We’re all told not to judge a book by its cover, and as authors, most of us really hope that people heed that good advice. But when it comes right down to it, all of us make at least some of our decisions based on aesthetic considerations. We may not judge the book by its cover, but if there are two editions that cost the same price, we’ll definitely buy the one that looks nicer.
A good cover can also draw the eye, pique curiosity, and tempt a reader who might not otherwise have picked up the book at all. That’s a part of the power of good design. But the importance of design spreads far beyond covers. That website you used to host on Geocities may have been adequate to list your bibliography, but it probably wasn’t drawing in a lot of new readers. You want a website that looks as good as your stories read, one that will draw the eye, pique curiosity, and tempt new readers who happen across it while browsing.
But good design also goes way beyond just making your website look good. Think about your favorite video game. Chances are it looks great, and the user interface is probably integrated pretty seamlessly into the aesthetics of the whole package. But if the game is your favorite, the one you come back to again and again, then there’s also good odds that the user interface is intuitive and easy-to-use, that the game is a pleasure to play. That’s a part of good design, too.
Besides looking great, and giving potential readers a taste of what you’re all about at a glance, your author website should be easy to navigate and easy to use. Readers should have no trouble finding the information they’re looking for, and the website should organically guide them to new information that they might otherwise have missed. If someone comes to your website looking for one of your books, it should be easy for them to find and buy it. If they would like to read some of your stories online, that should be easy, too.
Ultimately, the best design is about making a website that performs as good as it looks. At least, that’s what we think here at Clockpunk Studios, and we’ve made it our goal to create the best designed websites for authors, editors, magazines, publishers, and other businesses for years. We’ve currently got a few openings for site designs in May and June, so if you’d like to upgrade your author website, or just learn more about the importance of good web design, contact us today!