Seven Elements That Can Make or Break Your Site By Shaila Abdullah

Today's guest is Shaila Abdullah, author of Saffron Dreams and Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of Short Stories. She is also the founder of My House of Design where she works with authors and small businesses on their website, marketing and branding needs. Today, Shaila will be discussing things you should and should not have on your website. (Make sure you see her generous offer to readers of this blog at the end of her post).



Before we get to Shaila's post, I have a quick announcement.This week, D'vorah Lansky is hosting The Book Marketing Conference Online. This is a great opportunity to learn how to market your book from the experts. This year, I will be a participant and I invite you to check out the great lineup she has created for you.



Now, on to Shaila's post... 





Seven Elements That Can Make or Break Your Site

By Shaila Abdullah





A website serves as an author's virtual calling card. You need a professional website, even before you get an agent. Experts advise that the minute you start thinking of book titles, reserve a domain and start looking for a designer.



A website is also your online home of sorts. Think of how much you spruce up your home when someone's visiting. Unlike your physical residence, your website is a place where visitors will be calling day and night––and unannounced.



If you're an author who has been on the fence about having a website for awhile, ask yourself these questions:


Do you want to attract more readers and sell more books?
D you want a fan base?
Do you want media to have an easy way to reach you?
Do you want readers and editors to know that you are an expert in your field?



Like it not, many editors look up authors online before they even sign them up. Yet, when it comes to websites, so many authors choose to go with unprofessional or mediocre looking sites. Hiring a professional pays off in the long run. When choosing a website designer, make sure they have an impressive portfolio. You do not want a designer who delivers cookie-cutter solutions. A professional web designer provides clients with a series of questions geared to their particular genre, book, and personality before providing an estimate.



Seven things all authors should have on their website




A professional bio
Description of work and information on buying
A media kit with a few professional photos
A few excerpts (incentive for visitors who come to the site)
News and events section highlighting book reading/signing events, media mentions, etc
A sign up form to collect contact info of interested readers
An easy-to-find contact section



Seven things no author should have on their website




Content with grammatical and spelling mistakes
A bio that makes you sound like Jack or Jill of all trades
Photos from your last family reunion
Distracting animation, loud music, blinking text, and annoying rotators
Your unpublished writing (If it has not seen the light of day yet, it's better to leave it out)
A corner where you badmouth publishers and agent who rejected or upset you
A long list of external links that increases your site visits but draws traffic that is useless for you



Remember, your website should have a look that highlights only your best.











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Shaila Abdullah is an award-winning designer and author and has created numerous websites, marketing materials, and email marketing campaigns for authors. She can be reached at shailaabdullah@gmail.com or http://www.myhouseofdesign.com. Marketing Tips For Authors readers qualify for a 10% discount on their first project.







  



























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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect , an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests . His new novel, The Lottery Ticket , was just recently released on Kindle.