Stepping Stones: Building A Web Presence Part I

I am of the firm opinion that every writer who has clips and a bit of experience should have a website of some kind. Joe and I talked about this as an idea for posts, because we both opted for different looks/styles and formats when it comes to our site. My website has a very clean, simple look. I wanted something classy that was easy to navigate and update. I spent time looking at how other writers had their sites set up and selected a very basic system. I have a bio, resume, section for info on my photography, contact info and a section that lists selected publication credits. I opted not to list all of my writing creds, as I think it begins to look messy.

One thing I decided to do that I’ve not seen elsewhere is to include testimonials from editors I have worked with. These “blurbs” speak to my abilities as a writer, as well as my professionalism. I simply asked some of the editors I work with to send me a few sentences for my web-page. (If you do decide to go this route, make sure you underscore the fact that the comment doesn’t have to be long and they can opt out if they are busy. I really wanted to be sure I wasn’t adding something unreasonable to their already full schedule…)

I am also planning to add a “writing samples” page, to make things easier for editors who would like to read some clips. This is a work in progress. I also added some links to my favorite writing and photography sites. This not only serves to help other writers, but increases my visibility as well.

“Meta tags” can be added to a site that will help do this too. Think about words that are associated with you and your work…for example, my site has tags that include my name and some of the big publications I have written for. Talk to your web guy/gal about these and make sure you are utilizing them–I’ve seen tons of writer sites that either don’t have them or have very few.

I try to update my site frequently so that it stays fairly current, which also helps with web clout. The feedback from those in the field has been great thus far, with many editors taking the time to check out my page and look for a little background on me before getting in touch. It has gotten me work, which is why I’m posting this under the “stepping stones” category. It’s a key factor in building your career in my opinion. Sure, you can do without it; but why not give yourself every advantage?

Joe will speak to his site design too, but I have found the website to be a wonderful tool for my business. It makes my life easier by having all my information in one place. The one drawback is that I don’t know how to update it myself, but from what I understand it is really simple once you know what to do. Eventually I plan on learning, so I’ll keep you posted!