I started as a writer, but along the way picked up a lot of other skills. I’ve always been fascinated by code and building things, and have managed to learn enough to build my own websites. They’re nothing fancy, but they get the job done (and these days, they’re all on WordPress, which has lots of features and an excellent community online full of people willing to help answer questions).
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to what to include in your website. I don’t mean the content (which should include at the very least, some information about you as an author and your books). CMI talks about Google’s Core Web Vitals, the tech side of things that includes how fast your website loads. One of the biggest takeaways is to make sure your website is mobile friendly. You can also get an idea of how well your website performs using Google Search Console, which you can also use to help you find the best keywords to target in your content.
When you have a website, you should also use it to help build your email list. Email lists are a great way to connect with readers and let them know when you have a new book or other piece of content coming up. One way to get people to sign up to your list, which is somewhat controversial, is to use pop-ups. CMI offers some guidance here as well, such as making it contextual, timing it in a way that isn’t annoying, making it clear what the pop up is about and keeping your call to action short and simple, and being mobile friendly.
And then, once you have an email list, you can consider whether to monetize your newsletter or not. Learning Revolution has some tips and ideas here, such as by charging subscriptions, generating leads, including affiliate links, including sponsorships and ads in the newsletter, and selling merchandise. There are lots of examples of monetized newsletters, with audience sizes big and small. Just make sure that, like with everything, you deliver value.
