{"id":30654,"date":"2024-05-02T06:00:17","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T11:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberprmusic.com\/?p=18185"},"modified":"2024-08-07T10:08:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T10:08:08","slug":"musicians-website-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyberprmusic.com\/musicians-website-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Building an Effective & Affordable Music Website"},"content":{"rendered":"

A lot of artists find the idea of building a music website daunting. It can be expensive, and is it really<\/em> necessary with Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandsintown, Linktr.ee, and all the other profiles you need to manage?<\/p>\n

In a word, yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While a huge amount of business and fan growth takes place on social media, if you don\u2019t have an effective musician’s website, you\u2019re going to have a hard time being found and noticed by fans and industry (bloggers, managers, A&R reps, etc.) alike.<\/p>\n

Why You Need A Music Website<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You absolutely need to have your own domain as it represents a central hub for all things YOU. It’s also (unlike so many social media sites<\/span><\/a>) fully in your control. Effective social media trends come and go, (hello Facebook!) but your domain is yours forever.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is perfectly possible to create an effective musician’s website at an affordable price.<\/p>\n

There is a global marketplace of fabulous platforms and talented designers (like ours) who can help you build a beautiful site for a few hundred dollars.<\/p>\n

Or, if you are willing to do some of the work using a templated design, an effective\u00a0musician’s website can be created for less than $20\/month with no upfront costs!<\/p>\n

A lot of artists drive themselves crazy building their musician’s websites because they forget that simplicity is key<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Music Website Exists To Do Two Things:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Number one<\/strong>: Help you engage with current fans and make new ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Number two<\/strong>: Make you money.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s it<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to set yourself on the right path\u2026<\/p>\n

Step 1: Register Your Domain\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The easiest way to register a domain name is to use GoDaddy<\/a>.<\/b><\/u><\/span> You can register a domain in almost any country through GoDaddy, or you can use other country-specific sites like Crazy Domains<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span> (AUS).<\/p>\n

Register the domain that you would like to use. I highly suggest a dot com (.com) with no slashes and underscores if possible. GoDaddy will guide you through this process, and if you have any questions, their customer service is great.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Try to purchase a domain name that matches the URLs on your social media.\u00a0 This way, if someone Googles you, they\u2019ll easily find your musician website and all your social media channels.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Choose How You Build Your Musician’s Website<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Option1: DIY Pay-As-You-Go Website Builder<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Working with a website builder can get you up and running\u00a0quickly and if you are computer savvy, you won\u2019t need a designer to build the site for you.<\/p>\n

Here are my favorites in alphabetical order. Both have excellent call-in customer service to help ease the confusion.<\/p>\n

Bandzoogle<\/strong><\/a><\/span>
\n<\/u>Their lite version starts at $8.29 per month (if you purchase a full year). It\u2019s easy to use, there are many great templates to choose from and the first month is free! Use the code CyberPRMusic<\/strong><\/span> OR\u00a0 Use this link for a discount!\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Squarespace<\/a>
\n<\/u><\/strong><\/span>Squarespace is wonderful and highly flexible.\u00a0 Sites come with a free custom domain, and they make it easy for you to create a beautiful, professional website. You can choose from a vast array of templates (some designed specifically for musicians), and you can switch between them at any point.<\/p>\n

Option 2: Working with a Web Designer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you are challenged by the builders (they are navigable but not that<\/em> easy!)\u00a0 then you might think about hiring a designer to help you initially.<\/p>\n

Might I be so bold as to suggest <\/b>hiring us?<\/b><\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Our team designs fabulous sites and we would love to speak to you about how fast our turnaround time is (we are fast!)<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Don\u2019t pay more than $1,000 for a basic site. (we charge $750 )<\/p>\n

and if you do hire a designer to help you, don\u2019t go crazy with elaborate films and video intros. If people get confused by your musician website, they\u2019ll leave fast so, keep it simple!<\/p>\n

Step 3: Make Your Homepage POP!<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Your entire website should be easy to navigate. One-page scroll pages are gaining popularity for their wonderful user experience. If you’d rather have a multi-page site, a navbar should be placed across the very top of each page so visitors can see it (not buried where they have to scroll down).<\/p>\n

Your homepage should feature your name and your pitch, or a captivating image that makes people understand who you are and what you sound like.<\/p>\n

Remember – your site needs to support your brand! The colors you choose, your logo, the pictures you use\u2026 these things are all incredibly important, and help tell your story.<\/p>\n

