Is Your Author Web Site Missing These 23 Things?

  

Every author needs a website If you disagree with this marketing reality and want to deny truth its sunlight, then stop reading this. 

 

Ok, assuming you buy in and understand a website is valuable real estate for an author, you now are taxed with making sure of the following:

 

1.      The website is easy to navigate and use 

 

2.      It is not overwhelming the user with pop-ups and ads

 

3.      That the toolbar has obvious things on it and that each term used reflects the popular way of saying something 

 

4.      To showcase all of your books, products, and services- and to provide buy links to everything 

 

5.      The typeface is easy to read and the font is not too small or too big

 

6.      That you use a clear or solid background so the reader can easily read the content without competing with noisy or color-contrasting borders and backgrounds.

 

7.      You should have a contact page and provide your social media icons as well 

 

8.      Include praise: testimonials, professional book reviews, amazon customer reviews, or goodreads reviews.

 

9.      The site should be quick to load

 

10.  Make sure it looks right on mobile devices as well as a desktop/ laptop.

 

11.  Employ images - art, photos, videos, icons/logos throughout the site.

 

12.  Avoid big chunky paragraphs - break them up into smaller paragraphs with clear spacing between the paragraphs. 

13.  Make sure your site is SEO-friendly - include relevant keywords, terms, and phrases that people tend to search for. 

 

14.  Measure your site analytics (who visits, for how long, how often) by using tools like Google Analytics.

 

15.  Have a section for events - list upcoming appearances at bookstores, libraries, conferences, etc. Show photos or videos of the events once they take place.

 

16.  Have a media section - this can show links to interviews, reviews, feature stories, and articles that feature you or your book. You can also list your social media links, YouTube channel, etc. 

 

17.  Have an about the author page and include your photo.

 

18.  Have a section about your book, summarizing each book, offering a sample chapter download, include buy buttons to all major retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookShop.org, Apple Books, Google Books, and Target, etc. 

 

19.   Determine if you will have a blog or articles section. This is content that you create

 

20.  Provide a free download that site users need to sign up for. This allows you to build a mailing list and the giveaway helps you audition for a book sale. You can give away digital content that you feel will be perceived to have value and serve as a seductive piece of content that induces one to sign up for. Authors may offer worksheets, coloring books, checklists, resource lists, exclusive case studies, strategies, or content, an audio book, an e book, discount coupons, articles, essays, short-stories, or supportive data as a giveaway. 

 

21.  Use the language that is commensurate with your book and credentials. If your author persona is funny, sexy, or intellectual, then the site should reflect who you are. Use the vocabulary and terms that correspond to your book.

 

22.  Don’t waste the home page. The portion of your home page that shows up on your screen before you scroll down is the most valuable area of your site. Use this to post an interesting image, a call to action, a place to make a strong claim, or where you would offer your best points. The homepage is a good place to have an introductory 90-second video or to post your elevator speech. 

 

23.  Lastly, breakup every section of your site with attention-getting headlines and sub-headlines. 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum