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In our previous article, Indie Music Marketing: The importance of a Website, I recommended that Indie Musicians set up a web sites to promote their music business. So, how does one go about setting up a website? What kind of site is the most appropriate? Here is some basic information to take the mystery out of getting yourself a website. Types of Websites There are two types of websites: Static and Dynamic. Static sties use primarily.html or.xhtml (computer languages) to build the site. Static sites do not interact with the rest of the internet. They do not automatically send your articles to search engines or social networks. In addition, static sites require destructive editing. One must take down old material to post the new. Static sites work well for small businesses with limited products, personal sites, and for sites that do not need to be updated with new material on a regular basis. Dynamic sites use a dynamic script like.php to communicate with the rest of the internet in an interactive fashion. These sites do not require destructive editing and new material can be added with out discarding the old. These sites can also be automated to send your new information to search engines and social networks through programs called feeds. I strongly recommend that Indie musicians use a dynamic website to post their work. Dynamic sites allow you to more easily update changes to your posted performance schedule, make your fans immediately aware of new releases, and utilize tools and social networks to build your fan base and other wonderful things. Who Builds my Site? Many musicians choose to have a professional designer build their site. If you chose to work with a professional designer pick one whose design style is consistent with your own. Be sure to ask for references and links to sites completed by the designer. All designers have a favorite style of design. Regardless of what they tell you, most designers are reluctant to make major changes in their styles and designs, so be sure to look at completed sites to be sure you like the look and “feel” of the site Cost of a Website Once you decide on the general idea of what you like about your designer, agree on the basic cost for your site. A good dynamic website with 3-5 pages and no custom graphics costs as little as $500 and $25-40 per month to maintain. I have seen some advertisements for sites as low as $300 Graphics Good graphics and photos significantly enhance the appearance of your site. Web design requires some graphic design skills but the Not all web designers are good graphic artists. Many do not do graphics at all but refer the graphic design aspect of your project to professional graphic artists. Consequently, customized graphics can significantly increase the cost of your site. Take time to carefully conceptualize and prepare to describe what you want in your graphics. Graphic design can be the most emotionally charged aspect of your project. Graphics are personal. Take in sketches and photos and use color keys such as Komposer to clearly convey your ideas to the designer. Search Engine Optimization After selecting your designer and agreeing on rates and graphics be sure the designer has some basic knowledge of internet marketing techniques. You want to know that your designer has basic knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search Engine Optimization is a fancy way of saying how to make your website friendly to the search engines. This means that:: 1. The designer can submit a site map for your site. A site map gives a diagram of all the pages on your site and is submitted to search engines to catalog and list your site. This process ensures that search engines know that you are out there and do not overlook your site. 2. The designer understands how to use keywords and tags; the best words to include in your code that match words a consumer might use to find you. Search Engine Optimization is the magnet that pulls traffic to the site. A good web designer can get your site moving with basic SEO techniques. 3. Your designer should also be able to give you an overview of social bookmarking. The designer may not work with these tools with the client but should be able to point you in the right direction to learn how to bring traffic to your site. You now have enough core information to commission the building of a website. You know that you have the choice between a static or dynamic site with the dynamic site being the optimum choice for busy musicians with a lot of product to sell. When selecting a designer it is important to find one whose previous works are within your range of taste with respect to overall style and whose works fit within your budget. In addition you have enough information to ask your designer to be sure to optimize your site. The fun part now begins as you review the progress of your new site. We will cover the basics of how to create your own site in our next article. Fatu Judy Henderson is an Indie Musician and lay ethno-musicologist specializing in West African and Native American music and culture. She has traveled to Africa and across the United States to learn the music and dance forms of various African and American Indigenous cultures. Fatu conducts classes in African and Native music throughout the United States and has gained recognition for her expertise in these tightly niched music categories. Fatu is also the owner of Dragon Head Music and Productions; a company devoted to producing and promoting Inidie Artists as well as helping Indie Artists to learn to utilize internet marketing tools and strategies. Visit Fatu at her primary site at http://dragonheadmusic.com to view many of the strategies discussed in her articles.
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