Do You know most industry experts agree, musicians need a dedicated website, and this are the five main reasons why:
- Having your own site makes you look pro. It shows that you’re taking your music career seriously. That (probably) means you’re more dependable, more talented, and of more interest to whoever is visiting your site.
- People want a one-stop destination. If I’m checking out a new band, I hit their website first (assuming I can find it in the top search results on Google). It’s the easiest way to get a quick overview of what the band is all about and where else they’re active (through links to social sites). Plus, it’s the easiest way to sign up for their mailing list if I’m feeling intrigued enough.
- You are at the center of the experience. Along those same lines, a standalone website is really the only place a band or artist can effectively display their “brand.” Other sites may let you mess around with color schemes, but your own site is the only place where people can get the full experience of you and your aesthetic at work.
- Your own site gives you total control, meaning you never have to worry about whether or not people are actually seeing your updates, or if the information is getting lost in the shuffle. Anything you post will be right there until you don’t want it to be anymore. No paying to promote your messages to your followers. Your fan relationship is co-owned by you and your fans, not by some corporation in Silicon Valley.
- Social media platforms come and go. While website styles may change, having your own site isn’t going to go out of style. So many musicians invested time in MySpace only to lose that connection with fans once the platform fell out of favor. Over the past few years, a similar thing has happened with Facebook among younger music fans. Don’t be the victim of a passing social media trend. At the very least, don’t put all your eggs in the social media basket. Make your website the top priority, because it will probably outlast them all.
What do you think? Do musicians need their own websites? Why, or why not? Let us know in the comments!