I spent the weekend working on a new site design. I decided to go for something cleaner, and incorporate a couple of graphics while I was at it. It felt a bit like when I finally hung paintings on the walls of my apartment after three years of whiteness.
I can't tell you how many author websites I visited in order to decide how mine should be. Some impressed me favorably and others, hmm, didn't.
The good:- forthright and up-to-date list of available works: Let me know what you've done so I can go find it, and in order, if I want more.
- free reads online: Even just excerpts. I like to see a sample of someone's writing style.
- clear navigation: Some authors do cram everything on the home page, but they shouldn't. There are probably other pages on your site that I'd like to be able to get to easily.
- clean, integrated layout: No random graphics, just a consistent appearance that gives your site its own brand. And readable.
- book covers in a small, reasonable size: They do catch the eye and offer an instant glimpse at the book's genre and mood. But don't fill the page with them; in the end I judge by the content.
- huge graphic of the author's name: Don't let this take up nearly all the space above the fold. Knowing your name is good, but I need to know more than that.
- nothing yet published, no excerpts, no vignettes, nothing: Give me some reason to believe you're a writer.
- animation or music: Distracting and annoying.
- clashing colors: Same as above, but visually.
- long list of links to author friends with nothing to distinguish them: If you have a link, make it clear why I should go there. If I don't know the author's name, I have no reason to look at her site. If they're really your friends or you really love their work, can't you spare a few words to persuade me?
I finally came up with a design that worked for my simple tastes, with some room to grow as I add more content, and it's been published. Moving the blog over to the new look is going to have to wait for another weekend, though.