You guys know  I’m not here to bash anyone for not doing something. I’m here to ENCOURAGE all you webcomic creators out there to help OTHER webcomic creators, without expecting anything back. Is it so hard to add a link to a links page? To a news post? To write a sentence about a new comic you’ve discovered that you think people should read? Do you think that if you send your audience to another site, they won’t come back? ‘Cause seriously, it doesn’t work like that! :D

I ran a short survey on my site about how people first discovered The War of Winds. 59% answered “a link from another comic.” So, MORE THAN HALFthe people who took the survey came because someone linked me on another site. This cost me nothing, as opposed to the 18% who selected “from a Project Wonderful advertisement.”  The other 20% came from places like TopWebComics and forums I frequent.

These numbers are important because what’s true for me is probably true for the majority of other webcomickers as well: people find your comic by a link from another comic, by a recommendation on the site of someone whose comic they enjoy, or by a blog post somewheres.

There are so many comics out there who deserve more readers than they have, just like Galaxion. We together already have the audiences, and while I doubt the cumulative effect of what was done for Galaxion will happen all too often, the numbers DO add up over time. So this is what I propose:

Add comics you read to your links page. You don’t have to get permission first (UNLESS!!!! you’re M-rated linking a G-rated site. Then get permission first please).  It’s the internet. Take the initiative and DO IT. No one except you will mind if your links page has tons of links. If you have to, because you have some OCD tendencies, organize links on separate pages (for example, I have a page for link exchanges, recommended reading and resources), that’s ok. Provide links to the other link pages on every links page.

Give a polite review in your news. You don’t have a shred their work, after all, you’re linking them because you want people to GO there. Try not to say anything bad at all!  Tell your readers what you like and appreciate about it.  Keep the link up as long as you can!

Stumble/Digg/Redit/etc them. Don’t ask for permission.  If you use those things (I personally love Stumble Upon, and it’s one of the few add-ons I have for Firefox), use them for more than just YOUR work! Ever see the movie Pay It Forward? Yeah. Like that.

Use social network sites. If you have a Live Journal or Deviant Art or Blogspot or Twitter account, post about the comics you read.  Especially you people on DA who have subscriptions and tons of followers. All it takes is one journal entry!

If you want to start your own campaign like Campaign: Galaxion, follow the fine example set by lonelyfetus, who started it. JUMP IN. Just do it. You’re in charge, and people ask YOU what they can do. Don’t start a thread asking for what you can do or who you should do it for [at an ambiguous time in the future] …because everyone will give you their opinions, or tell you what you’re doing wrong, and that means nothing will get done at all.  You can only have one driver in the car at a time; the car crashes otherwise.  [please insert appropriate colloquialism here that I could not remember.]

We as webcomic readers/creators have the ability to send our audience where we want. Use this power for good, but above all, USE IT.  The SpiderForest collective (I’m a member there) does this indirectly with our top rotating banner. Even being part of the network automatically means a member would recommend you, because you got in. If you have a collective, or are part of one, consider more cross-advertising possibilities.

If you’re a popular comic, getting 5k+ uniques a day, you would be far more loved by the webcomic community if you bothered to link the little guys. They would probably all link you back just to say thanks, even if you took down your link to them (for example, if it was just in the news).

Above all, just help each other grow. We’re all out here spending hours on a hobby that makes little to no money, and readers rarely take the initiative to FIND new comics themselves. Point the way, and they will go.

That’s it from me today. Webcomic website reviews are still coming. Those take a couple hours to write up, so I’m still looking for that time. Trying hard!

Here is what you need to design for as you go about creating your webcomic website:

1: TITLE

Preferably, this should be a graphic. Comics, whether on the web or not, are a graphical medium! A text title shouts “I’m boring and too lazy or inexperienced to make my own logo!”  While I may often use title graphic and logo synonymously, I should point out that they are NOT always the same thing. You can have your logo on TOP of a title graphic.  Your logo is either your comic’s title, with or without an accompanying image that is recognizable at large and small sizes, or a symbol that stands for your comc title. For example, Xyliatales, Wayfarer’s Moon, and No Need for Bushido. Your title graphic or banner may include that as WELL as more graphics.  For example in increasing size/complexity, Gunnerkrigg Court, Galaxion, Calling Home, LadyStar.

