When you’re handing out the gifts this holiday season, don’t forget your author website! It’s important to keep your author website updated and secure for your visitors. Broken links, outdated design elements, and obsolete security safeguards will send your audience bouncing to another site. The tech experts at Web Design Relief have some great “gifts” you can give your website to ensure it operates smoothly and effectively in the upcoming new year.

Great Gifts To Give Your Author Website

New Branding Updates

Visual elements like colors, logos, and navigation elements go in and out of style every year. One look at Pantone’s colors of the year will show you how quickly the on-trend colors change! A new color scheme is a quick, easy gift to give your author website for a fresh new look. You can also update your author brand with a new logo design or website graphics. And this may be the year your website upgrades to a hamburger navigation menu.

Current Social Media Icons

Many of the popular social media platforms try to stay current by changing their icons and branding. Sometimes these modifications are significant, like the switch from Facebook to Meta, or, infamously, Twitter’s rebranding to X. Take a look at the social media icons on your author website to see if any need to be updated.

For example, here are just a few of the various styles of Facebook icons:

Up-To-The-Minute Security Features

Cybercriminals are getting sneakier and more efficient at breaking into websites. Fortunately, web security features are always improving and finding ways to counteract malicious hackers, from plugins that block bots from brute-forcing their way into your website to software that detects and removes malware. The latest security features will make a great gift for your author website—and for the visitors who benefit from your foresight. Here are some of the best ways to secure your author website: The Best Security Tools For Your Author Website.

Better Quality Images

Does your author website feature old, blurry photos? Then it’s time for a makeover! Most smartphones can take high-quality photos with over 300dpi resolution. Start by updating your author portrait, but don’t stop there. The more high-quality images you use, the more polished and professional your website will look. So long, ’80s perm and those revolving-door bell bottoms that once were in, went out, came back in, and then went out again!

Timely Speed Checks

A quality web host will monitor the loading speeds on your website for you, but if you’re on your own for technical support, this is something you should definitely keep tabs on. If your web pages take longer than 1-4 seconds to load, it may be time to switch hosting services or downsize your content. You can also gift your website with a plugin like Smush, which compresses the size of your website photos without reducing their quality to make your website faster.

Revised Content

Perhaps the best gift you can give your author website is to revise and refresh the written content. You might find that your author bio, home page, or publication credits list no longer represent who you are now as a writer. New, updated content is an easy, cost-free way to keep fans coming back for more and will positively impact the success of your online presence.

Be sure to include your website on your holiday shopping list this season. Making updates and revisions now will effectively prepare your website for the upcoming new year. And if your web pages need more than a few minor changes (or you don’t have an author website but are ready to get started), the experts at Web Design Relief can help you launch a brand-new, fully customized author website that suits your budget and your genre. Sign up now for your free consultation call!

Question: What are some other “gifts” you can give your author website?