its templates – i.e., pre-built websites. You can download a Squarespace template and tweak its fonts, colors, and content to create a unique website.
While Squarespace already offers a collection of templates, there's also a whole universe of talented designers crafting gorgeous third-party templates just for Squarespace!
You can purchase these beauties to give your website that extra personality and flair. From sleek, minimalist designs to artistic masterpieces, there's a template to match every writer's dream. So why not go on a little template treasure hunt and find that perfect gem to make your website unforgettable?
If you're searching for a unique template to elevate your author website, check out GoLiveHQ, Squaremuse, BigCatCreative, and 23&9 Creative. These creative geniuses have impressed me with their stunning designs and impeccable attention to detail.
GoLiveHQ is all about creating modern, sleek websites.
BigCatCreative offers an array of visually striking templates that cater to a wide range of styles. They've got you covered whether you're looking for something minimalistic or more avant-garde.
23&9 Creative takes a bold and fun design approach, perfect for authors who have a colorful and feminine style.
Squaremuse offers chic and sophisticated templates for the author, who has a more modern vibe.
So, go ahead and explore these fantastic designers' offerings – you might find the perfect template to bring your author website vision to life!
3. Updating an author website is easy on Squarespace.
One of the best things about Squarespace is the user-friendly platform, which makes updating your website a breeze. The intuitive drag-and-drop editor and simple navigation allow you to make changes to your site without any technical expertise quickly. Whether you want to add a new blog post, update your book listings, or change the design of your site, Squarespace's streamlined interface simplifies the process. This makes it easy to keep your site up-to-date and relevant for your readers, ensuring they always have the latest information about your work. In addition, the easy-to-use UX makes Squarespace a top choice for authors who want a professional-looking website without needing advanced technical skills.
4. Building and maintaining an author website costs as little as $23/month on Squarespace
Squarespace offers a range of pricing plans, and you can start with a free 14-day trial to test it out. Once you're ready to commit, the Business plan is the most popular choice and costs about $23 per month when paid annually. This plan provides you with unlimited storage, pages, and bandwidth, as well as advanced analytics, commerce tools, and integrations. Plus, you get a free custom domain for the first year and access to Squarespace's 24/7 customer support. With Squarespace, you can build a great website without worrying about extra costs or hidden fees.
5. Your audience can see and sign up for your events using Squarespace’s Events Scheduling.
Squarespace's event feature is a powerful tool for authors who want to promote their upcoming book or speaking events and make it easy for readers to register. With this feature, you can create custom event pages that showcase your event's important details, including date, time, location, and ticket information. You can also include event images, videos, and links to related content. Additionally, Squarespace's events feature allows readers to RSVP or purchase tickets directly from your website, making the registration process quick and easy. This feature also lets you manage your guest list and send automated event reminders to your attendees. With Squarespace's events feature, you can promote your events effectively, streamline the registration process, and make your events a success.
6. Squarespace makes it easy to stay connected with your audience through blogging.
As an author, you likely understand the power of the written word in building an audience and creating a connection with your readers. A blog is an essential part of any author website, and Squarespace makes it incredibly easy to create and manage your blog posts. You can draft, schedule, and publish posts directly from the platform and categorize them by topic or category. This allows you to share updates about your writing, promote your books, and connect with your readers more personally. You can even send your blog posts to your readers using Squarespace email campaigns, all without logging into another platform.
7. You can easily stay in touch with your readers because email marketing is easy and integrated with Squarespace Email Campaigns.
Staying in touch with your readers is super important for building that strong author-reader bond; email marketing is a fantastic way to make that happen. Squarespace Email Campaigns make your life easy by integrating smoothly with your website, so you can create stunning and personalized newsletters that show off your unique brand. And the best part? Their easy-to-use tools and customizable templates make sharing news about your latest book releases, events, and promotions a piece of cake! Not only that, but Squarespace also provides handy analytics to help you understand how your email campaigns are doing, so you can fine-tune your strategy to better connect with your audience. No more fussing around with third-party email marketing services—Squarespace is here to save the day!
8. Your potential clients can easily schedule appointments with you with Squarespace Acuity Scheduling.
If you're an author who offers classes, workshops, or consultations, you know that managing bookings can be a headache. Squarespace Acuity Scheduling can make your life easier! This handy feature lets you integrate a seamless booking system into your author website. As a result, your readers can easily book appointments, sign up for group classes, or reserve workshop spots without any hassle; the best part is that it all happens right on your site. Acuity also syncs with your calendar, so you'll always stay on top of your schedule, and it even handles payments and reminders for a completely stress-free experience. With Squarespace Acuity, you can spend less time juggling schedules and more time doing what you love—writing and connecting with your readers!
9. Your readers will see a terrific website no matter their device because Squarespace websites automatically adapt to mobile views.
In today's fast-paced world, people are constantly on the go and rely on their smartphones and tablets to access the internet. Therefore, having a mobile-responsive website is crucial. Squarespace automatically optimizes your website for all devices, ensuring that your content looks great and is easily accessible no matter what screen size your readers use. This is particularly important for authors, as readers may want to access your site to read excerpts or buy your books while on the go.
