Behind the Mic: Don't Ditch Your Website

posted in: Features

In a world where bands are constantly spending hours updating their Facebook, Twitter and MySpace pages, it may seem like having an official Web site is a thing of the past. In fact, a large percentage of bands these days have their bandname.com site re-direct to their MySpace.  While this will save you a bit of time and maintenance effort, having an official Web site can actually be better in the long run.

Though technologically hip, Facebook and Twitter are both extremely limited in terms of what bands can do with them. Facebook’s Pages for bands are uniform and do not allow for HTML customization. While this is good news for people sick of MySpace crashing their browser, music is not the focus here. Most bands’ Facebook pages have a separate tab for music, or they have a small music section on the bottom right corner of the page (of course, those with more web experience can make a flashy Facebook page for their band).

Twitter is good for up-to-the-minute brief updates (140 characters at a time), posting links to other sites and speaking directly to fans, but you really can’t do much in terms of posting content.

And then there’s MySpace, which many consider to already be “dead.” Though the fans have certainly abandoned MySpace communication, it is still the go-to, one-stop-shop for promoters, booking agents and talent scouts. The problem with MySpace occurs when bands decide to fill their pages with videos, graphics, ads and banners that can make the entire viewing process slow and unenjoyable.

With an official Web site, the power is in your hands. With completely customizable HTML, you have total control over the branding and design of the site. You also have control over how long the site exists. Think about it: If you’re only on Twitter and Facebook and these sites shut down someday, your band will have zero web presence! Your Web site will also be an official place for fans to go to get all the information and content they need, from live videos to song lyrics to blog posts and chat forums.

From an internet marketing standpoint, it only makes sense to own yourbandname.com, as fans may assume you have the page and try to go there. You will also be the first result in search engines, instead of another band or a completely unrelated company.

Now, for those of you who think you’re not web-savvy enough to create a Web site from scratch, there are other options. One is using BandZoogle.com, which is basically a platform that helps you create the Web site. BandZoogle will help you create and customize pages, and all you’ll need to do is fill in the blanks.

You can have fun with your Web site by using it as a blog, a fan community page and a news site. Just make sure that it’s clean, easy to navigate and updated consistently!