Wednesday’s marketing and promoting tip for authors
Successful authors commit to ongoing web design makeovers, improving their websites one detail at a time. Published & Profitable, too, undergoes constant change as new content is added and tired design element are updated.
Illustrated above, for example, is the original icon I designed to accompany the home page teaser text for my Published & Profitable tips. The “Power of 12″ icon suffers from a few problems:
- The icons do not communicate that the article is based on 12 “tips,” as contrasted to articles describing procedures or analyzing books or discussing author careers.
- In addition, the “Power of 12″ icons do not communicate whether the tips refer to Planning, Writing, Promoting, or Profiting.
Frustrated, I mentioned my dissatisfaction with my original icons to Maria G. Nozza, the Thriving Designer, and she came up with the above solution. The icon now emphasizes that the adjacent article contains “tips.”
In addition, the icons are now color coded to match my “cycle” diagram and visually communicate whether the associated article is intended to help authors plan, write, promote, or profit from their writing.
Instead of waiting for the day when you can afford a full web design makeover, commit to constant, step-by-step, web design improvements. Be on the constant lookout for simple ways you can improve your website, one design element at a time.
January 8, 2009
Whenever I re-read my work - including web copy - I always see things I want to improve. I’ve been learning from the marketing gurus, and have realized that I made every possible mistake with my site (except misspellings – at least that’s what my editor says). So I’m doing a total redesign, which will be launched in the next few weeks as a New Years resolution accomplished. You’re right though. It won’t ever be perfect.
What is a good way for a small business to become aware of these details that will improve their site? Is there a self-help community for design-challenged writers?