21 dos and don’ts of band website design

A band website is a necessary tool to promote your music, build your following, and engage your fanbase. Your website acts as a one-stop shop for press, venues, or industry professionals that need your bio or want to book your band.

The list below includes everything you’ll need to either build a new band website, or give your current website a sharp update. 

Band website ‘DO’s:

1. Do have a website

If you want to come across as a serious musician, you need your own band website. It sets you up as a professional, while also making it easy to share music, advertise show dates, connect with fans, and sell your merch - all from one place! 

2. Do create consistent branding

If you have an active presence on social and streaming platforms, your website should carry this same branding. Your band website is the perfect place to create a narrative that suits your sound, and carry that through to fans.

3. Do use professional photos

It’s worth the time and effort to invest in professional images of your band. You will use them all over your website: from your homepage, to your Bio and Photos pages. Get a broad variety of photos, and use them in your press kit and blog posts as well. 

4. Do make use of white space 

When it comes to building a band website, content is key. But the space around your content - called whitespace - can be equally important. Adding breathing room around your text, images, events, and merch items will make your website easy to read, improving your user’s experience. Break content into sections, and adjust padding to incorporate more white space. This creates a modern look, and comfortable visual flow. .

5. Do use a clear call-to-action

Add a clear call-to-action that will motivate your visitors to take action on your website. You can change your call-to-action depending on your current goal, so be sure to define what it is you would like your fans to do; this could be to listen to a new release, watch a video, become a fan subscriber, or join your email list.  

6. Do build your email list

Email is the best way to reach your fans and create a longer-lasting relationship with them. Whether you set up an email sign-up form on your Home page, use a call-to-action in your header area, or create a landing page focussed on address collection, prioritize building your email list as a part of your website marketing efforts. You can also offer a free track or file in exchange for an email to encourage fans to sign up.

7. Do offer ways for fans to support you

Music fans are happy to support their favorite artists and are often seeking to do this when they head to your website. Offer options for diverse levels of support - from a tip jar, to merch items ranging in price, to offering your music at a pay-what-you want price. Offering many ways for fans to support you will help you to make money directly through your band website.

8. Do tell your story

When planning content for your band website, keep in mind that you’ll want to tell your story. This will create context for who you are, and help fans identify why they love your music. Add your band bio, and include imagery and text that reflects who you are as an artist throughout your site’s pages. 

9. Do optimize your website for Google

Making sure that your band website comes up right away when someone types your name into Google is important. Making those search results look great is the next step: optimize your website content so that you get an eye-catching band knowledge panel, with links for not only your official website, but your songs, social profile, and events as well.

10. Do include an EPK

An EPK, or Electronic Press Kit, is a page that includes the most essential parts of who you are as a band. This may be the only page an industry pro visits, so you’ll want to put your best music, videos, and photos here for easy access. Not sure what to include in your band EPK? This list will help: The 8 things that should be in every band’s digital press kit

11. Do keep mobile design in mind

Modern website design should always be mindful of the mobile user, and your band website  follows this trend. Choose a mobile-ready template, meaning it automatically adapts nicely to the screen size of any device on which it is viewed. Add concise content, so your site visitors aren’t endlessly scrolling to find what they need.

Create a modern, mobile-ready website that’s easy to update. Design your own band website with Bandzoogle today!

Band website ‘DON’T’s

12. Don’t use an Intro page

While an Intro page can help with a temporary promotion, it’s better to skip that and create a compelling Homepage with plenty of content for your fans to explore. If you’re looking to drive fans to a particular page with a focused marketing goal in mind, use a Landing page instead.

13. Don’t set music to auto-start

Instead of forcing your visitors to listen to a song as your website loads, set up Smart Links to share your music. If you offer choice and control to your fans, they’ll have a much better experience on your website. Many people become frustrated trying to close the browser tab wondering where sound is suddenly coming from - frustrating your site visitors is a big mistake.

14. Don’t make your band website hard to navigate

Create a menu that’s easy for first-time visitors to navigate. Use simple, familiar page links such as ‘Home,’ ‘Music,’ and ‘Press Kit,’ and use eight or fewer pages in your menu. If you need to add more pages to your website, consider using sub-pages to condense your menu and keep it clear.

15. Don’t use too many colors

If you’re unsure about how to design a band website, choose a template with a pre-selected color palette that suits your main image. If you’re creating a custom look, try to stick to 3 principal colors by drawing inspiration from your central image and branding. Choose a main color, a secondary color, and an accent color. Then take a look at your design overall to be sure the color scheme feels natural, rather than overwhelming.

16. Don’t choose an unclear font

Choosing the right font ties your website design together. There are a ton of font options out there. As a rule, use a maximum of three fonts. You can choose a fun, funky font for your logo - just be sure to use a clean, easy-to-read font for the  content text across your band website for balance and clarity.

17. Don’t clutter your pages

You’ve got a lot of content to share with your fans, from upcoming shows to new music and more. Be sure to keep each page focussed. Only add content relevant to the page title, and arrange it on the page to flow well and be easily read. Meandering pages that scroll too long cause a loss of interest - especially for mobile users.

18. Don’t add too many videos 

Videos are an important part of any band website. However, if you add too many videos, you run the risk of slowing down your website’s load time, which can deter visitors.

To make videos an effective medium on your website, add only your best ones. If you’ve got lots to choose from, use different videos on different pages. You can always rotate videos to help keep your content fresh for your fans.

19. ​​Don’t use a random Donate button

It might be tempting to embed a Donate button on your website and hope that your fans find it while feeling generous. However, you'll have a better chance of engaging people and generating passive income using something more descriptive, and adding value. This could be a Tip Jar with notes on how you’ll use funds for your next album. Or you could try selling music and allowing fans to pay what they want, to increase download sales.

20. Don’t forget to add contact info

Many people who reach your website will want to learn more about your band. Add a dedicated contact page with details on how to get in touch, to be sure you (or your team) can be easily reached. You could also add contact information, including social media links, to a footer across all your band website pages.

21. Don’t let your website get stale

Once you've completed your band website design, be sure to update it often. Whether you’re offering regular content via fan subscriptions, or want to direct your fans attention to a new release or blog post, add ‘update website’ to your promotion checklist. This ensures you’re making the most of the direct-to-fan tools available to you, and benefits your site’s ranking in search engine results.

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A well-designed band website will give your fans the best possible impression of your music. We hope these tips help you to make the most of yours!