10. Squarespace makes promoting your writing and books easier through several marketing tools.
Promoting your work and growing your online presence is crucial for any author. Squarespace offers a variety of integrated marketing tools to help you reach your audience and build your brand. From built-in SEO tools to help your site rank higher on search engines to email marketing campaigns to keep your readers engaged, Squarespace has everything you need to market your author website effectively.
11. Keep track of your website's growth through the powerful analytics embedded into Squarespace.
Knowing your audience and how they engage with your content is vital for any author website. Squarespace offers robust analytics tools that give you valuable insights into your website's performance, including detailed information about your visitors, page views, and popular content. With Squarespace Analytics, you can track important metrics such as bounce rates, conversion rates, and engagement levels, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your website for maximum impact. Additionally, the platform's integration with third-party analytics tools like Google Analytics further enhances your ability to track and analyze your website's performance, giving you a comprehensive understanding of your audience and their behavior. With Squarespace's powerful analytics, you can fine-tune your website to create an engaging user experience that resonates with your readers and supports your author goals.
12. If you need technical help, you can use free and easy Squarespace support options.
Squarespace is a leading website builder platform designed to provide users with a seamless and intuitive website-building experience. One of the ways that Squarespace achieves this is through its robust support options. If you have questions or concerns about using the platform, Squarespace provides several channels to get assistance.
Firstly, Squarespace offers Squarespace Chat, a live chat support feature available 24/7 to answer your questions in real-time. So whether you need help with design or technical issues, Squarespace's support team is always ready to assist you. This feature is handy for authors who need to update their website at odd hours or have a tight deadline.
Secondly, Squarespace offers Circle, a forum-style platform that connects Squarespace users with experts, designers, and developers. This community is specifically designed to provide support, advice, and solutions for Squarespace users.
Squarespace also has a comprehensive online resource center with a knowledge base, video tutorials, and user guides. This resource center covers all aspects of using Squarespace, from design to e-commerce, and is a valuable tool for authors who want to learn more about the platform and how to use its features effectively.
Finally, besides Squarespace's internal support resources, many active Facebook communities with Squarespace experts are happy to help. These communities provide a platform for users to ask questions, seek advice, and share their experiences with the platform and offer design suggestions.
Often, members of these groups are web designers or developers with extensive knowledge and experience using Squarespace, making them an invaluable resource for troubleshooting technical issues or seeking design guidance.
Being a part of these communities also allows you to stay up-to-date with the latest platform updates, new features, and best practices for creating a stylish and strategic website. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced Squarespace user, these communities can offer valuable insights and support.
In summary, Squarespace offers a range of support options that cater to different needs and levels of expertise. So whether you need real-time support, community insights, or access to resources, Squarespace has you covered. With its user-friendly platform and robust support options, Squarespace is an excellent choice for authors who want to create a stunning and functional website easily.
13. You can sell books, merchandise, or other products using Squarespace’s built-in eCommerce functionality.
Selling your books directly from your author website is a great way to maintain control over your sales and keep more of the profits. Squarespace offers built-in eCommerce functionality that allows you to create an online store easily. You can sell physical books, eBooks, or even merchandise or digital products related to your writing, such as workbooks, posters, or bookmarks. With Squarespace's secure and user-friendly checkout process, your readers will have a seamless shopping experience.
14. Design a beautiful website using stock photography via Squarespace's seamless integration with Unsplash.
Integrating Stock Photos on Squarespace is a breeze thanks to the platform's seamless integration with Unsplash. With access to a vast library of high-quality, royalty-free images, adding professional visuals to your author website has never been easier. Unsplash's intuitive search function and Squarespace's simple drag-and-drop interface make it a snap to find and add the perfect image to your site. This integration saves time and effort and ensures that your website looks polished and professional, elevating your online presence and helping to capture your readers' attention.
15. Run smoother business operations by effortlessly connecting Squarespace with third-party CRM applications like Dubsado.
Squarespace's versatility extends beyond its internal features, thanks to its seamless integration with numerous third-party applications. One example is Dubsado, a popular CRM platform that helps authors manage their business workflow, including invoicing, scheduling appointments, and tracking client interactions. With Squarespace's straightforward integration with Dubsado, authors can effortlessly connect the two platforms and streamline their business operations. In addition, this integration simplifies managing client interactions and ensures that the website and the CRM function together seamlessly, delivering an enhanced user experience for authors and readers. The ease of integrating Squarespace with third-party applications like Dubsado is yet another example of how the platform offers a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for authors to establish a robust online presence.
Choose Squarespace to make building a functional and beautiful author website easy and cheap.
In conclusion, website platforms are the perfect sidekick for any author looking to establish a strong online presence. By choosing the right platform, authors can showcase their brand, connect with readers, and even catch the eye of a literary agent or publisher. When selecting a website platform, consider factors like ease of use, pricing, and integrations with other essential software for your author career.
Squarespace is an excellent choice for authors, offering easy customization, built-in features like blogging and e-commerce integration, and mobile responsiveness. With Squarespace's user-friendly platform, professional designs, and comprehensive features, authors can create a polished and professional online presence that successfully showcases their work and connects with their readers. So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your author website today with Squarespace!
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