How to Create a Professional Author Website in 10 Easy Steps

Introduction

Creating an author website is a great way to promote your work and engage your audience. In this article, we'll cover every step of the process, so you can be sure your website is well-designed, optimised to reach the right audience, and as secure as possible.

Choosing a Niche or Topic

When choosing a niche or topic for your new website, the first step is to think about your goals and what you want to achieve. Are you promoting specific books or just your overall writing career? If it's just the latter, a more generic website where you blog about your writing journey and post updates on new projects could be the right choice for you. However, if you are promoting specific books for example, you should create pages and content for each book to further promote them.

Domain Name Selection

Your domain name should reflect the topic of your website as it is the first thing people will see. It will also help with branding and SEO, meaning it should be memorable and relevant to your topic.

Web Hosting Options

Once you've chosen a domain name, you'll need web hosting. There are many options available, but you should look at their reputation, customer reviews, and the type of support they offer. For example, some web hosting packages offer a good amount of storage space, unlimited sub-domains, and a range of free resources as part of the package.

Website Building Platforms

When choosing a website building platform, you should consider the technical skills you have, the features you need, and the cost. Some platform offer drag-and-drop building, so no coding is necessary. Others will require some technical know-how as you design the pages manually.

Website Design and Layout

The design and layout of a website is important for creating a great user experience. You should decide how you want the pages to look and create a cohesive design, with the same fonts, color scheme, and layout throughout the website. Consider the navigation and how easy it is for users to find your content.

Content Creation and Writing

When creating content, it's important to think about the user experience and how to make your content clear and easy to read. This includes selecting a standard font size and using white space effectively. You should also consider keywords and search engine optimisation to make sure you're catering to organic traffic.

Basic HTML and CSS

If you want to customise your website or make changes to the design, some knowledge of HTML and CSS will be beneficial. Using HTML tags to create headings and paragraphs can help make your content more user-friendly. CSS can be used to further customise the look and feel of the website, such as the colors, background, and font size.

Image and Multimedia Integration

Using images and multimedia on your website is a great way to draw attention to your content and engage your readers. For images, make sure you have the right to use them and include alt text so they're properly indexed. For multimedia, consider the file size and make sure it's optimized for quick loading.

User Experience (UX) and Navigation

UX and navigation are essential for a great user experience. Make sure your navigation is simple and clear, so users can easily find the content they're looking for. You should also pay attention to the design elements to ensure the website looks professional and inviting.

SEO Fundamentals

Using SEO to rank higher in the search engine results pages is essential for getting more organic traffic. Include keywords in titles, descriptions, and content. Make sure the content is relevant and of high quality. Also, create internal links to help direct users to important pages on your website.

Mobile Responsiveness

Making sure your website is mobile responsive is vital as more than half of all traffic comes from mobile devices. There are tools available to test the design on a range of devices and browsers so you can make sure it looks the same across all.

Social Media Integration

Integrating your website with social media is great for increasing traffic and building your following. It also makes it easier for people to find your content and share it with others.

Website Security

Keeping your website secure is essential, especially if you are storing personal data. There are several measures you can take, such as using secure passwords, regularly updating your software, and using secure certificates.

Analytics and Tracking Tools

Using tracking and analytics can give you invaluable insight into your website traffic and user behaviour. This can help you understand how visitors are engaging with your website and where you can make improvements.

Final Notes

Creating an author website requires a lot of planning and research. Make sure you choose the right web hosting, website building platform, and content you need. Pay attention to design and navigation to create a great user experience. And don't forget to use SEO and tracking to get more organic traffic and understand user behaviour.