The 6 Most Common Music Website Design Mistakes
- 20somethingmedia
- Nov 30, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 17, 2024
C.J. Chilvers may not be a website designer per se, but during the course of running www.musicjournalist.com he’s seen plenty of music-related websites – online ‘zines, music news sources, artist sites and more. This in-depth exposure to music-themed internet real estate has given him some strong opinions on music website design – the good, the bad and the ugly.
“I’ve spent countless hours staring at poorly designed sites searching for their vitals: What is this site about? Who do I contact? And more. Over the past few years I’ve gotten to know these design mistakes quite well,” Chilvers says.
Key point: “Many people say that design is an art and is therefore subjective,” he continues. “However, web design includes information architecture, copywriting, customer service, and a host of other elements that can be objectively studied. Mistakes in web design are, for the most part, obstacles placed between the visitor and the content they’re seeking. With music-related sites, that content can be anything from articles and photos to calendars and streaming media.”
Throughout the following questions and answers, Chilvers describes the most common mistakes he encounters – mistakes that he says frustrate users and mar otherwise interesting music websites.
What’s the #1 problem with music website design?
Lack of clarity and purpose. It seems as though many music sites exist for no particular reason; they just exist. The authors assume that we already know why they exist and why it’s important to visit regularly. There may be news about obscure bands, but no mention of what kind of music the site covers. There may be information about the “local scene” without a mention of what city that scene is located in. Assume nothing of your visitors. Make your reason for being online clear.
What do you think of Macromedia Flash intros?
Few subjects cause the kind of heated arguments that Flash consistently does. Supporters insist that they refuse to cater to the lowest common denominator; that Flash is just another form of expression. Fine. But who is your target audience? Most likely it’s not other web designers, so getting their approval isn’t important. Getting the approval of your visitors and fans is important.
Popular band sites, for example, have visitors that return several times a week. To have to wade through Flash intros and splash pages every visit is frustrating and annoying, especially for visitors who may have slower, dial-up connections. Flash can be used for good but rarely is. You should never add a design element to your site just to show that you can.
Can web page background colours be a problem?
Yes, especially multi-coloured backgrounds. The two most important factors to consider when presenting your written content are readability and printability. Both are killed easily by bad backgrounds. Readability is enhanced by contrast. It’s much easier to read black text on a white background than pink text on a green background. Also, using a patterned background is always guaranteed to confuse a reader.
By far the most common background mistake in music sites, though, is the use of a black background. Such a mistake is partially redeemable by using white text for high contrast. However, if you believe your content is valuable enough for visitors to print, you should stick to black or dark-coloured text on a white background.
What about feedback forms and contact information?
The best way to make your site totally impersonal is to use feedback forms. Though mostly used on big sites, like Spin and Q, smaller sites are also frequent abusers of the form. What’s wrong with forms? They make things easier for the webmaster, and that’s part of the problem. You should be worried about making things easier for the visitor, not yourself. Instead of using forms, just supply your email address.
In addition to providing a contact name, title and email address, be sure to make your contact information perfectly clear. This may be the most common problem I’ve encountered on music sites – no clue on who to contact.
How will you know what your visitors want if you don’t provide contact information? How will you know about problems with your site, like typos, errors and technical problems? What if parts of your site aren’t viewable on your visitor’s browsers?
Contact information should be up front and complete. What you are saying by not providing this information is, “I don’t want to be troubled by my visitors.” Unless you’re ashamed of your content, you should never hesitate to offer your contact info.
How important is it to update a music site?
That’s the first I look for at a site. You’d be surprised how many online ‘zines haven’t been touched in more than a year. You may think you’re reading an interview with the Deftones about their latest album, but you’re actually reading an interview about an album they released years ago.
Check the copyright date at music news sites. If the site’s copyright says 2003, it’s probably a dead e-zine that’s never been deleted by the owner.
You want to hear something really sad? Some music sites offer news without dates. Here’s a tip: it’s only “news” if it’s new. Make sure your visitors know how new your news is. It’ll give them a reason to keep coming back.
Any final tips on user-friendly music sites?
This last one is more about attitude. It’s very common for a site to announce arrogantly, “Best if viewed with IE 6.0+ at 1024 x 768.” Your site is best viewed in whatever way your visitors feel like viewing it. Making demands on the way your visitors view your site is like McDonald’s making demands on the way customers eat Big Macs. Be happy that they’re showing up! Give them a reason to keep showing up.
Web design is a multi-faceted topic. We’ve only scratched the surface with this short chapter. Here are several online resources to help you register, host, design and operate successful website:
To register a domain name…
Go Daddy
DirectNic
For website hosting…
Host Baby
Music Biz Website Pro
Web Hosting Directory
For web design tips and tools…
Website Tips
How to build websites
Web Pages That Suck
To find a web designer…
Music Web Designer Database
Guerrilla Music Marketing Activity Worksheets
What are your top five skills (musical and otherwise)?
