Synopsis

Learn what it takes to have a professional website that sells your books. WordPress and WooCommerce is a fantastic duo! We’ll go over the cost of doing business on the web, available storefronts, taking payments, what works and what takes tweaking. WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin provides you with the power to make your website pay for itself and then some. If you’re smart enough to write a book, you’re certainly smart enough to sell it from your digital storefront!

Before We Get On The Tour

1. Selling books is a business. Your eCommerce website must run like a business!
   1. Incorporate
   2. Business Licence (not the same thing)
   3. Tax filing – both State and Federal
      1. Usually, filing taxes with a State will take care of local taxes–but not always!
      2. Remitting sales tax has gotten more complicated, but not very unless you sell a ton of books.
   4. Bookkeeping
2. Super handy for Independent Authors. TradPub, not so much
   1. TradPub contract might let you buy physical books at cost. eBook distribution is probably not going to be a thing for you.
   2. Ingram Spark vs. Amazon Kindle Print (formally CreateSpace): Now it’s all about the cost of printing your books!
3. Shipping and handling is a thing
4. Selling eBooks is a thing
   1. Watch out for exclusive deals with other distributors

The Website Tour

Notice griffonloregames.com is a modern, fully-functional website.

1. Cost of the Domain Name: this is variable
2. SSL Certificate
3. Responsive Design
4. Current Design
5. Fully-functional
6. Consumer-focused
7. Consumer-friendly
8. EU compliant with privacy
   1. Supports guest checkout without creating an account for physical goods
   2. But an account is necessary to download products
9. Data Security
   1. Doesn’t store CC numbers
   2. Uses Square, PayPal, and Amazon
10. 99% of the time, speedy
11. Earning $100 a month, on average, and we haven’t even launched our books!
    1. Word of mouth and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The Mechanics

1. griffonloregames.com is a “Hosted” Website
   1. Uses DreamPress
   2. Dedicated Virtual Server
   3. Cost: $300 a year
   4. 24/7 support
2. Uses the JetPack Premium for Security and Backup Functions
   1. Required or you will be hacked
   2. Backed up nightly
      1. You can pay for more robust backup solutions
   3. Cost: $100 a year
3. The WooCommerce Plugin
   1. $300 worth of 1-time software bought during sales
   2. Will probably spend $100 a year to maintain support
      1. Some 24/7 support with JetPack Premium

More Money Considerations

1. Website banners: $25 each or $20 each in bulk
2. Email: $62 a year per user for Exchange Online
   1. Includes Advanced inbox protection
   2. Doesn’t get better than that
   3. Gmail is doable, cheaper, but it’s, um, Gmail.
3. WordPress is so popular there is a glut of experts you can hire to do anything.

Parting Wrords

Your website is all about ownership.

1. Own your domain
2. Own your website
3. Use your branding available to you
4. Everything everyone else does, WordPress will do better. Because you own it, but also because of the superior technology
   1. Product reviews
   2. Walled-off content
   3. Subscriptions
   4. Bookings
   5. BBS
   6. Comments
   7. Integration
   8. Mailing List Funnel
   9. Video Hosting
   10. Even CrowdFunding
5. Due to the chaotic state of social media, it’s more important now than ever today to own your online presence. And when you can own it, you can make money off of it.

All routes lead back to your website (your store) and your mailing list (your most effective advertising channel)

De-emphasize the rest of your web presence which includes most social media.

Because they now suck and they hate you.