One of the most common mistakes that businesses make with their websites is to talk about themselves — not their customers (or, in the case of authors, readers).
And if you’re a non-fiction author, this common pitfall may be costing you readers. Your website should clearly tell people what they would get out of your book…. especially on the homepage. Ideally, it should be in the form of a bolded, bulleted list of benefits to readers who have purchased your book. And a testimonial doesn’t hurt, either!
But too many authors spend their valuable first few moments of a potential reader’s attention going on about themselves. For example, if you had written a book about saving for retirement, you very well might have a few paragraphs on the homepage about your expertise in finance and the changing trends in retirement funds.
But don’t you think that people are much more likely to purchase your book if you address their needs — not your own?
Here’s an example of a few author sites I built that do this very well:
http://www.financialstrategyfordivorce.com/
http://www.whencrisisstrikes.com/
http://www.alliephillips.com/
See what these sites do? The first thing you see upon arrival is a call-out to you, the reader. You’re attracted to what the book and the website have to offer. And hopefully, you’re “sold” on the benefit that this book can have on your life.
If you already have an author website, take another look at it. Who is it about? You or your readers? If the answer isn’t “the readers,” then you may be missing out on some valuable book sales.