The Ad Man Answers #31

Thursday + Gregory Huffstutter = The Ad Man Answers

Q: What’s the most common mistake you see in author homepages?

A:   Last column, we discussed the basics for starting or re-designing your author website.

After reviewing countless author homepages, the most common flaw I see is a lack of focus. 

As novelists, we tend to be… well… wordy.  We want to put all our thoughts out there for the world to see.  Good design is the opposite.  It focuses the eye to the most important, salient image. 

Good advertising copy uses the same principle.  Compare this:

You really should get out there and go jogging; I know your knees kind of hurt and you’re probably still hung over from those two glasses of wine last night, and boy it’s chilly this morning, probably low 50’s if you take into account the wind chill, but exercise is good for your heart, and you’ve been meaning to lose those last 15 pounds, haven’t you?

to this:

Just do it.

Which gets you more motivated to strap on your Nikes?  Now let’s apply the same critical eye to a different industry, say, pet fences.   

Exhibit A is what I’d consider a poorly-designed site.  Signing onto their homepage, I feel like their entire catalogue has been lobbed at my head – duck!!  Remember, when everything is given equal importance on the page, nothing is important or memorable.

Exhibit B strikes me as amateurish, like the company is run out of someone’s garage.  On the homepage, I keep scrolling down, and down, and down… I’m getting carpal tunnel trying to find a local dealer.  And where should I start reading?  All that copy is making me so sleepy…

Exhibit C is not as cluttered, but where does your eye go first?  The homepage has nine small images of dogs, and one tiny picture of a random owner.  No wait, let me get my microscope… hey, that’s Tracie Hotchner, from NPR’s “Dog Talk,” who endorses the product.  Now why isn’t that the most important call-out on the homepage?

Exhibit D has a better design scheme.  It’s cleaner, and your eye is drawn to the dominant doggy picture on the top left.  At the top right, you’ve got an easy-to-use dealer finder.  I’m starting to feel more comfortable giving out my credit card number.

Exhibit E.  Finally, the gold standard of pet fence websites.  Not only is the design clean and professional, but the image and copy (“Safe Pets. Happy Owners.”) plays on the emotional connection between Mom and Fido.  The navigation makes it easy to locate products specific to cats, small dogs, or large dogs.  And the homepage only includes two featured products, not a laundry list.  This website understands that “less is more” when it comes to design and advertising copy.

After eyeballing these five websites, which company would you expect to have the best-made products and most-responsive customer service?  If I owned a free-wheelin’ pet, I’d trust the people behind Exhibit E – and even expect to pay more for their product.  The other companies may very well have comparable or even superior pet fences, but you’d never guess it from their websites.

As you’re designing your own site, here’s some additional keys to keep in mind:

1)      Know your limitations.  Personally, I can write a 350-page novel and plan a media campaign for national and local advertisers.  But website design is a separate beast, and there’s no way I can do it as well as someone who specializes in that field.  Give your designer basic parameters – including sites that you find inspirational – but don’t tie their hands with too much initial direction.  Let him/her come back with some overall concepts… you might be surprised they created a look and feel for your site that’s different (and better) than anything you ever imagined.

2)      Most people find it incredibly hard to advertise themselves.  It’s hard to separate bragging from modesty, important details from fluff.  Which is why I outsourced my website copy to a freelance advertising copywriter (who just happened to be my wife).  If you can’t afford to hire a freelance advertising copywriter (or aren’t married to one), I’d recommend asking a writing colleague to do your “about the author” section.  Here’s an example of what I consider great advertising copy for an author bio.  Notice how it’s short, snappy, gets in a few key details, but never gets bogged down with the author’s accomplishments:

Michael Flocker grew up in West Berlin until the age of nine when his family moved to Wilton, Ct. At the age of nineteen he moved to Manhattan where he quickly became immersed in the New York club scene and the world of fashion.

At twenty-two, he set off for Los Angeles where he appeared in a few commercials, did some bit parts on soaps and landed the occasional hand modeling gig. He went on to write and direct the campy and twisted, low-budget film Hideous Puppets which was a hit on the IFP Cinema Lounge circuit.

In the spring of 2001, he returned to New York. It was there that he penned the best-selling 'Metrosexual Guide to Style', the international success of which landed him on the New York Press 50 Most Loathsome New Yorkers list in early 2004. Of this, he is very proud.

He is a Leo and is therefore not interested in your sign.

