Author Websites that SELL!

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by jeffhopeck in blog

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Thinking of building an author website? Not sure what content should go on it?

Let’s walk through each step of the process so you can understand why certain content NEEDS to be there:

1. Testimonials – Educated internet consumers buy great products from trusted people, that have proven results for others just like them. Simply stated: Get success stories from people that would be of interest to your target market.

The most common mistake I’ve come across when reviewing with author book sites is the lack of targeted testimonials. If you are selling your book to 35yr old females, try to avoid swamping the site with testimonials from your Grandpa Bob and Grandma Jane- both way outside the target market. To learn more about crafting an effective testimonials page, you can view the sample I’ve built for STOP Killing Yourself Testimonials.

2. Chapter Excerpts - I’ve tested this page using my analytics software, and it definitely gets more traffic than I would have ever guessed. Seems people want to learn just a little bit more about what’s inside the book before they actually reach into their wallet and grab their credit card.

For that reason, I would strongly recommend building this kind of page on your next author website. You can read over my Chapter Excerpts Page to get more ideas for crafting your own!

3. BUY NOW – Although it’s a given, I wanted to mention the buy now page in a different light. Is there a way to weave the buy now function into your content?

Consider this: Someone is reading through the content on your author website page, and something in their brain triggers them at that exact instant to BUY! Why make them scroll all the way to the top to find the buy now button? Consider building it into your pages appropriately. Here’s how I leveraged it on STOP Killing Yourself.

4. Video (suggested) – It’s 2010 and time to get up to date with New Media! Promise it’s not too difficult… and with a FLIP camera you can easily shoot video and upload it within minutes!

Let’s actually backup one minute. When you land on a website, do YOU click the video? If you are like most other internet surfers, you are clicking the video whenever you can.

5. Phone Number – Just like there is still snail mail, there has to be the physical contact number for those who will only order from a human being. If the number is hidden, you might lose the internet surfer because the person may think your book is only sold online.

6. FREE Giveaway – Depending on your marketing strategy, you can increase sales by giving away a “sneak peak” of your new masterpiece. For instance, you can give CHAPTER ONE FREE – in exchange for their email address. Or you can just give the chapter away FREE, and have a very strong call to action at the end of the chapter to come back and buy the entire book!