Your name is your brand as an author and a website is an essential method of promoting that brand. Every author, whether published or aspiring, needs a website to showcase their work and raise their profile. In an ever more congested marketplace, a website is one way of helping you stand out from the crowd.

As a writer, visitors to your website could be

Your website should be a place where these visitors can learn more about you - how you started writing, what inspires you, what you like to write about. You could also add some personal touches, such as a bit about your childhood, your family or your pets. You might include a list of your favourite things, such as books, movies, songs or hobbies.

Your website should of course showcase your work, and feature book covers and synopses of all your published works. You might like to give a snapshot of what you are currently working on. You should also include any articles you have written or other related work. Your website is your online resume.

Your website should be an exciting, ever changing place which entices visitors back again and again with features such as sample chapters to read, photos of your latest book signing, links to writing resources and even fun facts you have discovered while researching your last book.

Your website might host a blog where you engage readers with insights into your creative processes or snippets from your personal life, share writing tips and information about upcoming tours, book launches and signings. You might also like to include an event calendar on your website, giving the dates for such events.

Your website gives you the chance to capture visitors' email addresses and start a newsletter list. People who sign up for your email list are genuinely interested in you and your work. You could even use your email list as a mini focus group to test new plot ideas or book cover options.

And of course your website can help increase your sales. If you have the eBook rights, you can offer your books for sale on your website, with various payment options available. You might even offer sample chapters to read to entice visitors to make a purchase.

As a writer, you value creativity and originality. Your website should be eye-catching and quickly grab the attention of visitors. Your work should be prominent and everything should be easy to find. For this reason it is best to hire a professional web designer to create your website. Free website services and ready-to-use templates tend to look generic, uninspiring and flat and your website will look like hundreds of others. NetSavvy can help you develop a website that will be a reflection of your work and project your unique image. We offer a friendly, professional service and can guide you gently through the process of setting up a website, including selecting a domain name and a web hosting service.