Your author site is a phone site now
Most readers will see your website on a phone. A checklist for making it work on a small screen.
For most authors, well over half of website visits come from phones, often from a link in a newsletter or social post. Many author sites are still designed on a large monitor and only glanced at on a phone.
Test it the way readers do
Open your site on your own phone, ideally on mobile data rather than home Wi-Fi. Time how long the home page takes to become readable. Tap every button. Try to buy a book in three taps or fewer.
Checklist
- Text at least 16 pixels, with comfortable line spacing.
- Buttons large enough to tap with a thumb and spaced apart.
- Covers sized to the screen, not shrunk to thumbnails.
- No pop-ups or banners covering the content.
- Navigation that fits a short menu: books, series, about, newsletter.
- Images compressed; a cover does not need to be ten megabytes.
Readable over textured backgrounds
Rich textures and atmospheric photography suit books, but text should sit on a solid or near-solid panel so it stays legible in sunlight and for readers with low vision. Check contrast, especially for light grey text.
Speed matters
Every extra second of loading loses readers. Large hero videos, multiple web fonts and heavy widgets add up. Keep what serves the book and cut what decorates.
Check after every change
A new plugin, embed or banner can quietly break the mobile layout. Make a habit of checking the phone view whenever you change anything. It takes a minute and protects the page most of your readers will actually see.
From the Spinecrest workshop · October 6, 2026