Photo credit: mariakray at Pixabay
by Debbie Burke
An author’s website is their billboard to the world. This is the one-stop site where readers, potential readers, editors, agents, and others go to learn about the author and their writing.
Social media sites owned by others can ebb, flow, and sometimes disappear altogether (remember My Space?). Or they can suspend or ban your account.
Your website is your one constant showcase as an author.
That’s why it’s important to make it as welcoming, friendly, and accessible to the broadest number of visitors.
And that includes those with disabilities.
Recently on the Author’s Guild discussion thread, the topic of ADA-accessible websites came up. Rumors had started on social media that authors could be fined if their sites weren’t accessible per standards set by the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) act.
Apparently, the source behind those rumors were individuals and possibly law firms threatening suits against authors.
As far as I can tell from my research, there is no current law requiring author websites to be ADA compliant.
The ADA does require websites and mobile apps for federal, state, and local governmental bodies to be ADA compliant.
We’re all aware of the necessity for businesses and buildings that are open to the public to meet ADA requirements, such as barrier free entrances, ramps, restroom facilities, etc. Also new construction must meet ADA standards for physical accessibility with hallways wide enough for wheelchairs, etc.
But until recently I hadn’t given much thought to online accessibility.
With increasing use of websites and apps to do everyday tasks like making travel reservations, ordering merchandise and services, applying for employment, bill paying, banking, etc., consumers need to be able to actually use those online services to take care of the business of living.
What if you have low vision or are color blind? What if you can’t read the text onscreen because of poor contrast or small fonts? What if you can’t see the color images onscreen that instruct you to click here?
Despite recent successful cataract surgery, my close vision is not good even with reading glasses. I’m frustrated with online sources that feature elaborate but undecipherable fonts. Often they feature tiny text. Worse is low contrast text on a background that’s a similar color (light gray text on dark gray background). Moving icons or videos that flash past, or other quirks can make content hard to read.
I just ran across an appealing website about wine with many gorgeous professional photos. The background image is a beautiful bunch of grapes. But…the text is 6 point font in white. Small, low contrast text combined with a busy background made it challenging to read. This otherwise stunning site was a disappointment.
If I visit an author’s site and it’s difficult to navigate, I really don’t care how cool it looks. I close the window.
When authors update their websites or create new newsletters, it’s good to be mindful of various disabilities. Here’s an article from ADA.gov with potential problems to look for and suggestions for easier accessibility. Levelaccess.com offers a free color checker test.
Website builders like WordPress offer many different themes. Maybe changing the theme can make your site more welcoming. If you publish a newsletter, review sample templates to find the most attractive and readable options for fonts, background colors, and images.
Because I’m not techie, the goal of my website has always been to make it as friendly and easy to use as possible for fellow troglodytes. I use large, easily readable fonts and bold typefaces.
While I believe the concern over possible fines or lawsuits is overblown, I also don’t want my website to turn off visitors because of issues that make it difficult for those with disabilities.
When I make future updates (or have my web guy make changes), I’ll be more conscious of potential barriers to readers.
As authors, we strive to make it as easy as possible for readers to engage with us and read our work. That starts with a website that friendly to all users regardless of ability.
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TKZers: Do you have pet peeves that turn you off about a website?
Please share suggestions of how authors can make their websites friendlier.
Have a favorite site? Include a link in the comments.
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I just went to a marketing website, for a London-based company which promotes books for authors, and it was a horror for me.
Like many, things moved every few seconds – drove me crazy. Text was tiny, too pale. A sliding gallery of small pictures kept moving.
But most of all, I followed several trails and pages and Call for Action buttons – and never found out what they charge for their services: you have to Contact them.
I don’t know what’s worse: huge prices or having to ask for the huge prices.
They advertised themselves as self-publishing author friendly – and just from their website, I wouldn’t want them promoting anything for me. As a disabled author, I did NOT feel welcomed.
I think, from the feel of it, that they had had a website for traditionally-published authors and their publishers, and, in an economy where fewer and fewer have that arrangement, tacked on some ‘packages’ (unspecified!) for the indies.
The saddest part was that this was their NEW website – the reason I hadn’t even contacted them before was that their site – for a going concern – was ‘under construction’ months ago, with only a ‘Contact us’ link for meanwhile.
