An author website should help someone who has just discovered you decide what to do next. That might mean choosing a book, finding the reading order, joining your email list or asking about a talk. Start with those actions before adding more pages or features.
Make your books easy to understand
Give each book a clear title, cover, short description and relevant purchase links. If you have a series, show the reading order. Check every link on your phone as well as on a computer.
Choose a primary action
Decide what matters most on each page. A book page may lead to a retailer; an author page may introduce your work; a speaker page may lead to an enquiry. Give that action a clear label instead of making visitors guess what a button does.
Offer a reason to stay in touch
If you want an email list, explain what readers will receive. A sample, discussion guide or short story can be useful when it fits the book and is genuinely available. State what people are signing up for and give them a way to unsubscribe. Do not advertise a download that has not been created.
Support opportunities beyond the book
If you speak, teach or run a practice, add the information a relevant organizer needs: your subject, who it is for and how to enquire. Use accurate credentials and examples you have permission to share.
Review the whole journey
Ask someone unfamiliar with the site to find a book, follow its purchase link and locate your contact route. Their experience can expose confusion that is easy to miss when you know the site well.
BBC builds author websites and email systems. If you already have a site, an Author Website Conversion Review is a smaller first step.