Why Most Band’s Web Sites Are A Complete Waste Of Time And Money

… And How To Make Sure Yours Isn’t One Of Them!

Over the last year or so I’ve looked at literally HUNDREDS of band websites in the search for good music for my internet radio station. And being a computer nut who builds websites, I spent countless hours surfing from site to site looking at many of them, digging under the hood to see what bands and musicians are REALLY doing with their web sites.

And let me tell you I learned a lot. And most of it is NOT good. But you know me… I am a positive kind of guy, so let’s start with…

The Good News

Based on my experience I can say this… MOST bands and musicians already have web sites of some kind, even if it’s only MySpace. This is definitely good news – in fact it’s downright critical, because statistics show that more and more people search online for information and music.

And trust me, that percentage is going to dramatically increase in the coming months and years. Since you are reading this, the odds are pretty darn good that you already have a web site. HOWEVER, if you don’t have a site up yet, then you NEED to realise this – your prospects are searching for information online. If you don’t have a web site, they aren’t going to find you – they are going to find YOUR COMPETITOR.

But like I said, the majority of bands and muso’s already have a web site up… that’s the good news.

Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends for the average band…

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Full list of sections in this chapter:

  • Bad News #1 – Too Much Flash

    You spend all this time and effort getting a website up only to make your poor readers wait 10 minutes while a flash animation loads up! Did you know you could be losing up to half your visitors right there? Most people simply won’t wait. They use the internet because they want information NOW, not [...]

  • Bad News #2 – Brochure site

    This is the opposite to the “too much flash” site. This one is just plain boring. Gone are the days when you could treat your website like a “brochure” for your band. These days it needs grab your visitors and make them want to return. It has to inform, entertain and engage your visitors.
    It’s not [...]

  • Bad News #3 – Out of sight, out of mind

    There is only one sure thing about your web site… without question, without fail, your web site visitors will eventually leave your site. They might leave after a few seconds or a few minutes, but they are going to leave. They will not stay there forever. And this is the deal: once they leave, they [...]

  • Bad News #4 – No follow up

    Let’s face it. We are all pretty bad with follow up. Marketing experts tell us that you must follow up with a prospect 5 to 7 times before they will take action and become a client. Of course, all that follow up is hard to do. We are all easily distracted by all of the [...]

  • Bad News #5 – Cobwebs. No updating

    Have you ever seen those sites that haven’t been updated in four years? Full of outdated material, outdated pictures, maybe even a copyright date that says “2001”? Nothing will drive people away faster than a site that looks like a ghost town… remember, your visitors don’t trust you… and they are looking for any validation [...]

  • Bad News #6 – You don’t know what’s working

    This one really gets me – some people are pouring literally THOUSANDS of dollars or hundreds of hours, or both, into their web sites… and they don’t have a clue whether they are working or not. Then one day they decide they need to make a change, and they spend hundreds or thousands more… and [...]

  • So what do you do about it?

    I think by now you are pretty clear on the system that you need. And if your current web site doesn’t address all those items above, you are pouring money down the drain. That big fat cheque you are writing for your web site isn’t making you money, it is COSTING you money. It isn’t [...]

  • Website Case Study – Smart Artists

    In the video below you will find a short case study on the website of a band by the name of Smart Artists. I would like to thank them for making their site available, it is very much appreciated.
    The video is available in two sizes depending on the speed of your internet connection. If the [...]