Well, how large or small should your title be? I’m not much keen on taking sides in the text vs. graphics web battles, especially since the internet is so bloody fast nowadays. Good webdesign puts the focus on where it needs to be (in this case, your comic) while ALSO focusing on fast loading and solid aesthetics, but at the same, as comic creators, we know we need to brand the site.  I usually see SMALL title/logo graphics when people want to have above the fold ad space. I usually see LARGE graphics when ads are not part of the site.  I see small graphics on image-lite sites with the “validated” text at the bottom. I see large graphics on sites made by beginners who haven’t yet learned how to get large impact out of a small area.  The bottom line: your title or logo needs to be LARGE enough it will be seen and recognized by new visitors, and small enough that more important content is readily visible without a scroll.

2: SITE NAVIGATION MENU

I’m going to make a quick distinction here between SITE navigation, and ARCHIVE navigation, so no one gets lost. Site navigation is your links to other webpages. Archive navigation deals only with the comics.  Either directly beside your title or underneath it, you need to have your site navigation menu. This menu can be horizontal or vertical, but it definitely must be above the fold, and given priority over other content (the comic, the comic navigation, buttons, other non-essential images). Your “Home” button/link needs to be FIRST in the list even if you are ordering the rest of the list alphabetically. All other page links should appear either in order of importance or alphabetically. I prefer to order buttons in order of importance, or really, which pages a new visitor would want to visit first: “Home, Archive, Cast …….. Links, About.” I have “about” as last because generally that link is always last, and that is where I am accustomed to seeing it.  Buttons/links on either end of the menu get seen more, which is generally how it works. Between cast and links is where my other pages go.

3: COMIC NAVIGATION MENU

I’m going to say this now: first, I already wrote an article on the necessity of having the FULL comic navigation menu, below AND above the comic if your comic extends below the fold. Second, I HATE ComicPress’ design of having comic navigation in the SITE navigation menu. It’s disorienting, and it means you most often DON’T have the 4 necessary links (first/prev/next/last) because there’s not enough room for all that crammed into your site menu.  I GUESS I understand the reasoning why it’s there (“navigation is navigation, right?” Wrong.), but they are two very separate systems! If you have CP and you have your comic navigation in the default place and you don’t have all four links, I strongly encourage you to change that!

Your comic navigation menu needs to be made using recognizable symbols, fonts and/or text titles. Don’t name these links as something inane and silly that only you understand! For example, a mega fail: “Baby Food, Granola Bars, Garbage Plate, Coronary.” As always, title things exactly what they are. Either first/beginning/start/etc; previous/prev/back/before/etc; next/tomorrow/after/etc; last/today/etc, or the appropriate symbols of double arrows and single arrows. Both together are good too.

4: YOUR COMIC

Please notice that your comic is FOURTH on this list. Not first, not second, not third. Your title and all navigation should appear above and/or left of your comic. However, as much as possible of your comic should appear above the fold. If your comic is on your front page and not immediately visible in a 1024×768  browser, you need to redesign your site, because you are only wasting room.  If your comic does not appear on the front page, then the links to the first page and most recent page must have prominence.

5a: BOTTOM COMIC NAVIGATION

(see section 3)

5b: NEWS/BLOG

It is very important that your blog or news area does NOT take precedence over your comic other more imporant comic elements.  There are ways to get around this using sidebars, twitter, or not blogging at all, but the safest place to have your blurbs is right below the comic AND bottom comic navigation. It is very annoying for some people to have to scroll through your news to find the “next” button/link, so don’t do that.  I already wrote an article about what should be posted here and when, so I’m not going to repeat myself.

6: FOOTER

Your footer is very important. It should not only contain a copyright block (copyright should also appear on your comic images), but also redundant “contact” information and other links of choice (for example, privacy policies).  It makes me very sad when I come to comic site that has no copyright block anywhere.  You may automatically own that copyright, but people online are thieving idiots. It’s best to explicitly and clearly state that “this”  is yours, and how to get in contact with you if people want to copy, use or redistribute. It won’t stop thieves from doing it anyways, but you do what you can.

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The above are my personal BARE MINIMUM recommended elements. Obviously, there is more you can include, but I do NOT recommend less.  Lastly, don’t forget to add alts and titles to your links and images! Webcomic sites OUGHT to be graphic-centered, in my opinion, but that means you need to do a little more to make your sites appear in search engines.

Next Up: Webcomic Website Review