Why and How to Build an Artist Website?

The first rule of making it big in the digital sphere is to consider yourself as a brand and this is especially true for artists and musicians. Whether you are an aspiring artist or someone who is looking for more recognition in the industry, you need to spend as much time promoting yourself and building a brand in the digital space as you spend on making quality music. The first step of creating a brand on the internet is building an artist's website.

As an artist, you need to have a website where you can showcase your previous work as well as promote your upcoming music. Art is so much more than creating something aesthetically pleasing, it is about connecting with people. Having a website gives artists the medium to intentionally connect with their listeners and fans, and keep them updated. Let's get into more detail and learn why having a website as an artist is so crucial.

➢     A website is more permanent than social media

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook are great platforms to promote yourself along with your music. However, all these platforms are there with no guarantee, one might be the most popular today, but not tomorrow. In this case, a website is more permanent for the artist's brand. Your website is subjected to low organic reach, or subjected to changes in algorithms. You can direct anyone at any time toward your website, and it will be there, being visible all the time. In addition to this, not everyone who is a fan of your music is on social media platforms. So, having a website will keep these fans updated with your discography.

Also Read: How Music Websites Can Help Music Artists in 2024?

➢     Own the complete experience

A music website is something that you create yourself. Naturally, you are in full control of the building and development process. It is a place which has everything about you. Starting from your music, you as an artist, your vision, and everything else. This makes it easy for artists to promote their music and at the same time, it makes it easier for others to understand who you are as a musician. You can even go as far as creating an artist brand with the design and aesthetic of the website.

➢     Sell merch and music to fans

Over the recent years, people have turned to online shopping more and they can get absolutely anything and everything nowadays. Now, it is time to sell goodies and music merch to your fans and listeners. It is a way for your audience to show support for their favorite artists. When you start to build a fan base, start to add merch on your website as it is the most secure place they can get their hands on your products.

➢     Organic SEO

When you have your own musician website, you can add pages and mention the names of your latest music. You can also choose a custom domain based on your band or artist name. Google will start matching keywords to these names as a result. So, having a website also brings organic SEO to musicians in the digital space.

Creating an artist's website is a must. It brings you rich and organic SEO and gives your artist brand a unique identity. But how do you exactly build an artist's website? Let's figure that out.

To create a professional-looking artist website, you can either build it yourself, if you know how to build one. Otherwise, you can work with a reputed design and development company to make your vision a reality. Here are the 4 essential steps you need to complete.

Step 1: Choose a domain name

The first step is to select a domain name that will be your identity in the digital space. The first thing that people will notice about your website is its domain name. A domain name acts as your brand's virtual address while establishing credibility on your website. To start with this, you can search on the internet for ideas, just remember to keep it memorable and absolutely avoid numbering in the name. As a domain name extension, you can go for.com, and avoid using .gov, .info, or .edu, which are created for a specific purpose.

Step 2:  Choose a website builder

Now that you have selected a domain name, the next step is to choose a website builder. If you know how to build a website you can do it yourself, but if you don't, learning how to build one when your focus should be on making quality music would be a waste of time. Instead, search on the internet for a website design and development company that offers exciting and relevant services. However, make sure they are asking for an affordable cost. Whatever website builder you go with, make sure they provide customization, help you with SEO, and prioritize customers above all.

Step 3: Create the website

After selecting your website builder, it is time to create the actual website for your artist brand. The website should showcase all your musical productions, and have all your albums and singles listed out. Additionally, the website should also have links to your social media platforms along with a 'Contact Us' form. Your visitors will not always browse through the internet or purposefully search for your name until they feel like they need it. This is why you need social media links on the website, along with the links to the streaming services. This is the opportunity for the visitors to stay connected to you.

Step 4: Include the necessary information

Apart from your musical work and social media platform, there is some other relevant information that should absolutely not be missed from your website. These include high-quality images of you and the album artwork. The quality of your images on the website affects its SEO, so make sure they are of high resolution. According to research, visitors prefer those artists who have good quality visuals on their website as it increases credibility. Additionally, you should also leave contact information. Remember, your visitors are not just your listeners or fans, they are also record labels, and show organizers who might be interested in singing you or booking you for a show. You don't want them to not find anything to contact you at!

Having an artist's website is necessary to build a brand in this digital space. Having a strong digital presence is highly linked to the growth of artists in the music industry. So, it is time to focus on making you a brand along with producing quality music!