“Beyond traditional marketing efforts, another key step in raising one’s author profile is to create a website that can serve as a central hub for your brand, allowing potential readers and publishers to learn more about you, explore your books, and stay connected.”   ~~J Manning

A Guide to Building (and Promoting) Your Author Website

By J Manning

In an era where niche hashtags like #BookTok and #Bookstagram are garnering billions of views, having a strong online presence is essential for authors looking to expand their readership and grow their writing careers.

Additionally, the self-publishing industry has seen exponential growth in recent years. According to WordsRated, the number of self-published books increased by 264% between 2020 and 2024.

This boom has created a highly competitive landscape where authors are struggling to find publishing services to bring their books to life. Even when writers find small presses to publish their work, they must still pay for extra marketing services to ensure their books find an audience. But beyond traditional marketing efforts, another key step in raising one’s author profile is to create a website that can serve as a central hub for your brand, allowing potential readers and publishers to learn more about you, explore your books, and stay connected. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Create a professional author website

Before anything else, you need to create a well-designed website that reflects your work and personality. As we hinted at earlier, a professional author website will act as your digital home where readers can learn about your books, sign up for newsletters, and get updates on upcoming releases. If you’re not tech-savvy, there are website building services you can explore that can do a lot of the work for you, even without coding experience.

For instance, Wix has an AI-powered website builder that sets up a fully functioning website based on chat prompts, streamlining the entire process. WordPress, meanwhile, is another popular option that powers 43.5% of all websites in the world, including Writer Advice. There are a range of website builders that you can use to design your WordPress site, including Elementor and Bluehost, which include different widgets and tools to make the design process easier. These tools are easy to learn and highly accessible, allowing you to set up and publish your website within minutes.

Optimize your website for search engines

Hosting Tribunal reports that there are about 400 million active websites on the World Wide Web. This means that after establishing a website, you need to focus on search engine optimization (SEO) to help readers discover your page organically. SEO helps websites rank higher on search engines like Google, making it easier for potential readers to find your site when they search for terms related to you or your work.

Start by ensuring that your website includes relevant keywords in areas like page titles, meta descriptions (snippets of a webpage’s content), and blog posts. For example, if you write historical fiction, phrases like “best historical fiction books” or “historical fiction author” should be strategically placed throughout your site. Additionally, check that your website is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and loads quickly—factors that search engines prioritize when ranking websites.

Maximize SEO through backlinks

Another important step in promoting your author website is optimizing it for search engines through backlinks. You can think of backlinks as votes of confidence from other websites, which signal to Google that your website is credible and relevant. A good backlinking strategy enables you to rank higher on search engines. To maximize your SEO and link building efforts, ensure that your backlinks are of high quality.

If you find the approach a little too time-consuming or complex, you can refer to link building services with a proven track record and rigorous vetting process for link placements. Established agencies typically share backlinks through original content that’s published on reputable and trustworthy sites. This means that your author website is exposed to a wider audience while gaining credibility by association. Additionally, backlinks are placed on relevant niche websites to help you target your key demographic more effectively, such as women’s interest websites for romance novels, for example. In turn, authors gain a strong backlink profile that improves their website’s ranking and overall visibility.

Leverage social media platforms

Besides ensuring that your website is optimized to attract audiences, social media is another invaluable tool for authors looking to engage with their audience and promote their websites. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook allow you to connect with readers, share your work, and establish a personal brand that draws people to your website. In fact, many authors now invest 40% to 50% of their earnings in social media services from publicists and marketers to increase their visibility.

When promoting your website on social media, make sure to create a consistent and engaging presence. However, juggling social media tasks can be difficult for authors who are also working on new projects. In such cases, it’s beneficial to contact companies like Uplit Marketing, which offers social media, brand management, and virtual assistance services. This way, authors can build an online community around their books without taking time away from writing.

Building and promoting your author website is a crucial part of establishing yourself as a successful writer. Armed with these tips, you can increase your visibility, engage with your readers, and ultimately grow your author brand.

For more book marketing guides and career-building tips for authors, head over to the Writer Advice website!

Written by JManning for https://writeradvice.com