Got Reverbnation? Yes. Got Soundcloud? Yes. Got Twitter? Yes. Got Facebook? Yes. Got Instagram? Yes. Got every other social network? Yeah, of course. OK, all of that is great, but if you’re a musician who wants to be taken seriously online, you need to have your OWN website. No two ways about it. Yes, you should be on the social networks and yes, they are important when it comes to promoting your music, getting more fans, networking and building relationships, but having your own website is just as important, if not, more important.
Here are the benefits to having your own website…
- You have 100% control over it! No one has 100% control over the customization of any of their social network sites, in other words they’re limited in what you can do with them aesthetically. With your own website, you have full ownership and the ability to customize it however you want.
- It allows you to be you and push your brand to the fullest with no limits.
- You can get traffic, which means fans you already have and new people who can become fans if they like your music.
- It can be monetized meaning it can be made to generate income for you with the right money making tools and resources (merchandise sales, affiliate programs, ads, etc.).
- It can help build relationships with new fans and the fans you already have.
- Your bio, photos, music etc. will be more accessible to the media.
- It’ll show your professionalism and it’ll separate you from the countless musicians out there who don’t take their music serious enough to get their own website.
I think one of the main reasons why some musicians don’t get their own website is because they’re afraid of the cost and the work that goes into getting a website done. Cost should be no excuse because there are many tools and resources that allow musicians to build their own website at very affordable rates, sometimes even free. There are many templates and platforms out there that will allow you to create a website with relative ease. You don’t have to worry about HTML and coding or anything like that, unless you have the money to pay a designer to do that for you. WordPress is a great tool and platform to use to build a website because ANYBODY can learn how to use it and build their own website with it. Your choice of domain name and hosting is very important.Speaking of domain name and hosting, GreenGeeks is a great hosting site.
In order to have a website, you must have the right hosting and GreenGeeks is it. After you purchase your domain name and hosting, I will need your cPanel username, cPanel password, and domain name to get started on your website. If you’re interested in getting a website set up right away, purchase the package that best fits your budget and needs and contact us.
If you need someone to build your website, then I’d be glad to help. I do offer Web Design & Development – WordPress Installation Services.
Just to recap; in order to build your own website, you need to…
- Get a domain name and hosting
- Install WordPress
- Get familiar with WordPress; whether it be on your own or by watching WordPress tutorials on YouTube
- Get a professional graphic designer to create a custom-made theme for you or get a free pre-made theme from any free WordPress theme website
- Add content to your site, things like a Bio/About page, Pics/Photos page, Music page, Merchandise page, and a Contact page
- Add free WordPress plugins to your site to make it more interactive and much easier for your fans to spread the word about your music. Google the best WordPress plugins for musicians and they’ll show you sites with many plugin recommendations for a musicians’ website.
The Benefits of WordPress for Musicians
Here’s a quick list of some of the benefits of a WordPress…
- It’s FREE
- Easily accessible, easy to learn, and easy to use
- Easy to maintain and update
- Open source (self-hosted)
- LOTS of themes for a customized look or feel that fits your brand/business
- LOTS of plugins that help enhance your website’s look and usability
- LOTS of support from web hosts
- Prior knowledge of HTML, Javascript, and CSS isn’t needed
Some of you might ask why is WordPress so popular and what’s the big deal? The list of benefits is very self-explanatory, plus there are always thousands of people who contribute to taking WordPress to a whole new level by creating new plugins and themes everyday. WordPress fits any and every business model you can think of. Anybody who has a brand, product, or business of any sort can use WordPress to build there own website. Musicians love it and use it all the time because there are many plugins that help them sell digital downloads and merchandise. It is also extremely social network-friendly because it allows easy social network integration. Fans can stay connected with you through all of your social networks by simply going to your website. WordPress is also very user-friendly and can be used by people who aren’t’ web savvy and people who are.
There are established musicians who use WordPress; musicians like…
And that’s just to name a few because there are many more who use WordPress for their website. By now, you should be convinced to use WordPress. Don’t let things like money stop you from getting your own website. You have two options, either you can set up your own website or get someone else to do it.
There are 3 main reasons why musicians don’t use WordPress and the reasons are…
- They think it’s too complicated
- They just don’t have the time or are just lazy
- They either know very little about it or they’re completely clueless about what it is
Here’s how these problems can be solved…
- Either learn how to use WordPress through trial and error OR get something like WP SetUp Checklist to be taught how to use WordPress OR get someone else who’s more WordPress savvy to install WordPress for you
- If you don’t have the time and energy to do it yourself, then get someone else to do it
- If you are one of those people who weren’t really aware of WordPress, then hopefully you have a better understanding by the time you finish reading this. Many established musicians, bands, and businesses use WordPress
I hope all of this helps and will convince you to at least invest in yourself enough to get your own website. WordPress allows musicians to have their own space online at a ridiculously inexpensive rate.
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