We all know the importance of an author website. It’s a great way to connect with your readers, build your brand, and sell your books. But what happens when your website starts to look…well, static?
If you’ve been using the same layout for years, it might be time for an update. Here are a few easy steps you can take to encourage your readers to interact with your website—and keep coming back for more.
Encourage your Readers to Interact with Your Website
Your website is the hub of your online marketing. Making it work for you instead of against you is essential to your success in your content marketing.
Keep Your Website Up-to-Date
Don’t be afraid to change things up from time to time. Just because you have a website doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the same design forever. If you’re starting to feel like your site is looking a little stale, mix things up with a new layout or some fresh content. A little change can go a long way!
Also consider adding some multimedia. A simple video greeting from you can be a great way to add a personal touch to your site. You can also use audio clips to give readings from your work or interviews with other authors. And don’t forget about images! A well-chosen photo or graphic can really help liven up your site.
Make it Mobile-Friendly
These days, most people are accessing the internet on their smartphones and tablets—not on their desktop computers. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic.
Fortunately, making your site mobile-friendly is relatively easy to do. You can either create a separate mobile version of your site or use a responsive theme that automatically adjusts the layout to fit any screen size.
Use Social Media Integration
Social media is a great way to connect with your readers and promote your books—so why not integrate it into your website? There are a number of ways you can do this, such as adding social media buttons or embedded posts, or even creating a social media feed on your homepage.
This will make it easy for people to follow you on social media and share your content with their friends and followers.
Make it Easy to Buy Your Books
If you want people to buy your books, you need to make it easy for them to do so! Add conspicuous “Buy Now” buttons on your book pages and include links to online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You can also add an ebook store directly onto your website so that people can purchase digital versions of your books without ever leaving your site.
By making it easy for people to buy your books, you’ll encourage them to do just that—and boost your sales in the process!
Add Fresh Content Regularly
One of the best ways to keep people coming back to your website is to regularly add new content. If you haven’t updated your blog in months (or years!), now is the time to start writing again. You can also add other types of content, like video or podcasts. Not only will this give people a reason to keep coming back to your site, but it will also help you attract new readers from search engines.
One of the best ways to keep your readers coming back to your author website is to regularly add new content. If you haven’t updated your blog in months (or years!), now is the time to start blogging again.
You can also add other types of content like videos, podcasts, quizzes and polls, downloadable ebooks or PDFs, countdowns or multiple-choice questions. All this is considered interactive content. So then,
What is interactive content?
Interactive content is when the audience is actively encouraged to engage with the content that they are consuming.
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Add Website Extras to Encourage Interaction
As an author, one of the best ways to connect with your readers is through your website.
By including a character names chart, your story outline, a behind-the-scenes look into your writing, your main character’s profile, a family tree chart or the inspiration pictures that inspired your story, you can encourage your readers to spend more time on your site and get to know you better!
In addition, these website content extras can also help to build brand loyalty and turn casual readers into lifelong fans.
So, if you’re looking for ways to make your author website more engaging, consider adding some fun and informative extras that will encourage your readers to stick around.
For a list of website extras you can add to your site, go here: Make your Author Website Stand Out with Website Extras.
Add an Author Blog and Add to it Regularly
A blog is a great way to make your author website more interactive. By adding new content on a regular basis, you can encourage readers to come back to your site again and again. And, by allowing comments and feedback, you can create a dialogue with your readers that can help to improve the quality of your work.
In addition, a blog can also help to build up a sense of community around your work. By creating a space for discussion and exchange, you can foster a sense of belonging among your readership. So, if you’re looking for ways to make your author website more interactive, consider starting a blog today.
Go here to learn how you can repurpose your content ideas into blog posts.
Conclusion
These days, an author website is essential for connecting with readers and promoting your work—but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring!
By following these simple tips, you can update your static author website and make it more inviting, engaging, and interactive—which is sure to please both new and existing fans alike. Give it a try today!
What’s Next…
Get the Essential Website Content Checklist here, FREE!!
If you’re ready to take your website to the next level, check out how you can Build Your Own Content Library and pick a content template that fits your readers.
Check out the Ultimate Guide to Building your Content to get tips on how to do-it-yourself!
