fall in love

At this time of year many of us are making plans for special Valentine’s Day dates. We’re eager to make a great first impression and maybe even find true love. But what about your author website? Is it ready to turn first dates with visitors into lasting relationships with fans? Here are some tips to make readers fall in love with your website.

Create An Author Website That’s A Real Heartthrob

1. Dress to impress.

You wouldn’t show up to an important rendezvous looking shabby, unkempt, or unfashionable—unless you wanted your date to bolt. Keep your website fresh, up-to-date, and well-groomed so that your visitors will stick around and get to know you better. And you don’t necessarily need an expensive makeover; even simple website updates like changing the color scheme or updating your headshot can really revitalize your site.

2. Don’t be a cheapskate.

A fast-food joint isn’t usually the best venue when you’re trying to impress a date. It’s one thing to be smart about budgeting, but it’s another to cut corners and settle for something that is substandard. When it comes to Web design, there’s nothing wrong with wanting the best possible price. But a cheap site can sometimes cost more than what you bargained for. All your supposed savings can be quickly spent fixing unexpected problems and paying hidden fine-print fees. Remember: If a Web design company’s offer looks too good to be true—it probably is. Choose quality first. (Learn more about Web Design Relief’s budget-friendly, writer-specific websites!)

3. Set the mood.

The way you set the tone for a special evening says a lot about you—and sets you apart from the competition for your sweetie’s attention! As a writer, having a clear, easily identified author brand will help you successfully market your work. When you can be recognized by the topic, genre, and unique quality of your writing, your audience will be able to immediately distinguish you from other authors. So when you create your author website, maintaining the mood of your unique brand through visual continuity is a must when choosing design elements.

4. Don’t be pushy.

The quickest way to sabotage a potential relationship is to hard-sell yourself. The same is true if you’re trying to market your book on your author website. A much more effective way to build sales via your website and social media is to entice rather than sell. Let potential agents, editors, and readers get to know the real you: Share your interests and inspirations. Then they’ll be more inclined to consider representing you, publishing you, or buying your book.

5. Move from “just dating” into a relationship.

You’ve done your best to impress your date, but your ultimate goal is to move your relationship to the next level. When it comes to turning your author website’s visitors into repeat fans, the sooner that happens, the better. Give them reasons to commit to staying connected by building an interactive website featuring a blog, your publication credits, book trailers, excerpts—maybe even giveaways! Be sure to encourage visitors to sign up for your email list so you can keep them up-to-date on your latest news.

Good relationships require attention and nurturing to keep them going strong—and so does your connection with your fans. It’s not always going to be easy to maintain an effective author platform, but if you invest your time and energy wisely, you are very likely to reap the reward of a faithful and growing fan base!

QUESTION: How else do you woo readers into falling in love with your author website?

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