After four years of living with my website, it occurred to me that I needed a fresh look to coincide with my new romantic suspense series and upcoming releases. This entailed a bit of research on my part and I discovered, like reading volumes of books before you write, the best avenue or homework assignment was simply to scan the Internet and make notes about aspects of various sites that were appealing and attention grabbing. I’ve been told it’s also important to make your site easy to navigate, uncluttered and yet informative – in other words, as effective as possible. So here are some suggestions I’d like to pass along in the hope that you find I’ve fulfilled each criteria with the new, improved Kaylin McFarren site.
1. Create a memorable design
Although a “wow” factor was my goal, adding an air of class and elements that related to my stories was essential. My background color needed to be soothing, while coordinating with the cover art of each of my books. Of course, everyone knows that a great looking website add loads of credibility to your business and I’m convinced that recognition is also important, thus my website matches my Facebook page, posters and business cards.
2. User friendly design
It’s essential to create a website that is easy to use. My checklist was the result of experiencing the opposite on various sites.
a) The site should load quickly. If it doesn’t, my attention wanes and I tend to move on.
b) Include call to action buttons, which are linked directly to an easy-to-buy site, such as Amazon.com. There’s nothing worse than having to search pages for purchasing information.
c) Make sure your pages are well-edited and have accurate content. Errors in spelling and poor grammar reflect on every book that’s being sold.
d) Be sure that access to each page is a click away and a smooth transition.
3. Search engine friendly
Search engines offer nearly unlimited potential to your website traffic. If your website isn’t getting any traffic through search engines then something obviously needs to be fixed. But let’s go into that on my next posting. In the meantime, visit http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com and give my new site a spin!
Thanks!!
Kaylin