by Penny Sansevieri
Having a good website is something many authors struggle with, which I understand, but the effect it can have on your book sales cannot be ignored.
Maybe you’ve been plugging away at your book promotion for a while, or perhaps you’re just beginning your author journey, but having a good website is a serious piece of your foundation and getting it working for you and generating book sales isn’t as complicated as you might think.
I’m sure you’ve been told you need a website, but there’s a big difference between a website and a book-sales tool.
You can use subtle ways to build this into your website’s book marketing to sell more books, without screaming it from the rooftops. Let’s have a look:
Creating an Author Website is Like Shopping for Toothpaste
When was the last time you went shopping for toothpaste?
Maybe you love a brand and go right to it, but if you ever decide to try another brand or can’t find the one you’re looking for, you will face a myriad of choices.
So many, in fact, that I bet at some point you’ll grab one with a flavor you like and decide to make it work.
I always talk about smarter book promotion, not more book promotion. So, when it comes to websites, consider the toothpaste aisle. The confused mind isn’t really a shopper. In fact, when it comes to online shopping, most confused minds won’t decide at all; they’ll click off and go somewhere else.
The moral here is: don’t give your audience too many options. If you want to sell more books, you must narrow the choices.
Pick One Goal and Really Go for It
Before you even begin to decide what your site will look like, you need to decide on what your goal is.
- If your goal is to sell books, then your book should be front and center.
- If your goal is to sell services, then that should be the first thing your visitors see.
While you may have lots of books and a lot of goals for your ebook promotion plan, you’re allowed to have only one objective for your homepage.
Understanding the Book Sales Funnel
If you look at our homepage you won’t see our marketing funnel, but it’s there.
A good book-marketing funnel isn’t obvious to the consumer, but it’s obvious to you as you put together your website.
Our goal on our website is to gather new business, so the entire site is set up to funnel potential authors to our book-marketing services and then to our contact form.
We don’t have a store, and we don’t have a ton of options.
We limit visitors’ choices and help them focus on our book-promotion services, thereby limiting any confusion as to what we do and how they can get started working with us.
Components of a Successful Website
When it comes to designing a website, less is more. By this I mean don’t have a ton of pages on your site or a lot of navigation options.
Your website navigation should be simple. We have six options on our navigation, but no drop-downs underneath those options. You’ll see some websites that offer limited navigation, but beneath each option you find a drop-down with more options.
Remember: it’s about funneling. Don’t give consumers too many choices or they won’t know where to go.
This is why it’s always a good idea to work with a professional, and a lot of book-marketing companies have consulting and evaluation options.
So, what pages should be on your website?
Well, the Home Page, Contact, and About are pretty standard, and what you want to add beyond that is sort of up to you.
If you have a newsletter you can have a newsletter tab; if you have a speaking career or are doing a book tour, you can add that as well.
Choose Your Words Carefully for Your Author Website
Consumers don’t read websites, they scan.
So, the fewer words you use on any page, the better.
My general rule is 250 words or less. Bullet points are also great, so applying them to any appropriate text is always a good idea. Remember to make it easy to scan.
In terms of website copy, this isn’t always easy. I generally hire someone to write mine, but if that’s not in your book marketing budget, chose the words you use carefully.
Make sure the verbiage makes sense to your consumer. This isn’t about you, it’s about them. Mention your dog only if it’s relevant or if it’s a fun one-liner in a bio.
If you’ve written a self-help or some other nonfiction book, any words on your website should clearly show the benefits to the reader.
If you’ve written fiction, your quick elevator pitch on the homepage should pull new readers into your story. This is book marketing 101.
How to Really Sell Books
One of the main reasons an author builds a site is for book sales, not just for a book-promotion platform. It’s important to note that most people won’t buy a book from your store, at least not right away.
Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and an adjunct professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns.