5 Ways Your Indie Author Website Does the Marketing for You
And it’s, literally, at your fingertips!
Regardless of where you are in your author journey, having your own thoughtfully designed website is a critical step on the path to book sales, building your brand and to connecting with readers.
As an indie author, whether someone is searching for you by name or is just searching for the next book to add to their TBR, your author website is the key to the door they’re looking for.
Especially as an indie author, your website is your single most important marketing strategy!
Let’s take a look at the 5 ways your website works to get your books into readers’ hands!
1. Your website serves as your business card.
Those who want to do business with you will first look to see if you have a website. Its presence legitimizes you as an author. In fact, it may just be your website that catches an agent’s or a publisher’s eye.
Leverage this and give them the social proof they’re looking for. Post any accolades, speaking engagements and signings.
Furthermore, prospective stakeholders will likely contact you through the information provided on your website to ask if you’d be interested in attending an upcoming signing, a speaking engagement, to be a guest on their podcast or blog, or to serve as a retailer for your books.
Speaking of book sales:
You will need to have your own website if you want to sell your books directly.
Buying directly from their favorite authors, rather than throwing more money at major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, is something that many readers WANT to do to help support YOU!
Readers spend hundreds of dollars to meet their favorite authors at book signings and to get their books personalized. By offering this on your website, you are providing yet another layer of book love to your ride or die readers.
Post your reviews on your website, too! Whether a prospective reader or a current reader is on your site, they are there because they are looking for more books for their TBR. Make it easy for them to add YOURS.
Plus, oftentimes people don’t really know what they’re looking for. How many times have we been doing random searches and scrolling when we’ve stumbled across a pretty cover or a review? And before we know it, a new book is downloaded on our Kindle or appears at our door!
It’s the best kind of magic! And it’s yours to behold.
2. Your Website Serves to Honor You and Your Writing
It’s the foundational piece of your author platform. It’s the embodiment of your branding.
Your website is the springboard for all that you do.
It is where you will share all of your content: from your author origin story, your vibe, your books (both past and future).
Don’t sell yourself short!
While it can be a one and done, mark-it-off-of-your-to-do list endeavor, please don’t check it off and forget it. Leverage this powerful marketing tool that is preprogrammed to work for you for the duration.
Take time to build your brand and to nurture your readers. You can do this by not only showcasing your books but also by showcasing your writing life.
How do you do this, you might ask?
The answer: By doing what you do best,
Writing.
Consider writing a blog. Sending out a newsletter via your carefully curated email list is another powerful marketing tool that can be driven by your website. (More on these two mega-marketers and relationship building strategies below.)
The author journey is not an easy one, but it’s so worth it.
Your readers are out there, and your website is the tie that binds.
Some independent authors, especially indie romance authors, struggle with being taken seriously:
“Surely you’re just going through a phase.”
OR
“This is just a fun little hobby that you’ll grow tired of, especially when it fails to pay the bills.”
And here’s the thing about human nature: when someone searches for you, only to come up empty, red flags go up.
They ask themselves, “If this author doesn’t take herself seriously, why should I?”
Your author journey is a serious one. A professional one. Make sure it’s viewed as such.
Having a website lends credibility and professionalism, and those naysayers can go fly a kite.
3. Your Website Serves to Connect with Your Readers
Mine the inherent marketing strategy gold noted below and play to your area of genius. You’re an author after all!
The following content ideas are easy to produce, require no expensive equipment and have the added benefit of the use of repurposed content.
Plus, the creation and posting of these content strategies are easy to outsource.
Email/Newsletter
Your email list subscribers will likely be your biggest fans.
They subscribed because they want to keep in touch with you and to support you! They are readers at the ready, clamoring to read your newest release, to receive an ARC, and to shout your name from the rooftops.
Again, your devoted subscribers (i.e., readers) want to help you! Their mighty pens are poised to write reviews and to post about your books on Amazon and social media. UGC, anyone?
Integrating the newsletter software into your website is straightforward. Kit (formally, ConvertKit) offers a free plan, which is enough to get you going. You can always upgrade to a paid plan as you grow and want additional features. Take a look at the plans and decide what works best for you.
Blog
A blog is super simple to add to your current website with no additional expense and not much technical know-how. As previously mentioned, your readers are on your site because they want to learn more about you, your processes and anything else you would like to share!
In the vast world that is the internet, Google rewards content. The more content produced on your site (especially on the regular!), the better.
