Making the Most of Your Website

Why You Need a Website

Helps attract professional, reputable clients

Advertises your services

Persuades people to hire you

Today:

Basic design principles – make your website look the part

What to include and what not to include on your website

A few quick ways you can improve your website’s copy

Basic Design Principles

Plenty of white space …

Not too many fonts …

Difficult to read Don’t try this at homeIt’s a bit too fancyTOO MANY FONTS … DISTRACTING!

American TypewriterVerdana, example body font

MontserratCochin, example body font

A responsive design …

No pointless imagery …

No more than one sidebar …

Make sure you have a simple, professional design

… which is most easily achieved by installing a professionally created theme

What to Include on Your Website

• Home – Are visitors in the right place? Entice them deeper into your website.

• About – More about how your business can help.

• Services – Detail precisely what services you offer.

• Contact – The page potential clients will head to if they want to contact you.

What about a portfolio page?

Not always necessary.

In a nutshell, consider: • how you want to represent your experience• which projects best reflect your skills and niche• and how easy it is for you to update your portfolio

Do you need a CV on your website?

Again, not always necessary.

If you work with publishing houses or agencies of any kind … keep a CV on your computer, ready to email.

What about a blog?

• Don’t start a blog because you feel you should • Consider the purpose of your blog• Consider who you’re blogging for / writing to• How can you be useful and interesting to them?

Have the right amount of information on your website

… Keep pages to a minimum, and don’t clutter

How to Improve the Copy on Your Website

• Inform – Give visitors the information they need • Persuade – You’re the editor they should choose

Be crystal clear about what you want your website visitors to know

and what you want them to do

as they look around your website.

Use a tagline

What problem you can help them solve

Why you should be the one to do it

Liminal Pages:

A literary consultancy for writers of fantasy,

sci-fi and speculative fiction

Littera Editorial Services:

Helping authors bring history to life

Enigma Editorial:

Intelligent editing for writers of mysteries and thrillers

1. Open with a question or a statement that lets your target client know they’re in the right place

2. Write a paragraph or two giving an overview of how you can help

3. Write a paragraph about why you’re up to the task

4. Write a paragraph that’s actually about you

5. Include a CTA (Call-to-Action)

6. Apply the finishing touches

What to write on your About page

What to write on your Home page

• What would you say to someone to persuade them to hire you?• How would you describe your services?• What’s the main benefit of working with you? • What’s the most exciting outcome a client could expect to get

from hiring you?

• Interrupt – Grab people’s attention

• Engage – Show that you have the solution

• Educate – Give more detail

• Offer – Insert a call-to-action

EXAMPLE:

How do you know when your novel’s ready to be released into the world? [Interrupt]

Is your book ready to be self-published, submitted to agents, or read by

readers? Sometimes it feels as though there’s always more work to be done. But at

some point you know you’re just tinkering, and you’ve got as far as you can get on

your own. The next stage is to find another pair of critical eyes. [Engage]

I help authors take one step closer to publication by helping them make sure their

story is solid and their writing is free from niggly grammar, punctuation, spelling and

consistency issues – you know, the kind of things that will distract a reader

from being fully immersed in your tale. [Educate]

Take a look at my About page to learn more about how I do this. [Offer]

What specifically do your clients want to get from working with you?

When an author's text is clear and accessible to

readers, it's like a key that turns easily in a lock. The

reader can open the door and step inside the author's

world.

– Brittany Dowdle, Word Cat Editorial Services

Consider why someone is viewing your website … and write your copy with a focus on what they need.

Summing Up

Make sure your website:

• Has a clean and professional design – use a simple, customisable theme.• Only contains the information your prospects need.• Contains copy that’s focused, persuasive and to the

point.

 

Connect with me on Twitter: @sophieplayle

www.liminalpages.com