Update your Website this Winter!

When is the last time you took a good look at your website?  Maybe its time for an update.  Some things you might want to check for are:

Are your pictures up to date?  I changed all of my covers with my transition to Createspace, so all of my covers were not up to date.

Are your links working properly?  When you publish your books, make sure that you have the most up to date links for them on your website.  Be sure to test the links also, its frustrating to readers when your links take them to unexpected or no longer functioning places online.

Do you have any new works that you need to list on your website?  You should be updating your website every quarter, so it becomes a regular landing spot for your readers.

How big is your writing becoming?  It may be a good time to update from a free Wix.com site to a dot com listing of your own.  I will need to do this soon, I have simply become lazy because all of my business cards have my website on them.  I want to get rid of my current cards so that I can start fresh.

What was your mood when you created your website?  Mine was dark, so my site is dark.  My blog is more upbeat, so its time for a new background.  Its alright for you to have a misstep, but if you do, just go back and correct it.  We all have ups and downs with our writing.

Has your email address changed?  My contact email changed after an inbox was overwhelmed with spam, so I had to change my email address on my website.

Is the REAL you showing up on your website?  Make sure there is some of your personality showing up on your website.  Don't just dial it in, and make it clinical.  Have a little fun with it!

What does your website look like on mobile devices?  Make sure it's not so overloaded with information and graphics it's taking forever to load.

Its Winter, but its not too early to do some advance Spring Cleaning on your Website.  If you need some help, talk to some Web designers, or go to the sites of some of your favorite authors and see how they interact with their readers.  You may not be able to use all of their bells and whistles, but take what you can and make it work for you.  Update your website, you can do it, be encouraged!