Is a one-page author website right for you?
While obviously I believe that every author should have their own website, I also appreciate that not every author has the time or enthusiasm to create an all-singing, all-dancing, multi-page wonder website, packed full of content, that they need to update every week to stop it from looking ‘out of date’…
And this is why it can be just as beneficial to create a simple, pared-back, one-page author website.
One-page websites have increased in popularity over recent years as the trends in web design have swung away from boxy sites that fit in the browser window towards long scrolling pages made up of different sections.
This is because we’re all used to browsing on our phones, and so we don’t mind scrolling any more!
An example of a one-page website is the one I built for Cari Rosen – you can find out more about it by clicking the image below:
Some of the authors who enquire after my services are in two minds about whether they need a one-page website or a more conventional multi-page site.
So let’s take a deeper dive and work out whether a one-page website might be right for you!
One-page website elements
Usually a one-page website has very similar content to a ‘normal’ website.
The only difference is that this content is trimmed back to the minimum – and only the essential info makes the cut.
For example, where you might have a dedicated About page on a conventional website with the author’s bio plus perhaps a Q&A or another little interview, on a one-page website this would be stripped right down to the short bio you might have on your Amazon author page.
Likewise, with your books, a one-page website would just have the covers plus links to buy, and a very short summary for each title, rather than lots of detailed behind-the-scenes info, or book club questions.
Here’s what I suggest including on a one-page website:
1) Short intro
The most important part of your website – introducing who you are and what you write
2) Gallery grid of your books
All your books listed with covers and easy links to buy, plus a few (not all!) choice testimonials or blurbs
3) Sign up form to your newsletter
As you know, I’m passionate that all authors start building their mailing lists, even if they’re not ready to start sending newsletters out yet, so a simple sign up form here is a must
4) Professional contact details
Your agent/publisher/publicist details so that important people can get in touch with you easily
5) A contact form / social links
You can also include a contact form if you’d like readers to be able to get in touch – if not, then just links to your social media will suffice
So how do you know if a one-page website is right for you?
As you can see, you can actually fit quite a lot of information on a one-page website.
However, you don’t want too much content on there, as this will make it really slow to load, and it will probably end up looking cluttered and confusing (and no one wants to scroll toooo much!).
Think of the one-page website as a snapshot of your writing career – almost a CV or brief summary of everything you’ve published so far. A nicer-looking Linkedin page!
It’s perfect for writers who want to have a website (and I believe all authors should have some kind of professional web presence, even a rudimentary one, so that when people Google them, they can find official information easily) but don’t want to have to update it regularly, and prefer to use other channels such as social media to keep up to date with their readers.
So, some questions to ask yourself are:
How often do you want to update your website?
How many books have you written?
How much information do you want to share with readers?
Do you enjoy using social media to keep in touch with readers? Would you prefer to share your updates through these channels instead?
Do you want to launch a blog?
Do you want to host all your press reviews on your website? What about extra content for readers?
If you’re the kind of writer who’d like to have a News, Events or Press page, with regular updates about you and your writing career, then a one-page website is not for you.
If you try to put all this content on a single page, it’ll end up being very slow to load, and will look messy.
Equally, if you’d like to launch a blog, then you’ll need a multi-page website so that the blog can be hosted on its own page.
The benefits of a one-page website
One-page websites are a great starting point for debut authors who don’t have much content to share yet.
Another great thing about them is that they are easy to upgrade in the future – especially if you build them on Squarespace.
It’s free and easy to add new pages to your Squarespace website whenever you want to.
One-page websites are quick for me to build (only having one page saves me lots of time in your back end!), which is why they’re the cheapest of my three design packages. I can usually turn around a one-page website design within a week.
Hope this post has helped clarify whether or not a one-page site is the right choice for you.
If you’re interested in setting one up for your author career, then do give me a shout – I’d be happy to help!
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