Author Website and Landing Page Design
Quick Answer: An author website gives you a home base you control, independent of any platform's algorithm or policies. The essential pages are a homepage, a book page with purchase links, an about page, and an email sign-up page with your reader magnet. You can build a functional author website in a day using WordPress, Squarespace, or Carrd, with costs ranging from $0 (Carrd free tier) to $200 per year for a full-featured site.
An author website is the only piece of your online presence that you fully own. Amazon can change its algorithms. Social media platforms can reduce your reach. Your website stays the same unless you change it. For ebook authors building a multi-year publishing business, a website is the central hub that everything else connects to.
What Your Website Needs
Homepage. Your name, your genre or niche, your latest or most important book, and a clear call to action (usually an email list sign-up or a purchase link). A visitor should understand who you are and what you write within five seconds.
Book page(s). One page per book or one page with all your books. Each entry needs the cover image, a description (your Amazon description works), purchase links for each platform, and review quotes if you have them. Make the purchase links prominent.
About page. A brief bio that establishes your credibility (for non-fiction) or connects readers to you personally (for fiction). Include a professional headshot. The about page is often the second most-visited page on author websites.
Email sign-up page. A dedicated landing page for your reader magnet with a single purpose: convince visitors to subscribe. This page should have no navigation menu, no distractions, and one clear action. A headline that states the value of the reader magnet, a brief description, and a sign-up form is all you need. Conversion rates for focused landing pages run 15 to 30% with targeted traffic.
Contact page. A simple way for readers, media, and potential collaborators to reach you. A contact form or a dedicated email address works.
Platform Options
| Platform | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Carrd | Free (basic) / $19/year (Pro) | Minimal single-page sites |
| WordPress.com | Free (limited) / $48 to $300/year | Full-featured author sites |
| Squarespace | $192 to $372/year | Design-focused, polished sites |
| Wix | Free (limited) / $102 to $204/year | Easy drag-and-drop building |
| Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) | $50 to $150/year (hosting + domain) | Maximum control and flexibility |
For most ebook authors, Carrd (single-page site with email capture) is enough to start. Upgrade to WordPress or Squarespace when you have multiple books and need more pages.
What Good Author Websites Look Like vs What Does Not
Works well: - The website is clean, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly. Visitors can find the book page and email sign-up within two clicks. - Every page has a clear purpose and a single call to action. The homepage drives visitors to the book page or the email sign-up, not to five different places at once. - The site is updated when new books launch, and the reader magnet link is functional and current.
Red flags: - The website hasn't been updated in two years. Outdated content signals to visitors that the author isn't active. - No email sign-up anywhere on the site. A website without a list-building mechanism is a digital business card, not a marketing tool. - The site is cluttered with widgets, sidebars, blog archives, and social media feeds that distract from the core actions (buy the book, join the list).
The Takeaway
An author website is a long-term asset that gives you control over your online presence. Start simple (a Carrd single-page site with your book, bio, and email sign-up), and expand as your publishing career grows. The website's primary job is to capture email subscribers and direct visitors to your books. Everything else is secondary. For the full marketing overview, see the Ebook Marketing and Promotion guide.
Q: Do you need a website to sell ebooks? A: You don't strictly need one. Amazon, Apple Books, and other platforms handle the selling. But a website gives you a platform you control, a place to build your email list, and a professional presence that supports your marketing. See Do You Need a Website to Sell Ebooks?
Q: How much does an author website cost? A: A basic single-page site on Carrd costs $0 to $19 per year. A full-featured site on WordPress or Squarespace costs $50 to $300 per year. A custom domain name adds $10 to $15 per year.