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3)      Browse a bunch of author sites and give your designer an idea of which ones you find inspirational (and why).  For example, when I was in the planning stage for my website, I told my designer I liked the sites for Michael Flocker (clean design, easy to navigate, ironic sensibility) and Jason Starr (on the dark side, gives a sense of gritty writing style)

Here’s four other author sites that I think are particularly effective:

#1

#2

#3

#4

4)      Don’t forget that your website can act like a cash register.  Notice how Joseph Finder has a “Buy” option above his book description.

That leads to this page, which gives all the pertinent retailers without playing favorites.

5)      Pay for your own hosting.  Don’t allow Google or Yahoo ads on your homepage, even if it saves $20/month.  It’s not worth the downside (i.e. giving the impression that you’re a hobbyist, not a professional author).

So what are you waiting for?  Dust off that tired homepage and make it something that really speaks to your audience.

And if you’d like the Ad Man to check out your author site and provide feedback, leave your URL in the comments.

 

Gregory Huffstutter has been punching Ad Agency timecards for the past decade, working on accounts like McDonald's, KIA Motors, and the San Diego Padres. He recently finished his first mystery, KATZ CRADLE and is currently on submission. The first 100 pages of his novel are linked here. For general advertising questions, leave a comment or send e-mail to katz @ gregoryhuffstutter dot com with 'Ask The Ad Man' in the subject line.

Comments

[Katherine Howell]

Great post, Ad Man! Thanks for listing the good and not-so-good sites, and the reasons why they work or don't.
Am I really the first commenter??

www.katherinehowell.com

[Yen]

Thanks for this useful information (and examples). I plan to forward it along to my authors.

[gregory huffstutter]

Katherine,
Thumbs up on your site. I could immediately tell you dealt in the edgy, thriller category. Well designed and great use of fonts.

My only suggestion -- and this is a personal preference -- is that you change your bio to the 3rd person. To me, 3rd person bios come across as more professional, like it was written ABOUT you by your publishing house or your team of invisible PR flacks.

1st person bio are softer, and come across like you're speaking directly to your readers -- but can appear amateurish.

Ask yourself, would Michael Connelly's website have his bio in 1st person? You may not have as many bestsellers as Mr. Connelly, but advertising is often about positioning yourself as successful before you actually are.

[Katherine Howell]

Thanks Gregory! Will fix that up.
cheers,
Katherine.

[Michele]

I think mine has been aching for a make over for a while now. I find myself advertising for other people more than I do for myself.

[Stephen D. Rogers]

Hey Gregory,

Great commentary.

I'm at www.stephendrogers.com and appreciate any thoughts.

What I found difficult was knowing what to emphasize.

Stephen

[gregory huffstutter]

Michele & Steven:

The main thing missing from your respective sites is a unifying design theme. Something to tie all the pages together and create a 'mood' around your work.

The first commenter, Katherine, has a very nice design theme, with the ambulance light trails, and edgy type fonts. Notice how that's played out on every one of her subsequent pages.

For writers who cross a lot of genres, I'd focus the design theme around you as the author, instead of the stories themselves. I've used this example before, but Patry Francis does a nice job of keeping her site genre-neutral, while still having a unified design:

http://www.patryfrancis.com/index2.htm

Don't expect to do this yourselves, hire a professional!

Michele - My additional recommendations would be:
* Update and expand on the design you have on your homepage (with the blacked-out sun), then carry it through all pages.
* The navigation bar could have better spacing and be more interesting.
* On your bio page, I'd get rid of the 'Causes' that aren't related to your writing career. Animal rescue may mean a lot to you personally, but this site should help sell your work. I'm sure Lee Child has several charities he feels passionately about, but I wouldn't expect to find them on his site either.
* On your "For Writers", I'd advise against putting your submission stats. I understand you want to provide a 'reality check' for aspiring writers, but I think that info should be reserved for your blog, not your author website. If I'm a publishing house or magazine editor, and I see those stats, I think: "Wow, she sure gets rejected a lot. Maybe what I just read wasn't as good as I thought. Better play it safe and give it an easy no." Your author site should be selling yourself, celebrating your publishing successes, not planting seeds of doubt in potential editors.

