Pinning down that something else has proved problematical.
I know I want to keep my photo gallery pages, which are mostly devoted to my pets--both past and present. But I'm not sure what else to keep. FAQs don't seem as important as they did eight or ten years ago. They should probably go. Colors? I'm not sure. I probably won't see my cover until July or August.
"Here's how I look at it," E.J. said to me. "What would make me stop and open pages on an author's web site? Should I anticipate who my readers will be (this is, after all, my first novel), or make something that pleases me and hope that will carry over?
"My good friend Jeff Cohen has an interesting web site, but it's very much tied to the subject matter of his series. Should it be more about the author? What will stand out?
"There seem to be a million crime fiction authors out there, and now I'm told that web sites aren't as important as social networking. Do readers care about web sites? How do they find out about your web site?
"It's a stumper, I'll tell you.
"I looked at a lot of web sites (including your excellent one, Lorna/Lorraine) to get ideas. But I don't want to have ideas that have already been used--that feels like cheating. I feel like the site should be a reflection of my personality and that of the books. Should it be more calculated, more geared toward an anticipated demographic? It's hard to know."
So, dear readers, what would YOU like to see on our web sites?
A list of your works, in order if it is a connected series, is a must. Something about the author is important to me, doesn't have to be long but things like education and life experiences make it interesting. I also often look for a "coming soon" section, not only the book that is going to be published next week but other things that are on the horizon. I don't know that I notice color or pictures (other than book covers) all that much unless it is super dark (I hate black backgrounds, esp. with green type). Clean and not overly cluttered appeals to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching responses because the Domestic Diva Mystery website is about to undergo a major renovation. I, too, am curious about what readers like to see. Thanks for asking this question, Lorraine!
ReplyDelete~ Krista
http://divamysteries.com
What Patty said and also events you're participating in and/or attending. Make sure the site is kept up-to-date with the latest happenings. Your favorite links (I find plenty of new-to-me authors that way).
ReplyDeleteI'm with Dru and Patty here. Clean, uncluttered, please. Neutral color palette. (I really like this green you have now). As for the information, as much as possible - though neatly categorized. Appearances/signings, series information (including order), author bio. I love it when authors use the cover art from the books by the listings. A good example, in my opinion, is Julie Hyzy's site (www.juliehyzy.com). The only thing I'd do differently if I had designed hers was integrate her blog into it. The only other thing I can think of that hasn't been said yet is: keep the front page updated! Nothing drives me away faster than when the latest news on the front of an author's website is two years old.
ReplyDeleteAs a reader/browser of web sites, I agree with all of the above! Double and in spades for the clean, uncluttered, neutral color palette. Forgo the cutsie animations, dark colors, and color in your typeface that too closely mimics or complements your background color. (I've seen that in other sites & it's nearly IMpossible to read that kind of type!) And I agree w/Shel -- make sure the homepage is regularly updated. All that said, I LIKE your web site. ::grin:: Good luck on your tweaking.
ReplyDeleteAh, I forgot to add - upcoming releases information as soon as you have it. I love when I can add to my "new releases" list from an author's website, instead of having to troll Amazon and Fantastic Fiction.
ReplyDeleteWow--such wonderful comments. Lots to think about. Thank you everyone for commenting.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to add my thanks! It's great to hear what you want. Sometimes it seems like the possibilities are just endless and it's a bit overwhelming.
ReplyDelete~ Krista
Great topic, Lorraine! I too am contemplating a new look for my site. (I love the banner on this page.)
ReplyDeleteI'll add my vote for a clean, uncluttered look -- a look that says this site belongs to a professional, not a hobbyist. I'm claustrophobic; don't make feel like I'm wandering through a teensy little bric-a-brac shop. I'm really turned off by pages that are loaded down with sidebars, little pictures, animations, and I will NOT stay on a site that requires me to "Click here to enter". I have already "entered" by going to the site, and I won't go through another, pointless, step to get to the content.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced that many people are either colorblind or never really study their sites in an effort to see how they look to others. Too much black or dark red may scream "crime!" to the site owner, but it screams "headache!" to the hapless visitor. If the type is hard to read (green on black, red on black, etc.), I won't even try to read it. Why would any writer want to make it difficult for visitors to read what's on her website?
Take a look at Erin Hart's newly refurbished site. (www.erinhart.com)It's lovely -- and a vast improvement over the murky look she had before.
The very first thing I do when I come across a new writer is Google for a web site. Blogs, FB or Twitter too if they have it, but I really want a web site. I just think web sites still give more chance for interactive content and just plain look prettier than blogs or FB pages.
ReplyDeleteSome basic rules I abide by: no Flash opening unless it can be skipped, no music that starts the minute you land on a page, and if you must have music, give the visitor a way to shut it down. Don't overburden you home page with big graphics.. I like web sites that have something about the books right on the main page, something to let me know what kind of books they are -- cozy, thriller, noir, comedic, paranormal, etc. I don't care if there is an author photo or not, but I do want at least one book cover.
And for goodness sake, do not have light script on a dark background. Nothing gives me a headache faster and makes me less likely to linger.
Finally, make a site easy to navigate. Always have ways to get out of it, either back to where you started or someplace new. Have pages open in new windows.
I am the founder of SmartAuthorSites.com. We develop websites for authors like you. So here's my advice: There's really no simple answer to your question about what should be on your site. That's because it's totally different for each author, based on genre, website goals, an author's level of involvement in the site post-launch, how many books they've published, etc... This is why just working with a web designer isn't enough when you're working on an author website. You need someone who knows what's working for other author sites and understands book marketing to help you figure out what would work best for your site. That's what we do :)
ReplyDelete