Your Link to the World

I think it’s rather fitting that when you first create a website, the default message is “Hello, World!”

I’ve had a website since 2012. It started out very basic with just a list of my books and my bio. It’s slowly grown since then. First with blogging (started in 2016), then with my business, Anessa Books, and slowly I added more and more pages. At the same time that I began blogging, I got my website professionally designed. I thought a few weeks ago that maybe it was time to get it redone.

The problem was, I had so many pages! The designer I worked with to create the Annessa Ink Publishers website (Nate Hoffelder-he’s great and specializes in author websites) charges per page. I decided to do it myself with Divi (which Nate introduced me to and I now love).

The begin the process of redesigning my website, I wanted more than just the same thing in an updated design. I knew I needed to figure out exactly what I needed and what I didn’t need — what would make the user experience easier, because the easier it is for readers and clients to navigate the site, the more likely they are to buy something.

I began with the basics:

· My home page, where I knew I needed to tease readers into clicking further in to find out more about my books and my author business.