Make people chuckle and they warm to you. Show them a clever joke and they enjoy the mental effort of getting it, and warm to you a little more.

Emotions are what draw us to something new and interesting that we might want to buy. The logical part of the brain is involved in the decision to complete the sale, but that comes later.

Oliver Francisco is a lawyer who writes quirky, fun little books for children of all ages. Kung Fu Cross-Examination Techniques mixes cute animal charcaters with pearls of legal wisdom, with a touch of Kill Bill. 

For his website I placed his latest book front and centre, big and bold with an impossible-to-miss big blue BUY THE BOOK button. 

Crass? 

You have to realise that people appreciate it when you make things as clear and simple for them as you can. If Oliver tells you about his book and you want to know how to buy it, he can give you the link to his website. Instantly you see what you want and how to get it. A lot of people are turned off by too many links: click, click, click... yawn. 

Get straight to the point!

Oliver has written many other books, but rather than putting all of them on the first page of the website I picked the newest one, with a small set of thumbnails leading to the others. The average attention span is a mere fleeting few seconds, so giving someone too much choice at the beginning can make them lose interest.

Prospective readers absolutely love reviews of the title they are considering buying, so it makes sense to give them easy access to this. Knowing that other people have enjoyed your work does more than just reassure them of its value; it also gives them an implied permission to do the same. If we know that other people have already done it, we feel more comfortable doing it too. This is called social proof.

A five-star rating looks good but, these days, folks are a bit more savvy. Too many 'perfect' ratings look suspicious. In reality there will be some who feel that your book is not to their taste.  

A four+ rating looks more authentic; good and genuine.

... You can see Oliver's website (still under construction) HERE.