Simple ‘Spring Cleaning’ tips for your website
All winter my backyard has looked like one of those “north of the Wall” segments from Game of Thrones. Now that I can hear the faint trickle of melting ice, I’m just going to go ahead and declare that Spring has arrived two weeks early.
Which also means it’s time to take a fresh look at your band website and make sure it’s up-to-date. Remember: most of the people out there that encounter your music will find you online. If your website looks… neglected, your visitors won’t take you as seriously as an artist. Your fans might even stop recommending your music to their friends.
To make sure that doesn’t happen, take five minutes or so to clean out the cobwebs, or brush off the snow, or whatever metaphor might apply to you.
1. Remove any outgoing links to websites or social platforms you don’t use
Are you still linking your fans to Twitter even though you haven’t tweeted in 4 years? Yeah, you might want to delete that link, or any other link that leads people AWAY from your website and towards an online ghost town.
2. Update your gig calendar
Make sure to list all your upcoming concerts, big and small, on your tour calendar. Visitors want to see that you’re active in your music-making. If you’ve stopped playing live for a little while, be sure to mention that at the top of the calendar: “We won’t be playing shows until Fall of 2015 because we’re recording some new songs that we’re really excited about. See you in October!”
3. Switch out your background image
By changing your background image (assuming your site has a background image), you can get a whole new look for your entire website with just one update. For some free background images, click HERE and HERE.
4. Reassess your “calls to action”
A call-to-action is simply when you ask your website visitors to do something. Here’s a few call-to-action examples:
* Sign up to my email list
* Buy this album
* Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
* Download this free track
* Check out my gallery
* Send me your song requests
Make sure that you are guiding your visitors towards the action that will support your current goals, so update them accordingly. Also, don’t confuse people with too many calls-to-action. For every page of your website that features a call-to-action, ask yourself, “What is the ONE thing I want someone to do on this page?”
5. Add some new details to your bio
Does your band bio reflect where you’re at right now? If not, add a sentence or two to the end of your existing bio about what you’re up to these days. No need to do a major re-write (unless there’s been major changes). You can handle the big biographical overhaul when you release your next album, do a full site redesign, or reach some other music career milestone.
6. Double check your contact info
One of the biggest and easiest mistakes to make when so many of us use multiple email accounts (I’m guilty too) is to have outdated contact info on your website. Don’t miss out on important opportunities simply because nobody could get a hold of you. Check the phone numbers, email addresses, and contact forms on your website. Make sure they all go to the email account or phone number you answer most often.
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What are some other easy things to change on your website to give it a whole new feel? Let us know in the comments section below.
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[Refresh image from Shutterstock.]
