Go to http://caitreynolds.com. Take a look. Then wait a week and go back next Monday. It’ll be different by then.
Why? Because I actually took the time to go look at my own website, and I realized one very important thing: the font is completely unreadable.
Oops.
The layout is clean, the links all work, blah blah blah. The font looks great for titles and headers, and when I was setting up the website, that’s all that mattered. Except now, I have content, and the font for the content is awful. Truly, it makes it impossible to read with any ease.
When I write posts, I click preview mostly to make sure the pictures are up and links are in their proper place. On a whim, I decided yesterday to just go and look at my site from the perspective of a reader, and there is no way I would stay there more than 30 seconds, if that long, because of my font.
I then spent an hour trying to figure out if I could change the font before realizing no mere mortal can do it without being a programmer. Ugh.
Looking at my site again, I realized it was also not using space very well. I’m now on the hunt for a layout that won’t be busy, but will allow a little more content to be seen right up front. The layout also has to have an easy sans-serif font (like Arial) to read.
When I was doing graphic design as part of one of my old dot com marketing jobs, I read that because of pixelation, sans-serif fonts are easiest to read online, while serif fonts are easiest to read on paper. It then clicked with me that this is the reason Amazon and Barnes & Noble spent all that time and money researching the best way to present “print” books graphically in an e-format.
So, my website has a sans-serif font, but I think it went a little extreme with the sans-serifing. Plus, I think the text needs to be black against white. Not grey.
The other problem I found was that some posts didn’t have a lead-in picture, and in order to set the “featured image,” I had to have a picture that conformed to a specific height and width. I’m not a great photographer to begin with, and to have to worry about that while trying to take slightly-better-than-crappy pictures was just not going to happen. I need a format that will feature my photos but will also feature text because writing is my specialty, not photography.
This morning, I spent a dizzying 45 minutes browsing themes, downloading, and live-previewing them. I’m down to three options. I’ll play with them all this week and then hopefully unveil the new look on Monday.
Visiting your own author website on a regular basis—about once a month or so—helps ensure that it remains current, accurate, and engaging for your readers. Treating your site like a dynamic piece of your author platform rather than a static business card can strengthen your brand, improve the user experience, and even provide new reasons to communicate with your mailing list.
Why It’s Important to Check Your Site Regularly
- Catch Errors and Broken Links:
Links, embedded videos, or images may break over time. Regular visits let you spot outdated content, missing images, or broken links before potential readers encounter them. - Keep Content Fresh:
An updated website feels lived-in, signaling to readers that you’re active and committed to your writing career. Adding recent interviews, new blurbs, fresh blog posts, or upcoming event info shows that you’re engaged and encourages return visits. - Ensure Accuracy of Information:
Your website should always reflect your current publication status, speaking events, and professional details. Regular check-ins help you confirm that your bio, book list, event calendar, and contact info are up-to-date. - Boost Search Visibility:
Search engines favor sites that are regularly updated with new content. Even small changes—like adding a new testimonial, swapping out images, or updating your news page—can signal freshness to search engines, improving your online visibility over time.
How to Make Updates
- Add New Content:
Post a new blog entry, highlight recent reviews, share news about upcoming books, or post behind-the-scenes tidbits. For non-fiction authors, add resource links or case studies; for fiction authors, consider sharing a short story excerpt or character Q&A. - Update Pages and Layout:
Tweak your homepage copy, refresh your headshot, or reorganize the navigation menu. Subtle shifts—like highlighting a new release on the homepage—keep the experience fresh for returning readers. - Update Themes and Plugins
This mostly applies to WordPress users, so if you’re on something like SquareSpace, Wix, or Weebly feel free to skip as they will (hopefully) do your updates for you. Keeping your themes and plugins updated is essential for maintaining your website’s security, as developers regularly release patches to fix vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. Regular updates also ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress core versions, prevent feature breakage, and improve site performance for a seamless user experience. - Integrate Social Proof and Media Mentions:
If you receive an award, a notable review, or a mention in a well-known publication, add that to your site. This keeps your “Press” or “News” page relevant and builds credibility. - Revise Your About Page and Author Bio:
As your writing career evolves, so should your bio. If you’ve published a new book, spoken at a conference, or shifted genres, update your bio to reflect these accomplishments. - Check Your Analytics
While you’re in the back-end of your website, be sure to pop over and check your Google Analytics for your website (in WordPress-based sites you will access this using the SiteKit plugin). Regularly checking your Google Analytics helps you understand how visitors interact with your website, allowing you to identify popular pages, user behavior, and potential issues like high bounce rates. Plus, it is super interesting to see what search terms people are using to find your website!
How Updates Can Become Newsletter Content
- Announce Changes to Your Readers:
When you’ve made updates, share them with your mailing list. Send an email saying, “I’ve just refreshed my website!” and highlight what’s new—like a new excerpt, an upcoming event schedule, or a special resource page. - Behind-the-Scenes Insights:
Turning the update process itself into a story can be engaging. For example, “I just added a new reading guide for my last novel on my website. Here’s why I included these particular questions…” This provides your subscribers with an exclusive window into your creative and marketing decisions. - Promote Special Features or Downloads:
If you’ve added a free chapter sampler, a character profile, or a reading guide to your site, tell your subscribers. “Head over to my updated website to download a free chapter from my upcoming book!” - Solicit Feedback:
Ask readers what they think of the new layout, the updated bio, or the resources you’ve shared. “I’ve just refreshed my recommended reading page. Let me know if you find it helpful or if there’s something else you’d love to see!” Involving readers in the process makes them feel heard and keeps your updates relevant.
Regularly visiting and updating your author website isn’t just housekeeping—it’s a dynamic marketing and engagement strategy. By consistently refining your content and layout, you keep the site relevant, offer fresh value to visitors, and create opportunities to re-engage your newsletter subscribers. Over time, these small, steady improvements build reader loyalty, authority in your niche, and an author brand that feels vibrant and ever-evolving.