I follow a couple of web designers for tips – and was severely tempted to tell my favorite she should offer HER services.
I don’t know what I’m doing in many instances, but I think I still do better than this.
Alicia, I’m with you about moving images. Movement when I’m trying to read is distracting. That may be a generational thing b/c younger readers love action. To them it’s exciting and attention-grabbing; to me it’s annoying.
Surprising how the so-called “pros” overlook the basics.
Why is there NOT a way on these sites to STOP the moving?
They could phrase it as something positive (Close examination of the third kind) instead. Or ‘click here to choose rotation speed.’
But even some sites where I visit daily, like Writer Unboxed, move – and I have to position the window so the moving happens off the right side of my monitor where I can’t see it, so I can read the posts.
Agree!
I used to have a WordPress website but it’s defunct now. The grasses that started growing on the pages then would have become a bush now, blocking the main content from sight. I created and ran it myself. With that experience, I can create a better WordPress site when I’m chanced and ready.
I love this part:
‘Social media sites owned by others can ebb, flow, and sometimes disappear altogether (remember My Space?). Or they can suspend or ban your account.’
So true. I lost my LinkedIn to hackers recently and I’m still feeling the pain. Now I have to open a new account and start from scratch.
Stephen, your description made me smile. Time to get out the lawn mower and weed whacker to clear your site!
Hacking and cloning are big security problems with social media. Sorry about your LinkedIn problem. Frustrating. A few years ago had to close my FB account b/c my account was cloned twice.
Websites can still be hacked but a decent firewall helps.
I recently had my site revamped, and I like the improvements my designer made. She also encouraged me to include alt tags for images. She said it helped with SEO, but it also hits the ADA accessibility to some degree.
My pet peeves line up with yours, Debbie. When it became possible for people to create their own sites years ago, another peeve was the blast of loud music that hit when you opened the site.
Terry, both your old and new sites are great examples of professional, easy to navigate, easy to read sites. Plus your photos are terrific.
Thank you, Debbie.
Alt tags are a must. An Alt tag is a written description of the image. Most content management systems make it very easy to add. They don’t need to be much. “Cover of Deadly Adversaries by Terry Odell” are a requirement for ADA compliance and will greatly improve your SEO.
Music and sound with a video NEVER start automatically now.
Thanks, Alan. I always wondered what that “alt text” message meant when uploading photos.
Overall I’ve found people generally work to make their websites user-friendly and accessible (although I can’t speak to use on cell phones, as I’m still one of those oldies who just uses phones for talk and text). That does NOT mean people don’t make mistakes in judgment, i.e. their page is too cluttered, the font too fancy to read, etc.
However the one thing that even website building professionals do that drives me absolutely bonkers is the use of that super light grey text on the page. I don’t care if it’s on a white background or any other color. I don’t care what the font style is. For the life of me, I can’t understand why website builders of any stripe continue to use a super-light font, knowing that the whole world does not have 20/20 vision. Even very established businesses do this. It’s insane. Someone ‘splain it to me!
Light gray text drives me nuts, too, Brenda! Lack of contrast makes text unreadable.
Somebody should ‘splain that to web designers!
Good subject, Debbie. We share the same pet-peeves. I revamped my website last year. Thought it’s more user-friendly now and nice and neat, I’ve forgotten how to update one particular menu that lists my books. I recall it being in a weird spot but can’t find it. Ah, well, I’ll figure it out eventually. *sigh*
Sue, your site features a dark background with white text that’s easy to read. That perfectly matches the mood of your books, too.
Recently, when I was complaining about eyestrain, a friend suggested I switch my settings to dark background. Now Word docs come up with a dark background and white text. Also changed my Kindle settings. I think that’s helped some.
I changed my theme, Debbie. Readers now have the option of a white background with black text or dark background with white text — just click the moon icon in the top right corner under the banner image. The site remembers your choice the next time you visit.
Now that you mention it, I should include a reminder at the end of each post. Thanks for the idea!
Wow, Sue, I didn’t know that was an option. Cool that the reader can change for their preference. Yes, a note somewhere explaining that is a good idea, too. Thanks!
