TO DO:
Choose a domain name, a hosting service, and a designer.
DOMAIN NAME:
This will be the name of your website. Grab your name now so it doesn’t get taken! FIRST NAME AND LAST NAME are best.
WEB HOSTING:
Who to use as your web host is a great discussion to have with your developer. They will have the best recommendations for you and what you wish to accomplish.
I use GoDaddy and I recommend it, but this may not be the best fit for everyone! Some authors prefer to sell their books directly from the website, which will affect which service you choose.
Other authors may wish to offer items such as mentoring services, which will also affect your website.
Know in advance what you want to offer on your website.
WELCOME PAGE:
Think of the Welcome page as a newspaper. The top 1/3 is the most expensive real estate on a paper. Many people will glance at your welcome page and either decide to click somewhere else or stay and scroll. You want them to stay and scroll.
WHAT TO INCLUDE ON YOUR WEBITE’S MENU:
Home tab
About
News and Announcements
Contact
5-7 tabs max.
THE REST OF THE PAGE:
In addition to the header and the tabs, the homepage can include links to books (including new releases) and information on how to subscribe to your newsletter. The bottom half of the homepage can include “how to find me” icons, links to recent blog posts, links to books, and videos.
DRIVING TRAFFIC:
Where to next? You’ve found a website developer and created your fabulous website, but how do you drive traffic to it?
We’ll break this down into two sections:
Newsletters
Facebook ads
NEWSLETTERS:
Why have a newsletter? How many people see…
Ø Facebook posts- About 7%
Ø X, Insta, TikTok- Less than Facebook, though it depends on the audience.
Ø Blog posts- It varies.
Ø How many people get your newsletter? Nearly 100% of the people who sign up.
STEP ONE: Choose a service.
There are a host of newsletter services to discover online. In my experience, I’ve found that many offer the same types of resources, and pricing tends to be on a sliding scale.
There are many newsletter services out there, but a few of the most popular are the following:
–MailChimp: User friendly. Can be more expensive.
–MailerLite: Flexibility in segmenting groups.
–MadMimi: More affordable. Automations can be confusing.
–Constant Contact: You can choose your level of experience.
–Active Campaign: Great with automations. Must be tech savvy. Expensive.
SUBJECT LINES:
The most important item in your email is your subject line. Subscribers will see this first. It will determine whether your email will be opened or deleted. In many ways, your email subject is more important than your email. A great newsletter is worthless if it never sees the light of day. Spending a little extra time on improving your subject line will boost open rates, avoid the junk folder, and get your message in front of your readers. Some successful subject lines are…
ØAsk a question. Example “What Happens When Star Wars Meets Dragons?”
ØInclude a deadline. “Only One Day Left to Claim Your F*R*E*E Book!”
ØMake an announcement. Example: “A New Record for this Book…”
A tip for writing good subject lines: Write 5 subject lines, then choose the best one.
FACEBOOK ADS:
Example:
