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FAQ: Internet Marketing

FAQ Index
Setting Up Your Website

Thank you to Creative Minds Press for providing the content for this FAQ.

Contents

Websites
  Basic Websites
  More Complex Websites
Making your site "Content Rich"
Links and reciprocity
Books Like Yours

Websites

Many people are of the opinion that if they put up a website, the world will immediately beat a path to one’s web-door and buy scads of books from it. They are usually confused and upset when they experience few—or even no—sales within the first six months.

The facts about Internet commerce are these:
There are 8 trillion websites on the Internet.
Google and Yahoo are good search engines, but if you don’t have a lot of visitors to your site, you won’t be ranked... then no one can find you unless they know exactly what to look for.
While people can be driven to your site, few will want to buy directly from you.

You need to learn how to make your site attractive to web spiders and ’bots (the programs that troll the web for new websites and new information that can be quantified and put into search engines). "Meta-tags" are no longer used, so anyone who tries to sell you their services telling you they’ll insert these for you is behind the times.

You can "seed’ search engines. This takes a certain amount of money. Or you can make your site "content rich." See the discussion below on More Complex Websites.

Linking to other websites and having reciprocal links increases your visibility. See the discussion below on More Complex Websites

As with all advertising (which a website is), a website is part of your marketing plan. You have to know who you are trying to reach. How do they like to be contacted? What can you do to interest them?

 

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Basic Websites

A very simple website can have as few as three pages: an introduction, about page (information about the company and contact information) and a sell page (where they actually go to buy the book).

Avoid using pop-ups (ads or your own inventions), flashing lettering or pictures, unpleasant or hard to read fonts or color combination, or music (you may enjoy it, most people don’t).

Introduction

If you are a one or two book company, don’t get fancy and have loads of text. Feature your book(s) on the opening page with a brief summary of the book, the book cover (which you have (or hired someone to) designed to look well as a computer thumbnail), the price, number of pages and a "buy now!" link.

Also on this page should be the company name and logo—usually at the top. Navigation buttons can be to the side or below or above the company name banner.

About ____ Page

This tells about your company—when it was founded, what your focus is on. You can include a small biography of all the employees. At the bottom should be an address, business phone, fax number and an e-mail address.

Sell or Catalog Page

This can have the full description of the book, a cover image, facts about the book (size, number of pages, ISBN and LOC numbers), price and ways to buy.

For a simple website, we suggest becoming a member of PayPal to handle credit card sales. (Google for other website credit card processors) (In five years of selling books on the web, we’ve only received 2 checks). You can get a merchant account at your bank to handle credit cards directly. You’ll need a shopping cart system in that case. But PayPal is a low-cost solution for an entry level website.

You will also want to offer buyers the chance to use Amazon or B&N.com. Please see the discussion on why we recommend this. The short answer is, most people don’t buy off of strange websites. Not to worry, we have a way that will get you a commission for selling your own books.

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More Complex Websites

In selling on the web for five years (and working with Internet solutions for the previous ten), we’ve discovered several ways to increase site visitors.

Making your site "Content Rich"

What is your book about? Obviously, you’ve spent a lot of time researching aspects of it. Chances are, you’ve come up with lots of information that you didn’t use in the novel or non-fiction that would be useful to people interested in the subject. Put together a page of interesting and / or useful information on that subject. Make sure you put your book cover and let people know you, the author of that book, put together the webpage. Don’t forget to put a link to your catalog page!

Links and reciprocity

There are almost certainly other websites on your subject matter. Search for all you can find and have a webpage giving these links. Perhaps include a short description of these sites you’ve visited (don’t pass judgement. If you thought a website was stupid or inappropriate, don’t include it just to put it down). Don’t forget to include your own helpful website!

Don’t forget to have your book cover and let people know you, the author of that book, put together the web links! Include a link to your catalog page!

Once you’ve created this page, contact these other website owners. Ask if they will link to your helpful website—since you’ve done for theirs. Many will be only too happy to oblige. These links and reciprocals increase your website’s visibility.

Webrings are nice, but don’t actually help your web visibility. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t join appropriate groups.

Books Like Yours

There are usually many books on the subject of which you’ve written. Maybe you’ve used several as you did your own research. Compile a list of these books. Do small reviews, or include the short summary you find on-line. Don’t forget to include your wonderful book! Now link all these books to Amazon through your Associates' account. You’ll get commissions for selling these books and your own!


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If I have a website, why should I send customers to Amazon or B&N when I sell it at full retail?

You can put up a website and have no affiliate links at all. You may even get a fair amount of sales. But you’ll get more if you have those affiliate links, giving your buyers a choice of how to purchase. People are a bit worried about ordering from a "no name" website, but they have no problem buying from established names like Amazon, B&N, Powell’s or Books-a-Million. And you get a commission for selling your own book!

Still not convinced? Say you set up a neighborhood lemonade stand on your block. You sell glasses for $1. Maybe you sell 2-3. Imagine if Bobbie down the street puts up a stand and starts selling his glasses for $.50. You know he'll sell lots more. Enough so that the discount is more than made up for in volume.

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Thank you to Creative Minds Press for providing the content for this FAQ

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