Steven - My additional recommendations would be:
* Your homepage should not read like your bio. Move anything except the latest news to your "about the author" page.
* In order to focus your site, figure out it's #1 purpose. Is it to sell more short stories? Get hired as a writing teacher? Get more sign-ups for your non-profit? If it's sell more short stories, then your homepage should have cover shots of the last 3 magazines you've been published in, and everything else should be moved deeper into your site.
* I would take out the 'leave a tip' button. Unless you're getting enough money from that function to retire on, it brands you as an amateur. Would you rather be a street musician or Paul McCartney? Part of being successful is acting like you don't need charity.

Hope this helps!

[Mrs. Ad Man]

Great article! (But, of course, I'm biased.)

Just to add one point to the hubby's post, in case you don't know where to start:

The best way to go about building or revamping your site is to first hire a copywriter to edit, rewrite and organize the content.

Something we copywriters do that is vitally important, but oft overlooked, is help our clients parse out the info on the site's various web pages. We try to look at the site as a whole, and give the entire thing organic information "flow."

So go with a copywriter first, and let us help you focus, get organized and give a voice to your brand. Then, pass the copy along to a fabulous web designer who will use it (and hopefully the glorious photos you provide) as a creative springboard to develop a compelling "look".

Basically, when it comes to websites, the design is the draw, but the copy makes the sale. Both are vital to success.

Cheers,
Erin

[Stephen D. Rogers]

Thanks Gregory,

Will do.

Stephen

[DeAnna Cameron]

Hi!
I just came across your post. Really good info, and so timely for me. I've spent the past week trying to overhaul my Web site to reflect the tone and era (1893) of my novel, which was just bought by Berkley Books. Is it too late to get in on your offer to evaluate?
I love your Web site, and would really appreciate any help...
Thanks!
DeAnna

[Rebecca Cantrell]

Thanks for all the great advice! I just came across the page today and hope I'm not too late to get feedback on my author web site too. I have some time to get it perfect before the launch, so any and all comments welcome.

Thanks!

Aloha,
Rebecca Cantrell
www.rebeccacantrell.com

[gregory huffstutter]

DeAnna,

I would give your site a solid C. I like the type treatment at the top and historical imagry.

But you could really take it further. More historical photographs, a site map or program from the 1893 World's Fair. What if you did an instructional video on how to belly dance like an Egyptian in 5 easy steps?

Similarly, with your bio, usually people write too much about themselves and it comes across as puffery. In your case, I found it to be too little information. Give us a little more info, infused with your personality. Refer back to my example of the Michael Flocker bio.

On your front page, I'd get rid of the famous quotes. They may be inspirational to you, but what do they have to do with 'The Belly Dancer' or 'DeAnna Cameron'? That might be a good spot to put a cut-out from the World's Fair program, or blurbs from people who've read your book.

I'd actually have a page for your 'contact me', instead of having that link directly to an e-mail message. That way you can list your agent's contact info as well -- which could be important if you have people inquiring about foreign/film rights.

You're off to a good start. But I'd recommend hiring a web designer to tweak your template and give it the finishing touches that will give your site a professional feel.

Hope that helps.

[gregory huffstutter]

Rebecca,
Not too late. Thanks for being willing to hold it up for review.
Give me the weekend to review it and I'll leave my feedback soon.

[Rebecca Cantrell]

Thank you! That would be wonderful.

[DeAnna Cameron]

Thanks a bunch, Gregory --
I've chucked the whole site and started again. I think I have a better idea what to do now.
Cheers!

[gregory huffstutter]

Rebecca,

Your site is really close.

What I liked:
* You lead with a blurb from Jimmy Rollins. That's a huge coup and worth highlighting the way you did.
* Clear organization, and your navigation is easy with the drop-down menus.
* The slideshow with historical pictures of Berlin, espcially your commentary adding flavor
* You included a "How To Buy" page
* Professional head-shot

What I didn't:
* Your header with the pen and "Rebecca Cantrell, Author" is -- to be blunt -- boring. From the rest of your site, I can tell you have the design sense and wherewithal to do better. What if you adapted those compelling images of "Spree and Dom" or "News Stand" to spruce up your headers? Don't feel like you have to stay within that black box.
* You might want to add a link to your excerpt of "A Taste Of Smoke" to your drop-down menu for that book. It's on your homepage, but if you don't see it there, it seems hard to find.
* Might be nice on your home page if you could click on the cover to "A Taste Of Smoke" and have it blow up.

A few minor tweaks and a little design polish on your header, and you've got yourself a fully-functional author page. Good luck with it!

[Rebecca Cantrell]

Thank you for doing such a thorough evaluation. Great suggestions! I appreciate you taking the time to do this. I'll be tweaking it soon...