Duane W Purdue, Author Website Design Case Study for a Private Investigator Memoir

A bold, military toned WordPress author website for Duane W Purdue, built to introduce his private investigator memoir, Stabbed in the Back, to readers across the US.

Timeline: 2-week project

Duane W Purdue is an American author, former Marine, and ultra endurance athlete whose memoir, Stabbed in the Back: A Private Investigator’s Real Life Experiences, traces his journey through Marine Corps boot camp, competitive dirt biking, the Western States 100 mile endurance race, a false accusation, and the faith that carried him through. The book blends adventure, resilience, and personal reckoning in a candid first person narrative designed for readers who appreciate real life stories of grit and transformation.

Elite IT Solutions designed and built a WordPress author website that introduces the book and the author to new readers across the US. The site is built around a single Book Purchase pathway, an Author Gallery presenting life moments spanning military service, athletics, and faith, and a Get in Touch section that gives media contacts and event organisers a direct route to Duane. The design uses a strong dark hero treatment that matches the memoir’s serious, lived experience tone while keeping the purchase journey simple from the first scroll.

Client

Duane W Purdue, author of Stabbed in the Back, a memoir covering Marine Corps service, private investigation, ultra endurance athletics, and personal faith, serving US based readers.

Context

As a first time author without an existing web presence, Duane needed a website that could introduce him and his memoir to potential readers, communicate the breadth and emotional weight of the story, and provide a clear purchase pathway.

Problem Statement

Without a professional author website, Duane W Purdue had no digital home from which to build reader relationships, communicate his story to media and book clubs, or drive Amazon purchase traffic beyond word of mouth.

Key Pain Points

  • Introducing a multilayered memoir covering military service, private investigation, faith, and athletics in a way that felt cohesive and compelling rather than scattered
  • Providing a confident, personal brand presence that matched the tone of the book, direct, honest, and rooted in real experience
  • Building a simple purchase pathway that converted curious visitors into Amazon buyers without friction

We built a WordPress author website with a strong hero section leading with the Stabbed in the Back book cover and title treatment against a dark, military toned background. The About the Book section uses the publisher’s copy to introduce the memoir’s emotional range and invite readers into Duane’s world. A curated photo Gallery section presents life images spanning Marine Corps service, dirt bike races, the Western States 100, and faith communities, grounding the author’s credibility in visible lived experience. A full width CTA section, Stabbed in the Back: From Challenges to Adventures, reinforces the memoir’s core theme before the Get in Touch contact form allows readers, media, and event organisers to connect directly. The Book Purchase CTA routes visitors to Amazon throughout.

Duane W Purdue now has a professional author web presence that introduces his memoir, establishes his personal brand across military service, athletics, and faith, and gives readers, media contacts, and event organisers a direct way to connect. The Book Purchase pathway is clear and consistent throughout the site, giving every visitor a route to Amazon from the first scroll.

Where creative web design meets functional purpose.

We believe that web design is not all about looking attractive – it’s about delivering an online presence that converts online. Our team create websites that not only look great but also drive results. Every project is built with meticulous attention to detail, bringing .

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