Even before I had published my first novel, I was told by at least one friend at a Maryland Writers’ Association meeting that I should have a website first. Some followers of my Facebook page, which came first, wondered whether I had one. Now it’s approaching eight years of being up on the web. So how did I build it? If you are an aspiring writer looking to build your online presence, perhaps you’re wondering where to start? Well, I’m no architect, but I’ll help you lay a few solid foundations.
Here are some steps you can follow:
- Look at what other writers have done.
- See what you can do differently.
- Do what’s best for you and don’t be afraid to experiment.
- Be open to change.
It’s a good idea to do research. See what other writers have done. If you know any writers, ask them about their experiences, especially with their platforms. A few I knew through my connections had used WordPress and said good things about it, and at the time, it felt like a good platform to use. But there are others out there. So I looked at other sites to get a feel of what my own could include.
I should mention also that sometimes blog and website are used interchangeably, though there is a difference (like with memoir vs. autobiography). Websites, when you first visit them, place more emphasis on the pages, while a blog is all about the posts that come. That’s not to say a website can’t have a blog incorporated in it, but how you wish to market and share information helps you classify what your site/blog is.
Even though you should research other writers, don’t copy what they do exactly. Every writer’s site needs to be their own, in terms of content, display, and layout. I knew from the start that I had my own ideas even with what I had observed, and so I tried to merge them together. And it gradually evolved over time. I set myself a blog post a month because it worked and still works for me. I learned new things, and when WordPress made changes, such as moving from classic to block editor, I learned to evolve with them.
Websites and blogs are always changing (sort of like the Winchester Mystery House). What works one day may not work later on. That is not to say there should be some consistently and familiarity so people can return knowing what to expect. But mine has gone through several changes, including a change of domain name as well as two facelifts—I changed the theme twice, first after I wanted a theme that wasn’t like one site I’d observed in my research, and second (back in June) after learning the previous one had been retired and others that I follow had bugs with classic themes as opposed to hybrid ones. I even changed my color scheme so to ensure the site was readable. And in experimenting with different widgets, I chose to discontinue those labeled as “legacy” widgets when I discovered they sometimes disappeared in private browser mode or on a different browser.
Two final thoughts on building a website:
- Aim for clarity and readability so visitors can easily understand what they find and navigate through it. This can be done with menu arrangement and color schemes.
- Get feedback. You don’t always have to accept others’ thoughts on improving your site, but it never hurts to listen if they genuinely want to help improve it. That’s why I created my Happy Customers page.
Writing Update: My essay “Rivers Flowing with History” is featured in the new issue of the MWA‘s Pen in Hand. Don’t forget to sign up for their annual conference!
I’ll be giving a sermon at Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church next Sunday at 9:30 Eastern Time. Tune in live if you can’t attend in person!
Andrew McDowell 
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