First impressions are crucial – and this holds true for retail brands as much as bestselling novels, says business growth and development consultant Gordon Hecht, writing for US trade magazine Your Source News …
Whether you are in sales, marketing or operations, you need to keep up with the latest trends and sharpen your skills. That often comes from continuing education and training. It’s also true for us industry columnists.
I took some of my own advice and joined a community writer’s group. All members are encouraged to share their written stories. The second part is listening to the other authors’ critiques. It’s all designed to help us improve the content we provide.
Included at every meeting is learning about the business side of writing. Getting published, marketing a book, scheduling productive time at bookfairs and more. This week’s meeting featured training on the importance of getting a great book cover.
The truth is that the book-buying public will make their decision on whether to consider a purchase within five seconds of viewing a cover. Reviews, sample chapters and prices won’t even be in the mix unless a cover tells a story. Investing and designing the ultimate jacket cover will decide an author’s commercial success.
Your shop has several book covers. Your website, store front and advertisements tell your tale. But your story will never be read unless the initial impact is visually desirable. I learned several valuable lessons about book covers. See if these apply to your business.
There are thousands of choices: Check out any bookseller’s website. Start with Amazon. Click on any genre and watch all the titles and covers appear on your screen. No matter the quantity of choices, less than 5% of authors see a profit from their writing.
In the US, shoppers can choose from over 750 brands of mattresses. Like literature, the market is dominated by less than a dozen name brands. No matter which line you sell, it’s incumbent upon you to showcase the brands that you sell in the highest quality fashion possible. Think about the 30-second elevator pitch to tell your story. Now divide that by one-third. Use the 10 seconds you have online and in-store to make your best pitch.
Genres of a feather stick together: Take another look at Amazon. It seems that book covers of each category of literature share similar images and fonts. Check out period romance novels and you're sure to see a shirtless man next to a bare-shouldered woman lovingly gazing at him.
Search out time-travel novels. If the story is in the future, then you’ll see block letter fonts. Travelling backward? The title will be in a gothic semi-script. Science fiction features deep purples and blues.
There’s a simple reason for this. The style, font and imagery are signals to potential readers telling them, “This story is for you.”
The images, fonts, and products pictured on your website’s homepage are visual cues to your shoppers too. A homepage for a deep-discount store needs to look different from the homepage for a high-end retailer. Stores featuring complete white-glove service should convey that message differently than credit-oriented retailers.
Wanna check if you are conveying the right message? Check out websites for hotels, restaurants, clothing retailers and jewellery stores. Think of the brands with similar target markets to your shop. Note the fonts, images and price points they have on their homepage.
Don’t go cheap: The speaker at our writer’s group talked about all the ways to get a book cover designed. If you have access to an AI program, you could get it done for no cost. There are websites with pre-made book covers. For less than a C-note, an author can choose a book jacket ‘off the rack’ and have their title and name added. Writers can also go big budget and invest $500 or more for a custom cover.
Here’s the difference. AI is okay if you want to sell your book to neighbours and friends. The artwork will be flat, and while serviceable, it’s not compelling. The pre-mades are fairly well done, but it’s like buying a suit and having alterations to make it fit. Custom covers are the bespoke version, created by a real professional that understands what is needed for commercial success.
Consider this when getting your website homepage updated. It’s like choosing what to wear for an initial job interview. Show up sloppy and you’ll get ghosted. Step it up and you’ll get a nice rejection letter. Invest in dressing for success and watch the offers coming in.
Share your vision: You can help your web designer by providing bullet points about your business. Who you serve, what you promise to deliver, and your products and people. Ultimately, let them use their creativity, talents and business savvy to deliver the images that will drive attention.
Who’s the boss? What’s the best look for your homepage? It’s up to your potential shoppers to decide. Chances are good that your marketing team, boardroom and VPs have less knowledge on top-quality magnetic websites than the experienced designer that you hired. Go with the professional.
If your team disagrees, we can meet at Cracker Barrel to discuss it.
This article was originally published by Your Source News. Gordon can be reached at [email protected].