“Your website is your one constant showcase as an author.”
Absolutely. Yet I notice that many younger authors, many nevertheless successful, don’t bother with one. I don’t understand. As you say, a website enables anyone who’s taken the trouble to look you up to learn more about your work.
Mike, newer authors often jump on the latest social media trend, not realizing tastes change and fads quickly fall out of favor. One stable, reliable location for your author work is essential. Plus you own it where social media is out of your control.
Thanks for stopping by.
A website costs money. Facebook and Instagram are free. A website done well is worth the money. Especially considering the number of creators I know who have been zapped by Meta on complaints.
Great topic, Debbie!
The most important thing about a website for me is that it’s easy to navigate. If it’s cluttered with a lot of stuff I’m not interested in, I may not take the time to go through it. In addition, moving images and light gray text are just annoying.
Having said all of that, I’ve had “website update” on my to-do list for months. Your post is inspiring me to get to it. 🙂
Kay, your site is easy to read and navigate but occasional freshening is nice.
Great post, Debbie. Easy to view, well organized, and mobile friendly are all important aspects of a good author website. Mine is a work in progress. Previously I used the now defunct WordPress “Author theme” which I bought back in 2016 and which served me well for four years but then was abandoned by the developer. It’s important that a theme be updated, both for security and useability reasons.
I need to finish revamping my website, because I intend to resume regular blogging there and now that I have my third mystery in the words, I want to better showcase my series.
Dale, thanks for adding that excellent point about out-of-date themes. Security is paramount. WP offers a lot of free themes.
I also blog on my site. To me, that’s preferable to newsletters. When I send out a newsletter, I include a link to the latest blog post.
Good luck with revamping.
I am Elaine Viets webmaster. It is time to renew her site. The new site will be WordPress. The current site hits many things but it is time for a refresh.
If you are hiring a web developer make sure your site is mobile friendly and is responsive. Responsive websites change sizes based on the screen size of the viewer. For my day job more than 50% of hits are from mobile devices.
Oh, I am a black text on white/light background person. Never smaller than 12 point.
Alan, Elaine is lucky to have you!
Thanks for including the point about ensuring your site is mobile friendly. I don’t usually access websites from my phone b/c of difficulty reading on the smaller screen but most people do use their phones.
Pet peeves:
1) Movement on the screen. Our credit union does that on their website. I login each weekend to do banking stuff and get dizzy every time. Didn’t used to bother me. Age-related?
2) Too busy. I have literally accessed websites I really want to explore, but if there’s too much on the front screen (like walking into our local Walmart store), I will turn around and buzz out.
Yup, Deb, I totally agree. Too much is overwhelming. Plus popups that you can’t get rid of.
Have a distraction-free day!
I am impervioius to pop-ups. Find them annoying, esp. if they just say “Sign up for my newsletter.” Why should I? Give me interesting content and let me make that decision on my own.
Most valuable part of my website is the free book offer, which goes through BookFunnel, and brings in 30-40 email signups per month.
Popups are a scourge, Jim, esp if I’m already a subscriber to the site and it bugs me to subscribe.
Thanks for bringing up the offer of a premium to encourage signups. Good tool.
I dislike popups, but when I added mine, my newsletter subscriptions took a nice upward jump, so apparently, even though people don’t like them, they get used.
Couple of things:
* I’m mostly a black-on-white text guy, but my current WP site has orange as the hot links. I’d like to ask: anybody have a problem reading that orange text? Here:
https://haraldjohnson.com/
(I’ll change it if people call it out to me)
(yeah, I know that pop-up; my provider recently changed and I’m trying to fix the ubiquity of it)
* I’m now doing a newsletter for an affinity group using Substack. Anybody using Substack INSTEAD of a hosted website? I’m curious about that.
* One fun test for checking for color deficiencies is this one:
https://www.xrite.com/hue-test
Back to it . . .
Harald, the orange looked fine to me. It’s bright and eye-catching on the white background. I sometimes use red for that purpose.
However, that brings up another consideration. Are orange or red (or other colors) visible to readers who are color blind?
Thanks, Debbie. Apparently, there is such a thing as orange/white “color vision deficiency” (and probably for red, too), but it’s less common.