Thanks to Kendra Haskins of Kendra Haskins Design, the website arm of our WWW team, for this post:
When we set out to provide websites for authors it was easy for us to choose a content management system for them — WordPress. There are plenty of obvious reasons:
- It’s the most popular platform out there right now,
- It has an enormous community of developers making thousands of plugins to maximize your site,
- And, of course, because it’s a free content management system.
But why specifically for authors?
1 – REACH YOUR AUDIENCE
The number 1 reason authors need websites is to help reach their audience. It’s not enough anymore to write a book and get it in a shop. To be seen and heard these days you have to make the effort to engage and reach readers.
An easy to manage, highly optimized website provides a home base for interested readers to get to know you and your work. And a blog is an even better way to give the public the chance to not only know who you are but also to engage you directly. What a thrill to have a conversation with your favorite author and fellow fans!
2 – CUSTOMIZE THE EXPERIENCE
WordPress gives us the flexibility to really customize the user experience of every site. From the design and feel of your site when the user lands on your home page, up to the content — text, audio, video, images — you want to include. WordPress gives you to opportunity to share so much with your readers and keep them coming back for more.
3 – EMPOWER YOU AS AN AUTHOR
So many times we work with authors who already have a website but are frustrated because they have no idea how to make updates to their site and the person who built it either has disappeared or charges outrageous rates for changes. The wonderful thing about the web is that it is a living, breathing entity that gives the user the latest information. But if you can’t make changes to your site to maximize your author marketing and the information is getting stale and dull, why should anyone visit a second time?
We like empowering our clients so they can make changes to any part of their site — from the blog, to adding new content and images to adding more pages and plugins. It’s your site — you should control it! That is the most powerful aspect of WordPress. It is an easy-to-learn way to manage your site, without paying someone else and taking away from your profits.
If you would like to take advantage of a free twenty minute consultation to learn more about the advantages the WWW team offers to authors (no obligation) then write us at info@writerswin.com. To see samples of other author websites we’ve developed, visit our PORTFOLIO.
This sounds like a great service! You are completely right, WordPress is great for maintaining a blog AND a website. I use it all the time and love it. The site I am listing is specifically for writers and one thing we highly encourage is for authors to have a greater online presence. This article will certainly point you in the right direction!
http://litbridge.com/
I’m fascinated by the option of having a website in the same place that my blog is. Can someone tell me what the difference is? Are they the same? Can they be combined?
They absolutely can and SHOULD be combined — your website includes static PAGES (things you don’t change regularly, i.e. your bio, about your book, contact page, etc, while your blog is one of the “pages” but contains POSTS… This is what keeps your site moving and fluid and attracting consistent indexing attention.
When we set up websites, both posts and pages use a WordPress “backend” so you can add/change/delete each with ease and all from one central location. Hope that helps, Jayne, and shout out if we can be of further assistance! Shari
I love you Shari! You make my job so much easier!! (((hugs)))
First, I want to highly recommend the services that Shari and Kendra provide. They are experts in their field. I should know. I am proud to be one of their customers!
And I agree with every word Shari said. Why rent your website when you can own it!
Best,
Pattie
Aw, thanks, Pattie! Write on… Shari
I think word press is great! Easy to navigate, and great on adding links, photos, and videos. If you get a spam response, just delete or trash it. WordPress works for me!
Highly recommend Kendra’s services. The only thing I love more than my website, is being able to work on it myself. In the old days, when websites were mystical things, I had to wait hours or even days for thee “IT Wizard” to get back to me for even the simplest change.