What aspects of your music career really drive you?
List some of your past or current successes:
List past failures and, most importantly, what you learned from them:
Write down your top five long-term goals:
List your top five short-term goals:
What music career obstacles might you face – and how will you deal with them if they arise?
List the most important people, organisations and information sources that will help you achieve your goals:
Describe – in detail – your ideal fan:
What truly motivates your fans – what’s the benefit to them?
Write a Brand Identity Statement (BIS) of 15 words or less to describe your music and identity:
Make a list of websites, blogs and podcasts suited to your music:
What online music promotion tactics would work best for you?
What website design elements would be ideal to promote your unique style of music?
List three simple ways you can…
Create awareness:
Make connection with fans
Ask for the sale:
Be discovered by fans:
Co-create with your fans:
Find niche media sources online:
What keyword do your fans use to find music like yours online?
How can you best use Facebook and other social media sites?
What types of video content can you easily create and post online?
List 10 things you can do this week to move toward your music goals:
More music marketing wisdom from Taglieri
“Everything in life basically works on the same principal: customer service. You have to treat everyone you come in contact with as a customer,” he says. “You want to be treated well for the things you do, and so do the writers, bloggers and podcasters who run the sites we all beg and expect reviews from. Give them every courtesy you can.”
Taglieri also sends everyone who gives him exposure a thank-you email telling them how much he appreciates any reviews he gets, good or bad. “This may seem silly, but I can’t stress how important it is. Many people email me back saying how much they appreciated it. Their common complaint is that artists take them for granted, and once they get the review, they never hear from the artist again, except when they need something else.”
Lesson: Music promotion on or off the internet is a two-way street. If all you ever do is ask for something from your music biz connections, eventually they may stop giving. Ask yourself what you can do for the people who help you. Perhaps it’s giving their blog a plug in your newsletter or adding their site to your links page. Maybe you can even pass along a note about a helpful website or news story you’ve run across.
“I make it a point every month or so to send a hello email to everyone who’s ever reviewed me,” Taglieri adds. “This serves two purposes. First, it lets them know I’m thinking about them and stopping by their sites, which I do. I can never forget those who have done things for me because I see their names every time I look at my press kit. Second, it keeps you in their minds, which can lead to more promotion.
Staying connected to people who can help you
Even if you’re sold on the idea of keeping in touch, it’s easy to get sidetracked. If you’re a forgetful type, use a free service to send you an email reminder message at certain intervals. Two services to consider are:
Memo to Me
eMinders
Also, to keep track of the growing number of contacts in your music database, you’ll need to store this information somewhere. You should use some type of contact management software, which allows you to enter details into separate fields such as website name, URL, contact name, email, description of the site, etc. Here are a few applications to consider:
ACT
FileMaker
MyMailList
.
after several months of steady web exposure, Taglieri started getting more requests for online interviews and feature stories. He also began winning website awards and being listed on some sites’ “best” lists.
“Recognition like that enhances your exposure because now you are front page news on music websites, instead of just a listing in their databases,” Taglieri says. “What it also did was create a buzz for sales. My website started getting a lot more hits and sales picked up dramatically.”
Taglieri eventually embarked on a self-booked, 23-city tour. He got press in 14 of the 23 cities and sold more than 400 CDs by the time the tour came to an end.
“With my name on many websites and magazines, I was beginning to get approached by small indie labels both in the U.S. and Europe. That’s the beauty of the internet. The world is as close as right next door. There are very few barriers.”
In more recent years, he quit that former day job and toured the U.S., sharing stages with acts such as Edwin McCain, Sister Hazel, the Gin Blossoms, Gavin DeGraw, Michael Tolcher, Brian Vander Ark, VACO, Rik Emmett, and more.
Taglieri started his own indie label, Leap Dog Music, and landed sponsorships with Ovation Guitars, Curt Mangan Strings, and Marshall Amplifiers. “I have a great manager, a great lawyer, an awesome PR team, and a killer band. I’ve worked hard to do everything I could to put together this team that will take my career to the next level.”
What is success worth to you?
“It all comes down to one thing: How bad do you want it and how much are you willing to sacrifice for it? I gave up going out and partying, having a big social life, and many other things because it was far more important for me to be working on making a name for myself and getting my career off the ground. You can’t be afraid of promotion and you can’t be afraid of trying. The only thing I lost was a few hangovers, and in my book, that’s not such a bad thing.”
Insight: Taglieri believes that anyone who goes after his or her dream and lets nothing get in the way should be proud, even if he or she doesn’t ultimately reach the highest pinnacle of success. At least you gave it your all.
“Awards, accolades, great press, interviews, sponsorships, record deals – it’s all out there for the taking,” he adds. “You just have to learn how to go after things. Nothing is handed to you, and when it is, it generally won’t last. But if you work for it and do it right, success will last. And it will mean so much more because you’ll know you put your heart and soul into it.” To find out more about John Taglieri and his music, visit his website at www.johntaglieri.com
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