Like many of my fellow writers, I am not a wealthy person.  In fact, akin to many in the country today, my family is struggling financially.  I cannot afford to hire out expensive techies to build my web presence.

At least I understand the vital importance of a solid web presence.  Without effective websites and blogs, an author will run into the walls of obscurity that surround everyone when they first start out on their writing trek.  These walls remain forever unless the author perseveres and impacts a niche market. 

I've spent many hours learning how to build a website.  While I'm no MIT graduate, I have put myself out on the web.  Unfortunately, some websites present better than others.  I began comparing my site to other author sites and found myself sadly lacking.  My site sucks.

There's no two ways about it.  It sucks.  I faced the same problem with my commercial site last year.  Through studying other sites, I was able to improve the site's presentation.  Now I must upgrade my author site.  I've noted that this is an ongoing problem.  One day, I hope to be able to afford to pay someone to keep me looking spiffed up on my landing pages and all that follow.

Blogs are a tad bit easier.  With the templates available today, and the free options out there with user friendly instructions, an author can build a sharp looking blog in ten minutes.  www.blogger.com is a super simple blog site with a blog builder that anyone over forty can handle easily (anyone under thirty won't find any challenge at all).

Another, more advanced blog site it www.wordpress.com.  This blog builder has more options and can give you a sharper presentation.  Wordpress also has built in analytics which tracks important tracking stats to you can see how well you are doing on your blog at a glance.  You have to add stats trackers to Blogger.

Visual presentation, whether a blog or a website, is critical.  You must be attractive at first glance or people flee your site without sticking around.  The most critical, most important and compelling aspect of your site should be located in the top left quadrant of your page.  Scientific studies show that when someone lands on a new website, the overwhelming majority's eyes immediately fix on upper left.

If you don't grab your visitor in the first few seconds of landing on your page, they leave.  'Tis that simple folks.  You have to pull the trigger with your silver bullet immediately.  Don't bury this info in later pages.  Get your best out.  MAKE them come to you.  This shouldn't be a foreign concept to a writer.  Where do you place your first major hook in your book?

Hopefully you answered in the first paragraph if not the first sentence.  Another writing related truth is - exposition.  We don't dump exposition on readers up front, so why do it on your landing page?  This is a huge turn-off and will drive potential visitors away from your site.

Tease visitors with things that pique their interest.  Lure them inside.  This is probably the most glaring failing of my current author site. (Hopefully, after this Hub is out for a while, you will visit my site and find it fresh and inviting, unlike now...).  Give visitors enticing links to follow into your site.  Make them desire your content.

Design the colors of your site to be pleasing to the eye.  Make sure the design is a reflection of your personality, not someone else's.  You want your readers to connect with who you are.  After all, you don't sell your book, you sell yourself.  If you do a good job of that, people will buy your book.

Presentation - upper left corner with your big gun presentation, colors and design that reflect who you are and compelling content teasers on the landing page, not loads of text.  These basic elements give you a fighting chance at deeper visits to your site rather than a touch-and-go.  On the net, image rules.