Your band needs a web presence these days. Without one, your fans won’t know where to get the latest 411 on your upcoming shows and album releases.
However, many artists’ pages leave a lot to be desired. You need to tailor your colors and layout to optimize the user experience and promote sales. Here are seven tips to keep in mind when designing a site for your band.
While you hopefully don’t bite any heads off innocent animals, your band’s web page is the place to share all your crazy antics both on and off the road. Your fans want to get to know the people behind the music.
What inspires your lyrics and melodies? How did your group members find each other and decide to jam? What’s the wildest thing that ever happened to you at one of your shows? Now is the time to tell all — appropriately for any children in the audience, of course.
Pay particular attention to designing your “about us” page. You can include information such as how long you’ve been making music and how you got your start in your mom’s garage. If you need an example to work from, this page serves as a good example of what you should go for.
You have several options for how to add your music to your band’s website. If you plan to embed videos, make sure they are of professional quality. You have a limited space to make an impression, and you don’t want to clutter it.
A sample of your music is a crucial part of your electronic press kit (EPK). Include a music player with a play button located next to the text describing it. Include links to your streaming services so that journalists can point new fans toward your jams.
Have you ever clicked on a promising-looking website, only to be bombarded by so many pop-up ads, you closed your browser in disgust? Your objective with your band’s website is to keep your traffic around and convert them into fans. You won’t achieve that goal if you overwhelm the audience with excess ads, contrasting color choices and poor layouts.
Your site might not need more than three pages — your cover page, about us and an online store. However, you might benefit from hiring a professional designer to customize your WordPress theme and make all the parts work together. Even if you master the basics, you can easily get caught up in all the choices and end up with something you still feel isn’t reflective of your unique brand. Seek an outside opinion.
Online shopping is safer than ever, but you need to use the right tools to safeguard your fans. You’ll need to obtain a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate, which gives you the lock icon in your browser’s address bar. Google Chrome marks sites lacking this certification as “not secure,” making your customers think twice before getting out their credit cards.
One pop-up your site should consider using is an email address capture that will let you keep in touch with your fans. You can send out quarterly newsletters outlining your latest work. You now have the ideal free advertising medium for sending out free sample snippets from an upcoming album to generate interest before your big release.
When using pop-ups, note that you might have a better conversion rate if you use them on exit rather than on entry. Immediate ads could make your fans hesitate, but a “wait” notification paired with an invite to enter their info to keep in touch could gather valuable data. You might even consider allowing phone number entry if you want to send texts about upcoming events.
People access the internet through all types of devices these days. Your pages should look equally good on mobile and computer platforms — another reason to consider hiring a professional designer.
Additionally, keep in mind that many people use voice-activated technology to access their latest tunes. Ensure your page is optimized for visitors who say, “Alexa, play X song,” if you want a permanent place on many favorite playlists.
Far too many bands neglect their websites once they get them established. Remember, you have a valuable and relatively low-cost marketing tool.
Take the time to update your site. You don’t have to add much new content, but you should learn how to adjust notifications of upcoming tour schedules and album release dates. Additionally, your most loyal fans appreciate the occasional life update.
Your band needs a website these days if they hope to make it in ever-bigger venues. Design yours wisely with the seven above tips.