To be an author these days and to successfully promote that book, you must have a website. Even if it’s just a landing page with links to buy your book on Amazon, you have to have something to steer potential customers to point them in the direction where they can buy your book, at the very least.

But it’s best to have an effective website. A website that is optimized for viewers and as error free as possible may be what attracts more and more customers to spend money on your book. That kind of website will draw more sales than a website that is just a sign with links to various online retailers.

That being said, you don’t want to make common mistakes either, that can drive away customers as well. There are many mistakes you have to watch out for but here are some of the most common ones.

Choosing a domain name that is hard to remember. You want to keep things simple for potential customers. Most people move on if they catch a whiff of something difficult to do or remember. Try to get the domain name for your name or your book name, something to hammer in the brand name you are trying to establish into the minds of potential customers. Remember, keep things simple.

Not checking for error messages. You need to check out your site regularly, click around to make sure that the links are working, and all the buttons are doing what they say they’re supposed to do. Potential customers who encounter errors on your website are more likely to just leave your website as it is a sign of unprofessionalism and that there is no one who cares about it. Plus, they are unlikely to report them so be sure to keep an eye on everything.

Having a complicated layout. Most people are annoyed by audio or videos that autoplay, so do NOT do that. It’s a surefire way of having potential customers exit your website without looking at anything so beware. It’s fine to have audio and video files on your website, just be sure they do not play by themselves. You also want to keep a fairly simple interface for your website. Make it easy for everyone to understand how to navigate. Use plenty of spacing.

Read more about other common mistakes you may have made and how to prevent them at Copy Blogger.