Does Your Web Site Measure Up To Your Image?

It's already been said time and again how necessary it is for solo artists and bands (or anyone making a living at their own craft or area of expertise) to have their own web site. You can't just rely on a Facebook fan page or a ReverbNation page to promote what you're selling since you have no control over what happens to those sites. But, you can control what happens to your own site.

Your own site is part of your image, especially the online presence piece of your image. In a recent article highlighting a list of all the things a band web site should include, some of the top items on the list are relevant to a band's image. These items include (and can be adapted by anyone in need of a web site):

• Imagery that represents your style. Photos, color schemes and design themes match up with the sound of your music or the product/services you're selling. A couple of weeks ago I shared a blog post about how to choose the right color for your own branding. It definitely applies in the situation of choosing color schemes for your web site.
• Photos are professionally shot and are properly formatted for the site. I've written about the importance of having professional photos more than once because photos say so much. It's worth the money to spend on a professional photo shoot that is styled by an image consultant or wardrobe stylist, but not if you're going to distort the aspect ratios of your photos to get them to fit on your site. No matter how professional your photographer is, his or her photos will look amateur if you resize them without maintaining the aspect ratio. Click here to see what I'm talking about. And always avoid the overdone poses and backdrops (railroad tracks for recording artists, arm-fold poses for business owners).
• The typography represents your style and is easy to read. Artists, please, please, please stop using the Bleeding Cowboy font! It's been used way too many times over the past seven years! You're not a cookie-cutter artist, so don't act like one!
• The homepage gives a good first impression of you and your music/services. This includes a good background image and/or header, a short bio, latest news, etc.
• There is content relevant for the media. Remember, it's not just your fans or customers who will be visiting your site. You want to also attract the media so they will help promote what you have to offer and what makes you unique. Once you attract them, then you need to be prepared to talk to the media.

These are just a few of the items listed in the article's checklist for a great web site. Click here to see the full list!

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