Every author needs a point of exposure, a place where they can document their releases and connect with readers. Fortunately, there are many tools and technologies you can use to help give your website an extra boost. These platforms give you a place to design and host a page or a small website structure about yourself, your body of writing, and the work you are available to do
Of course, your website is also a place of connection and contact. It's where readers might want to discuss your work, share a forum, or ask you questions directly. If you do regular commissioned work, your free author website is where potential clients will come to ask about your services. While you wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to answer these questions, you also have a life to live. No one can answer reader and client questions every hour of the day - but a chatbot can.
Ever thought of using a chatbot for your free author website? That makes sense, authors often write every word of their website pages, why hand the reins over to a robot when it comes to customer care? The answer is timing and consistency. Even with an alert when questions are asked, no one can be available 24/7. A chatbot, however, can greet website visitors, answer questions, provide site navigation, and delight your readers at first sight - exactly the way it's programmed to.
With the right customization tools, you can fine-tune the chatbot to say anything you want in response to search queries and keywords. This puts the power of the written word - and the automated response - at your fingertips.
Yes, yes you can. Chatbot design today is a very lightweight website add-on, compatible with all or most free website platforms. This makes it possible to add a chatbot to most free author websites. You can improve the on-page functionality without slowing down the page. If you are recently getting more traffic from readers and/or potential clients, a chatbot can help manage that traffic and even direct each visitor to the correct section of your author's website without interrupting your current page design.
The single greatest advantage of installing a chatbot in your free author website is that the chatbot never sleeps. It is always awake, cheerful, and has a perfect memory for FAQs and trivia. Your chatbot can greet website visitors at any time of night, holiday, or business day, whether or not you are head-down in another piece of writing and won't resurface for days.
A chatbot is a perfect assistant for your growing author business. You also don't have to risk missing anything. Have your chatbot send you an email or text whenever there is a question it can't answer, an interested client on the line, or a superfan eager to discuss the nuances of your most recent book. You can also look through the transcripts and history of each conversation flow so you can identify any gaps in your process and improve your PR initiatives.
A chatbot on an author's website can serve several purposes.
Now here's where it gets fun. What can an author do with a chatbot? With message customization and pre-built templates; almost anything. Chatbots are designed to serve a few specific functions like onboarding clients, taking down orders, and parroting FAQ answers when those frequently asked questions are asked. However, they can be programmed and scripted to say anything you choose in response to predictable questions.
If you care to, you can write a completely unique chatbot script - or enjoy the ease of installing a ready-to-use template made just for your industry.
As a professional author, you might be running your writing business from your free author website. In this case, communication with leads and clients is essential. If a potential client finds your website and has a question, your chatbot might just have the answer that closes the deal. The chatbot can then onboard the client with a content request form and pre-commission interview.
Returning clients might even be greeted by name, should they choose to open the chatbot widget. You can provide excellent automated customer care by turning your chatbot into a digital butler for your author website.
Do you have fans on your website looking to buy your books? If you sell them directly, your chatbot can usher readers to your eCommerce store. If you don't, your chatbot can share links to the retailers who distribute from your publisher to buy your books off-site. If you don't have a printing out, your chatbot might guide readers to download content and/or leave donations for future books.
One of the things a chatbot does best is repeated the answers to your FAQ. An author's FAQ can be a mighty thing, especially if you write fiction or provide industry insights. Any frequently asked question - whether it's about your writing rates or your plot nuances - can be entered into a chatbot's database to provide these answers when asked.
Amy is a chatbot that has been uniquely designed for small businesses and solo professionals. If you are an author with a free author website, Amy is the ideal upgrade to provide care and attention to the readers and clients. To find out more about upgrading your free author website with a chatbot you can customize, sign up for Amy today!