Figure out what story you want to tell, and then keep your brand consistent. Make your socials match your site colors<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/span> and style as well.<\/p>\n

Here are a few effective and affordable musician’s websites we have built recently.<\/p>\n

These musician’s websites were built using Bandzoogle:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"mark<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"joel\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This one-page scroll artist website was built in Squarespace:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"kelley<\/p>\n

\"kelley<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to link to your socials! Most of the site builders featured above will help you do this. Your website should be a focal point, where a new fan can find everything you\u2019re doing online. A Spotify follow button<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span> is also a good addition to a homepage.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Create These 7 Sections On Your Musician’s Website<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

1. Your Pitch<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Your pitch does not have to be lengthy to be effective; it just has to explain your sound in a few words or sentences and, if you can, add it to your homepage or make sure it really stands out in your bio. Here is a 2-part video series<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/a> to help you along featuring me and Derek Sivers<\/b><\/u><\/span>.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Artist Bio\/Press Kit<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Musician's<\/p>\n

Your bio is very important.\u00a0 Make sure it is up to date, tells a story and is captivating<\/b><\/u><\/span>.<\/a>\u00a0 It is after all the foundation of your brand.<\/p>\n

You must have a press section\/press kit on your site<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span> that displays photos, links, your bio and album art.<\/p>\n

Embed your best videos, put up your best press quotes, link to an interview you did with a music blog. The more legit you look, the easier you make elements findable for writers and promoters.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Make sure your photos really capture who you are, and give clear instructions on how they can be downloaded.<\/p>\n

3. Buy Merch\/Stream Music<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Musician's<\/p>\n

Make sure people can find where to buy your music (Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, etc.). People are so used to streaming nowadays, that if your homepage doesn\u2019t have a readily available they may lose interest. An embedded Bandcamp link is a good compromise for this (people can stream it, but there\u2019s still an option to buy, or even better – pay what they want).<\/p>\n

And if you have Merch add it too!<\/p>\n

4. Shows\/Tour<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

We recommend using Bandsintown<\/a> <\/b><\/u><\/span>for this. This allows you to link your shows across different platforms. To have your fans alerted to your shows while they are in Spotify streaming your music, you need to use Songkick.<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

5. Your Email List\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

You need to direct people to sign up for your newsletter!<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span>\u00a0This means you also need to send your newsletter at least one time a month with great attention to what actually goes<\/b><\/u> <\/a><\/span>in it. A \u2018free download in exchange for email\u2019 box is an easy way to build your list. Mailchimp has a great plugin that you can use on your site and Facebook page and you can also add it to your Linktr.ee.<\/p>\n

6. Your Contact Info<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Make sure that you have your contact information with an e-mail address or a contact form so people can contact you for online publicity, booking, or just to tell you they like your music.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Don\u2019t make it hard for anyone to connect with you online. Nothing pisses the media or a booking agent or venue off more than having to hunt you down to talk to you!<\/p>\n

7. Links to Active Socials<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

\"Music<\/p>\n

You need to make it easy for people to find you on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span>, YouTube or wherever else you want to be found.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> Only link socials that you actually maintain – you don’t want to lead fans to a dead or inactive page<\/p>\n

Remember,\u00a0your social channels and narrative should also match the tone and style of your site! See how our client Laura did it above- she GETS IT <\/em>\ud83d\ude42 See how it’s all red and blue and muted and wonderful?<\/p>\n

Step 5: Final Advice: Don’t Let Your Site (or Socials) Go Stale<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

After your site is complete, make sure you return often to keep it and your socials updated! That means daily for socials<\/b><\/u><\/a><\/span> and at least once a month for your site.<\/p>\n

This way your whole site remains interesting and dynamic and fans will stop by again and again.<\/p>\n

Good luck, be creative, and have fun!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to have us design a music website for you?<\/p>\n

We would love to! Click the image below to fill out<\/u><\/a><\/span> to tell us about your music website needs and we will arrange a call\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Musicians<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A lot of artists find the idea of building a music website daunting. It can be expensive, and is it really necessary with Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandsintown, Linktr.ee, and all the other profiles you need to manage? In a word, yes. While a huge amount of business and fan growth takes place on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":30704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,63],"tags":[95,1855,98,150],"collection":[2183],"class_list":["post-30654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-branding","category-social-media-for-musicians","tag-bandzoogle","tag-musician","tag-squarespace","tag-website","collection-marketing-your-music"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Build an Effective & Affordable Music Website<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The ultimate guide to building a music website. 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