Setting Up A Band Webpage

22 frets

22 frets

Experienced
I‘m in a local covers band. We have been getting by without for a while, but have recently decided we want to put up a band webpage. We want to be able to post a home page, some brief bio information, pictures/videos, mp3s, upcoming gigs, etc. We prefer something free or very inexpensive. We have considered Facebook, but I have to admit I can’t stand Facebook’s linear, chronological format for storing information. I know there are some sites that are designed for bands. Since we are a covers band, copy write laws are a consideration for material we might post.

What do you use for your band?
 
@davidevo

Thanks so much for sharing your website link and the suggestion for GoDaddy. You guys have a great site. Very organized and full of great info. I envision that we would like something very similar. We will check out GoDaddy. Thanks!
 
yek said:
I’d stick to social media these days. Band websites are old fashioned.
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@yek

Could you be a little more specific? How are websites old fashion? What advantages does social media offer? What specific social media platforms do you recommend? I think of social media more as messaging platforms, but I admit I am not a user. Hoe are they superior? Any examples you could reference? Thanks.
 
22 frets said:
@yek

Could you be a little more specific? How are websites old fashion? What advantages does social media offer? What specific social media platforms do you recommend? I think of social media more as messaging platforms, but I admit I am not a user. Hoe are they superior? Any examples you could reference? Thanks.
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You can have a great site, but if nobody goes there it accomplishes nothing.
And nobody WILL go there unless they know about it, and have some reason to think it might be up their alley.
Creating a web site doesn't do either of those things.

Social media, if done well, might announce you to a relevant audience for your particular flavor of music. (Or sock puppets, or politics...)
 
22 frets said:
@yek

Could you be a little more specific? How are websites old fashion? What advantages does social media offer? What specific social media platforms do you recommend? I think of social media more as messaging platforms, but I admit I am not a user. Hoe are they superior? Any examples you could reference? Thanks.
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He’s really not wrong. you’ll reach far more people on social media than a dedicated website. Still, I think dedicated sites are more professional. I want to see a bands site and if they dont have one, Im thinking amateur hour in the back of my mind.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
He’s really not wrong. you’ll reach far more people on social media than a dedicated website. Still, I think dedicated sites are more professional. I want to see a bands site and if they dont have one, Im thinking amateur hour in the back of my mind.
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Agree with the "amateur hour" comment.

Social media cannot be ignored and should be your first concern. You then need to figure out as a group what your goals are. There's nothing wrong with "amateur hour", but a dedicated website (done correctly) does do something for your image.
 
fcs101 said:
Agree with the "amateur hour" comment.

Social media cannot be ignored and should be your first concern. You then need to figure out as a group what your goals are. There's nothing wrong with "amateur hour", but a dedicated website (done correctly) does do something for your image.
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Agree that your own site is more pro -- I cringe when there's only Facebork.

But then how do you get anyone to know about your cool site, much less choose to go there instead of one of the sextygabilliion other sites out there? You pump it on social media of course.

Or you could decide to spend on Google or YouTube ads, and compete for attention with Apple, Samsung, Elon, etc.

At the end of the day, there's no substitute for having a product people want and are talking about. The rest is tricky.
 
Thanks guys. I think I am looking at this a little differently. Perhaps I should have given a little more information about our band. We only play out once a month or so and aren't really looking to use the site to “drum up business”.
I understand the need to get the word out and our focus may change to something like that in the future. However, for now, I see the need more for a band website because when I am talking to a venue manager about playing there, seems like the first thing they ask is, where is your website and do you have any videos of your band. So I was looking for information about web services for creating a band site that I can share with folks already looking to hire us. Sites like GoDaddy and Bandzoogle seem to be just what we need. But I do thank everyone for your thoughts and advice.

Anyone else have a favorite site for hosting Band websites?
 
22 frets said:
Thanks guys. I think I am looking at this a little differently. Perhaps I should have given a little more information about our band. We only play out once a month or so and aren't really looking to use the site to “drum up business”.
I understand the need to get the word out and our focus may change to something like that in the future. However, for now, I see the need more for a band website because when I am talking to a venue manager about playing there, seems like the first thing they ask is, where is your website and do you have any videos of your band. So I was looking for information about web services for creating a band site that I can share with folks already looking to hire us. Sites like GoDaddy and Bandzoogle seem to be just what we need. But I do thank everyone for your thoughts and advice.

Anyone else have a favorite site for hosting Band websites?
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Again. Bandzoogle is specifically designed for you.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
Again. Bandzoogle is specifically designed for you.
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Hadn't head of Bandzoogle until you suggested it upthread. Thanks. I'm in a similar situation as 22 frets...cover band, one or two shows per month, and not really looking to drum up business. We already have a Facebook presence and use that platform to announce upcoming shows, but I'll ponder the idea of a separate website.

Like 22 frets, we occasionally get requests for videos and/or song lists. We don't currently have any videos to show venue owners/managers, because all we currently have are crappy phone videos shot by fans at gigs. I'd rather have no video than have videos with poor audio or camera work. I'd like to work on that aspect, but my hands are already pretty full at gigs, between playing guitar and running FOH from the stage. I also own the PA, so I end up being the guy who sets it up for every show.
 
TG3K said:
Hadn't head of Bandzoogle until you suggested it upthread. Thanks. I'm in a similar situation as 22 frets...cover band, one or two shows per month, and not really looking to drum up business. We already have a Facebook presence and use that platform to announce upcoming shows, but I'll ponder the idea of a separate website.

Like 22 frets, we occasionally get requests for videos and/or song lists. We don't currently have any videos to show venue owners/managers, because all we currently have are crappy phone videos shot by fans at gigs. I'd rather have no video than have videos with poor audio or camera work. I'd like to work on that aspect, but my hands are already pretty full at gigs, between playing guitar and running FOH from the stage. I also own the PA, so I end up being the guy who sets it up for every show.
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Do yourself a favor and if you want to seriously book better than barband stuff, get some video. A pro video will set you back about 2K or so.
 
I did a web site for one of my bands on Bandzoogle. It was easy to do. However, all of our action ended up being on Facebook so I was updating a website that nobody looked at. In my area, a strong social media presence is what brought in the gigs. I did that with Facebook and Instagram.
 
yek said:
I’d stick to social media these days. Band websites are old fashioned.
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I know what you mean. You can spend a lot of time setting up a website, but after going to that trouble, all your traffic will be on social media.

However, I don't think that means you shouldn't have a website. If you have your own website, you can use that as a single landing page which provides links to the social platform of the visitor's choice. That way you can give out one URL without being tied to one social platform. Plus, it gives you a place to put content that doesn't fit well on social. Bandzoogle is good, or you can use Wordpress.com if you want more than that.
 
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