Your storefront needs to do a lot: it should be eye-catching and easy to read, and have everything a customer needs to know. With Lulu’s storefront tools, you can make your storefront welcoming and unforgettable. Here are a few ideas on improving your storefront:

• Give your storefront a title. The title is not only the name of your storefront, but it’s also what is displayed in the top bar of your browser, and the link on which users click when they find your site in search results.
• The long and short of it.
  • Short Description: The short description is your storefront’s meta-description and is limited to 512 characters. This description will be displayed under your storefront’s title in search results, and should reiterate your storefront keywords and summarize what your storefront is about.
  • Long Description: With the long description, you can enter as much information as you like, and use HTML. This will be displayed on your storefront, and is a good place to put in author bio, mission statement, and a complete description of your book.
• Add a bio. If you’re an expert in the field you’re writing on, let the audience know. You can use html code here to insert images and links. Don’t forget to provide a link to your email address. This will allow potential customers to contact you directly with any questions, or praise! For a crash course in HTML coding, check out: http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp
• Make it attractive. You can customize colors and fonts when you build your storefront. Be sure to keep in the style and tone of your book. If your book is funny, bright colors are great. If it is for an academic audience, perhaps you want something more subdued.

• Picture this. You can add an image by inserting the image’s URL into an Image Block, and add alternate text for anyone who may not be able to see the image. Make sure the image you upload is scaled so that its width and height are no greater than 300 pixels. Some free image hosting services: Flickr <http://www.flickr.com>, PhotoBucket <http://www.photobucket.com>, TinyPic <http://www.tinypic.com>. To make a slideshow of images, you can use Imageloop. To get started, under Store Content, select ImageLoop Slideshow, and let the fun begin. For more information, visit: http://www.lulu.com/partners/imageloop/
• Peer Review. Ask your friends and family to look over your storefront, and answer the following questions: Does this storefront convey your sales message? Will a customer feel the same about your content and storefront as you do? Remember, the storefront should represent your book, and tell a potential buyer what they need to know. Keep the audience in mind. They more information they get, the more likely they will be to buy your book!
  Check out these examples of great storefronts:
  http://stores.lulu.com/michaelclose
  http://stores.lulu.com/birdiejaworski
  http://www.lulu.com/ihath