More content ➡️ more visitors to your site ➡️ more ride or die readers ➡️ more book sales
And while increased sales are always good, since your readers are wanting to connect with you on a personal level, a blog is a wonderful way to do this.
Plus, the content of your blog can be repurposed as newsletter content. Double duty at its finest!
Your readers will be thrilled to know what happened behind the scenes while you were writing their new favorite book and will be happy to help you spread the word about its upcoming release.
Q&A
A little question and answer sesh on your website can be an easy add. Simply think of some questions you’ve been asked, or do a quick poll on social media. And voila! Instant content.
Again, your readers will enjoy these little nuggets and insight into you and your author life!
Events
Are there any upcoming book signings in your future? What about appearances at your favorite bookstore or coffee shop? Any podcast episodes readers should binge?
Include it here. Yet another easy and additional cost-free item to add to your site.
Bonus Content
You can post free short stories or teasers, all the while advertising your books.
Have a deleted scene that didn’t make the final copy? Include it here.
Your readers will love having access to this exclusive, never seen before content!
Social Media Integration
When used in conjunction with your very own indie author website, they become a force to be reckoned with.
And the good news is that it’s super easy to integrate it into your site.
Your website ➕ IG/FB/TikTok = POWERFUL MARKETING POTENTIAL
If someone follows you on IG, for example, they have a quick and easy way to learn more about you and your books on your website. And vice versa.
It’s a win-win!
These ideas serve as additional ways to get potential readers to your website. You and Google make powerful bedfellows, since you’re both committed to
getting your readers their HEA.
4. Social Media is Great, BUT…
From Facebook to Instagram to TikTok and everything in between, marketing your books on social media definitely has its place, and using it in conjunction with your author website is highly recommended (and, not to mention, it’s easy to integrate).
However, it is important to remember that all of this time, energy and money is being spent on rented land 😬
In fact, you may have already found yourself frustrated with the ever-changing algorithms and the temperamental trends. Plus, it’s exhausting! It is the ultimate Keeping Up with the Joneses. And who knows where the goal posts will be placed next?
ENTER: YOUR website.
It’s yours. You own it. And no one can change the algorithm at their whim, leaving you to figure it out and to try again.
You and your books deserve better!
As with everything, there are strategies and best practices to consider, but by having your own website, you call the shots.
This goes the other way, too. When considering what is going on in your readers’ lives, they may have chosen to step back from social media. We’ve all heard about the social media detoxes that occasionally make their rounds (ironically on social media 🙄). However, since you have your own website, your social media-free readers can still connect with you.
Social media is transient. Your author website has staying power. Your readers will appreciate it, and you can leverage it. YOU, after all, control the content and can post what your readers resonate with.
Are your books standalones?
Would your readers enjoy finding all of the Easter eggs when your books are read in a certain order?
Do you have any funny anecdotes that occurred as you were writing?
Does your dog, kid or brother have a starring role, or do they appear as a side character?
(Do they know that?!)
Is one of your books deeply personal? Your readers love to connect with you on that level and to know that they are not alone. Consider sharing what you’re comfortable with.
Did one of your stories come to you as a dream? Or maybe your FMC appeared as a muse, demanding that her story be told?
Your readers would love to know these nuggets!
It’s your website, and you can include such things if you’d like.
5. Your Website Provides Valuable Analytics
Even without connecting to Google Analytics, additional plug-ins and the like, your website’s built in analytics can provide insight that can be used strategically.
Leverage these, and they will pay back in spades.
With a Squarespace Business Plan, some of the analytics that can be viewed with a click of your mouse are:
Traffic
Traffic Alerts
Geography
Search Keywords
Activity Log
Form and Button Conversions
Site Search Keywords
RSS Subscribers
And with connected payments, these additional analytics can be viewed:
Sales
Abandoned Cart
Even without going into the nitty gritty, it’s easy to see that having access to such numbers can help guide your marketing strategy. At the very least, it’s interesting to see how readers find your site and where they are from!
Regardless of where you are in your journey, having your own indie romance author website is imperative.
It is your single most important marketing tool!
Although there is much to think about and to do when it comes to crafting and then maintaining your website, please know you do not have to do it alone!
Mint Copy Services offers affordable options.
From never having a website before, to having a full-blown multi-page site, and everything in between, we’ve got you covered.
Not sure what you need? Let’s chat and plot next steps together!
Your supportive side character,
Lisa