Giving your brand, your work, and your book a virtual home base is vital to both generating awareness of your work and creating an interactive display of your unique skills and products. An ideal space for all of this content—and more—is a customized website.

Whether you’re a seasoned author or launching your very first book, the key is to build out your website in the strongest way possible to create an authentic and creative showcase that highlights all you have to offer.

Highlight your book cover

Thought, personality, and creative effort went into creating your unique book cover, and featuring that cover is the best way for people to recognize your work both online and in stores. Readers are drawn to books that immediately pique their interest, whether in title or design, and a high-quality image of your book cover can generate that attention quickly. Not only is featuring your book cover a must but it can serve multiple purposes; the visual highlight of your home page, your social media header images, or temporary profile photos.

Provide links to online retailers

Readers who want to read your book need to know where to find it! If your book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any other popular retailer, including those links on your homepage gives readers easy access to learn more about your content or purchase a copy of your book. Your audience is out there, but they need to know where to find your work.

Share endorsements and early reviews

Don’t be shy about sharing positive feedback about your book. When potential readers, clients, or customers scroll through your website and see evidence of others benefiting from your hard work, it will make them more likely to dive in themselves. Creating a “praise” section for your website, particularly on your homepage, will give readers the encouragement they may need to make a purchase and join your growing audience and community.

Add an excerpt

Everyone loves free content. If your website features the option to join a newsletter or mailing list, a perfect perk for joining is an excerpt from your book. By giving readers a free download of an introduction, prologue, or first chapter, you build excitement and buzz. Growing your author platform can be as easy as giving readers the opportunity to get a sneak peek of your carefully crafted writing.

Share videos

In the time of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, video content reigns supreme in terms of gathering an audience. Sharing book content in the form of a book trailer, an unboxing video of you revealing the first physical copies of your book, or a clip of you discussing your book is a great way to draw the attention of potential readers. The format is up to you; both short- and long-form videos perform well online, so record what feels most comfortable to you. Highlighting engaging video content on your website can both add credibility and professionalism to your book, inspire engagement, and add a personal feel to your overall brand. Readers searching for new material want to know why they should pick up a copy of your book, and hearing directly from the author carries serious significance.

By taking the time to creatively integrate your book into your website, you will build a powerful virtual home base for your book and your brand. Expand your audience today by designing a website that reflects you and your work in the best way possible.

Jen Rios is director of marketing and branding at Greenleaf Book Group in Austin, Tex.