What's the best website platform for authors?
Whether you’re a self-published or traditionally published author, you do need an author website. As an author, if you’re trying to sell copies of your books to people outside your immediate family, then you’re basically the head of a small business, and businesses in 2025 need websites!
I know this is probably not what you wanted to hear, but if it’s any consolation, your website doesn’t have to be super complicated, or have a gazillion pages on it.
In fact, a simple one-page author website can do the job really well!
It just needs to exist, so that when people google you they can find out all the key information they need about you - how many books you’ve written, how to sign up to your mailing list, how to buy your books, how to get in touch with you if they need to, when/where you are doing any events, and how to follow you on social media.
I understand the prospect of building a website can feel completely overwhelming to many authors, who may not be the greatest fans of technology.
I also know that authors are BUSY people, who often have other work to fit around their writing, and don’t necessarily have the time or headspace to start learning a whole new skill like web design.
Obviously, the ideal solution is to hand over the design and build of your website to a professional designer (like me!) but if you don’t have the budget for that just yet - and many authors don’t - then you’re going to have to consider building your website yourself.
How to overcome tech phobia and build your own author website →
But luckily, there are lots of great website platforms out there that can make the job as painless as possible!
You’ve probably heard of a few, and in this post I thought I’d go through each of the four most popular website platforms and briefly explain their pros and cons so that you can make the right choice for you.
What is a website platform anyway?
A website platform or website builder is a software tool or platform that allows people to create websites without the need to learn manual coding or to have extensive technical expertise.
These platforms are designed to simplify the process of website creation, making it accessible to people with varying levels of technical knowledge.
The benefits of using a website platform
Website platforms typically offer the following features and functionalities:
Templates
Website platforms provide a selection of pre-designed templates that you can choose from. These templates are professionally crafted and cover various website types, such as portfolios, blogs, e-commerce sites, and more. Users can select a template that suits their needs and customise it to their liking.
Drag-and-Drop Interface
Most website platforms use a drag-and-drop interface, allowing you to add and arrange elements (such as text, images, videos, and forms) on web pages easily. This eliminates the need to know how to write HTML or CSS code manually.
Hosting
Most of the main website platforms offer hosting services as part of their packages. This means that users can publish their websites directly on the internet without needing to find a separate hosting provider, which simplifies things and also often makes it more affordable.
Domain Names
Many website platforms also offer domain registration services or allow users to connect their custom domain names to their websites.
A custom domain is a specific domain name that relates to your author brand - usually your author name. For example, my author website is hosted at charlotteduckworth.com. This helps create a more professional online presence.
Responsive Design
This is hugely important in a time when more than 50% of all website traffic comes from mobile phones! Website platforms ensure that the websites created are responsive, meaning they adapt and display correctly on various devices and screen sizes, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
SEO Tools
Some website platforms include built-in search engine optimization (SEO) features that help you optimise your website to ensure better visibility in search engine results (basically ensuring your site comes up high on Google).
E-commerce Integration
Many website platforms also support e-commerce functionality, enabling you to set up online stores, add product listings, and manage transactions.
For authors, this can mean you can sell signed copies of your books directly from your author website, and the whole process can be streamlined and simple.
Analytics
Website platforms may offer basic website analytics tools, allowing you to track visitor traffic, user engagement, and other information.
The website platform I recommend
It will be no surprise to you if you’ve been reading my blog posts for a while now that the website platform I recommend is Squarespace.
Having worked on many different platforms over the years I’ve been working online, I can categorically say that it’s the best - and easiest - way to create a professional, attractive author website that works beautifully and will cause you the least amount of headaches.
Which is pretty much all we can ask for, right? 😆
If you want to find out exactly why I’m such a fan of Squarespace for authors then you can read the post below - it’s my love letter to Squarespace, basically!
Why Squarespace is the perfect platform for authors →
The top four website platforms used by authors
OK, so let’s take a look at the four most popular website platforms used by authors.
