5 tips for building an author website on a budget
I’ve said before many times on this blog that writing is not a lucrative career in the main, and therefore I totally understand if you’re an author and you don’t have much budget available for creating your author website.
Using a web designer can be REALLY expensive, I know. And if you DO find an author web designer who isn’t really expensive then in all honesty they are probably not very good.
Because creating a beautiful website is a real skill and web designers (like authors!) deserve to be remunerated appropriately for their work.
So what if you’re just starting out and you know you need an author website, but you can’t stretch to paying someone like me to build a website for you.
Here are my top tips for keeping your costs down while still creating something beautiful and functional that you can be proud of (and most importantly of all, will work hard for your books!)
1 Choose a cost-effective platform
There are many different platforms available for you to build your author website on, and it’s generally acknowledged that Wordpress is the cheapest.
However, I would like to implore you NOT to build your author website on Wordpress, unless you particularly love technology and are happy to have a platform that you will regularly have to update - because you will.
Even though Wordpress is cheap, the cost (both in money and, more importantly, time) of maintaining it can’t be ignored.
Why I don’t recommend Wordpress for your author website →
Instead, look to the cheaper options, such as Wix and Weebly. These don’t allow you to self-host, which means you don’t have to worry about security, but they are relatively affordable, and Weebly even has a free plan.
Squarespace is a more expensive option, but the basic plan is still really affordable.
A new platform I came across recently is called Carrd and this allows you to build a one-page website at an incredibly low price - so definitely worth checking out →
2 Minimise the number of pages on your author website
One obvious way to save money on your website build is to minimise the number of pages.
You really only need four basic pages for an effective author website: Home, About, Books and Contact, and if you only have one or two books, you can combine all these into one long scrolling page which can do the job just as effectively.
Is a one-page author website right for you? →
Many web designers quote for jobs by the page (I certainly do) so the more pages you want on your site, the more expensive it’s going to be.
Try to keep the information down to just the basics - just what you really need readers to be able to find - and that will help keep costs - and time spent maintaining the site - down too.
3 Use free images
High-quality visuals are essential for a visually appealing website. But instead of spending on expensive stock photos, take advantage of free resources like Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay.
These free image libraries are amazing, meaning you don’t have to shell out extra money on images for your website.
Squarespace has a direct integration with Unsplash meaning that you can use any Unsplash image on your website completely free of charge.
You can also use your smartphone to take your own author headshot, meaning you don’t need to pay for a photographer. I’ve shared some tips on how to take your own headshot in the blog post below.
Top tips for taking your own author headshot →
4 Do it yourself
Obviously, building your author website yourself is the most cost-effective way to do it. And the good news is that these days, drag-and-drop website builders are even easier to use than ever before, and there’s an absolute ton of advice and information available online to help you get to grips with whatever platform you choose.
All you need really is some time and patience and perhaps a bit of willingness to learn! You may even find you enjoy it… ;)
How to overcome tech phobia and build your own author website →
And if you would like a little bit more handholding, then there are many online courses available to help you get to grips with technology, including my very own, ahem, DIY Author Website Course, which walks you through how to build your very own author website!
5 Shop around for hosting and domain names
There’s a huge variation in pricing when it comes to the cost of domain names and - if you’re determined to go down the Wordpress route - hosting providers, too.
So make sure you shop around for affordable plans that suit your needs and keep an eye out for Black Friday sales and other promotional offers too.
Many hosting providers offer budget-friendly options, especially for those just starting out. You may also find some providers offer free domain names with new hosting plans (for example, if you sign up to Squarespace for the first year your domain name will be free).
Keep in mind that as your website traffic grows, you can always upgrade your hosting plan.
Squarespace offers several different levels of plan, so you can upgrade as your website grows and you decide to add more features, such as newsletter functionality or e-commerce, which allows you to sell books directly through your author website.
If you want to get your author website up and running quickly with the least amount of stress, then do check out my DIY Author Website Course, which will hold your hand through building a beautiful, functional author website in just a couple of days.
