Most authors know they need a website, they're just not sure why. An effective site can be your most powerful marketing tool - the difference between a book that sells well, and a bestseller. Never underestimate the power of the Internet.
This power can only be harnessed if you have a firm understanding of what you want to accomplish. Your site can serve as your online brochure or it can be a highly optimized site that draws in new traffic; it can be your hassle-free online store, or it can be an effective way to reach your audience, stay top-of-mind with your readers and keep them excited about your products.
Think of the Internet as an incredible opportunity to reach your market and stay in constant contact with them. This task isn't as daunting as it may seem. Firstly, a website doesn't have to cost you a lot of money. There are many template sites and do-it-yourself programs that will help you get a piece of that elusive pie in the cyber-sky.
You have less than a second to grab someone's attention on the Net. So, how do you engage your reader? Psychology. Use color, imagery and balance to reach your audience on a primal level.
Never underestimate the power of a simple palette - avoid using too many colors. Avoid clutter. The eye is a muscle and if you overuse it, well, it gets tired. If you overwhelm your reader with too many visuals, they may lose interest without even knowing why.
Think of your color choice as the foundation for your project, this is all part of your branding - the engine that drives the vehicle. If you think of nature as the palette from which you draw from, chances are you can't go wrong. You rarely see blue food or red water - so as you research your audience, choose your colors appropriately.
Color evokes emotion, it sets the tone and creates a mood; it stimulates and/or it suppresses. To understand color is to reach your market on a subliminal level. Color can cause us to make radical decisions, it can effect our buying, call us to action or sedate us, color can make us feel hot or cold, happy or sad - in many ways, color drives our impulses.
For example, the right shade of yellow can produce a sensation of sunlight and warmth, but just a slight change in shading can cause a feeling of nausea. Research has shown that school children get higher grades when their study rooms are decorated in yellow. Yellow is a stimulant, it is the first color the eye is drawn to - so for that reason it is very powerful, but it will also fatigue the eye if overused.
Green is a soothing and restful color, it is known to have healing power and it represents fertility in many cultures. During the Middle Ages London's Blackfriar Bridge was painted from black to green - reported suicides dropped 34 percent. As you begin to conceive the idea for your site, think of your home page as a magazine cover. Create a feeling that your audience will relate to - sell the benefits of your product. Always remember the WIIFM factor: What's in it for me? If you are selling a lifestyle, than use imagery that paints a portrait of people leading happy and fulfilled lives.
When it comes to writing your copy, studies show that bullet points are the first text a person will read. People will discriminate against your other copy if those initial bullets do not peak their interest. It's sort of like reading the headlines in a newspaper before you decide to read the articles. Speaking of copy, never run your words all the way across the screen - narrow columns are easier to read and are less likely to fatigue the eyes of your reader.
To create a feeling, to write effective copy, you have to know what you are selling - are you selling you or your book? If you have several books, then chances are you should be selling "you - the author, the expert." To build several websites for your various titles is to dilute your message. Unless you write in many different genres you should have one powerful website.
Optimizing a site isn't exactly rocket science, but it could keep you awake at night if your goal is to be number one on Google. The reality is that search engines change their algorithms often enough that you shouldn't even try to keep up, unless of course you enjoy being frustrated. The fact is: If everyone knew how to be number one, well, no one would be number one anymore. The good news is that there are two constants in the world of search engine optimization: great content and back links.
Just like you, search engine companies want to provide their customers with an excellent product. As your site gets indexed with search engines like Google, well-written, relevant content (and lots of it) will be your saving grace. Also, if many sites link to yours, search engines take that as a cue that your site must have something of value. So - how does one go about getting back links? Easy. Give stuff away. Everyone loves free stuff. Let's say you have a diet site, and you offer a free calorie counter - chances are pretty good that other sites will link to your free tool, because they will be offering value to their customers as well. Or, write valuable articles on your topic and syndicate them in your blog. You can also submit them to free article submission sites like articlealley.com/. Other people will post your articles on their sites and link back to yours. You get the point.
This cyber world known as the Internet is an exciting place. It's critical that you jump in there and be a part of it. Admittedly, it can seem daunting and frustrating, but if you offer a valuable product and you know your audience, the Internet is a great place to find them, or better yet, a great place to build roads so they can find you.