They are all pretty similar, and most of them will serve you well, except for one which I really don’t recommend except in certain circumstances - but I share more on that in another post!
Wix is a popular website platform known for its user-friendly interface and a wide range of templates.
You can choose from various templates, or even start from scratch if you have a specific vision in mind.
Wix also offers a blogging feature, which can be useful for authors looking to share their thoughts, updates, and sneak peeks of their work.
Pros:
Intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
A variety of professionally designed templates.
Blogging capabilities.
Affordable pricing plans.
Cons:
Some advanced features may require third-party apps.
A little clunky to use.
Basic plan has limited storage.
Limited e-commerce options.
WordPress is probably the most well-known website platform out there, and many authors I’ve worked with originally set up their author websites using it.
Back in ye olden days, it was THE go-to platform for anyone wanting to start their own website or blog (after Blogger died a death).
It’s a versatile and powerful platform but it has some MAJOR drawbacks… and I really don’t recommend it for authors who have never run or managed a website before.
Why I don’t recommend Wordpress for your author website →
There are two versions of Wordpress available - WordPress.com and the self-hosted WordPress.org.
The self-hosted option provides the most flexibility and control, and offers a vast library of ‘plugins’ and themes, which you can use to create a highly customised author website.
WordPress is especially suitable for authors who want to manage their content and SEO extensively.
However, as I said, I really don’t recommend Wordpress for authors who don’t love technology or aren’t confident with the digital world, as there’s a steep learning curve involved in setting up a website and there are some significant risks involved in using it.
Pros:
High level of customization.
Strong SEO capabilities.
Robust blogging platform.
Large community and support resources.
Cons:
Requires a lot of technical knowledge to set up and manage.
You're responsible for hosting and security.
CL Taylor uses Wordpress for her author website →
Weebly is a user-friendly website platform that offers a straightforward, drag-and-drop interface. It's an excellent option for authors who want a simple and functional website without a steep learning curve. Weebly also provides blogging capabilities and e-commerce options, though it may not be as feature-rich as some other platforms.
It’s also one of the cheapest options out there.
Pros:
Easy to use, even for beginners.
Integrated blogging and e-commerce.
Good value for money.
There’s a free option if you’re on a really tight budget.
Cons:
Limited design customisation compared to some competitors.
Fewer advanced features.
Ads on the lower price plans.
Limited storage on the lower priced plans.
I tried, I promise, but I couldn’t find any professional author websites built on Weebly to share with you!
I found plenty of very amateur looking ones, but I didn’t think they were worth sharing with you. Maybe there’s a message there?!
Last but not least, my favourite choice of all!
So, let’s talk briefly, in a completely biased way, about why I LOVE Squarespace so much…
It's an excellent choice for authors who want a clean and visually appealing website to showcase their work. I’d say it’s pretty difficult to make a DIY Squarespace author website look bad (although I have seen some authors really try 😂).
Squarespace also provides blogging functionality and integrated e-commerce features if you plan to sell books directly from your site.
It also has its own email newsletter platform, called Squarespace Campaigns, which means you can run your author newsletter from inside the same platform as your website, making the whole thing seamless and easy peasy.
Pros:
Beautiful and responsive templates.
Integrated blogging,e-commerce and newsletter functionality.
Great for visual storytelling.
24/7 customer support.
Incredibly secure.
Cons:
Less customisation compared to some other platforms.
Slightly steeper learning curve.
Slightly more expensive.
Example author website built on Squarespace
I use Squarespace for both of my author websites - Charlotte Duckworth and Charlotte Rixon.
You can also take a look at my portfolio of Squarespace author websites here →
Website platforms are perfect for authors
The truth is if all you want is a basic, attractive and functional author website, then you really can’t go wrong with any of the above options - with the exception of Wordpress.
Can I reiterate again how much I don’t think you should use Wordpress for your author website, unless you really love working with technology?
OK, thank you.
Of course, my top choice would always be Squarespace but Wix is also a great option for authors who want to build their own author website.
More posts like this:
