As the Internet has grown from a little-known bastion of technophiles to a trendy novelty to an everyday communications tool, an effective website may soon become a necessity for a classical singer at any stage of a career. While classical musicians are still generally shy about using the web, it may prove to be one of their most useful business tools and the first place people will go to find information about them.
Creating a website can invoke the same self-doubt and anxiety often felt in anticipation of a performance. In the case of a website, you’re exposing yourself to a global audience! But with skilled and thoughtful design, your website can represent you in a meaningful and market-savvy way, and also be fun and a source of pride.
A classical singer at the beginning of a career most likely does not need the full-featured website (there are those lucky exceptions) of an established artist or organization. But for a singer just starting out in a career, a striking one-page virtual business card will create a distinguishing presence. Beginning with online contact information and an e-mail link, the site can gradually be expanded into a useful electronic press kit and promotional tool. Adding and updating audio samples could land an audition or even a job as an opera company frantically searches for a last-minute replacement for an ailing singer.
Only within the past couple of years have we begun to see many professionally designed websites for established opera stars. These sites are usually part of an overall marketing program provided by a PR agency; the singer’s management will typically include a link from the brief artist’s bio on the company’s website to the “official” site of the individual artist. Overseen by professional marketing firms, these websites provide useful examples of ways in which the web may be used to build an audience. In addition to providing an online press kit, they include the singer’s itinerary, announcements of recent news and events, photo galleries, articles, interviews, music links, contact forms, a guestbook or online journal, and the singer’s discography with links for purchasing CDs online.
For a singing teacher, a website could provide a multi-media showcase of their career and professional accomplishments, with photo galleries, reviews, audio and video clips from performances, and favorable reviews from students and colleagues. Imagine a student looking for a teacher in your area or school, going onto the Internet, finding your name, and having an online virtual studio to visit. In addition, your site can provide an ongoing resource for your students including useful links, a class syllabus, lectures, or assignments. A password-protected page could allow current students to sign up for lesson slots or exchange times with other students.
It’s widely predicted that in the not-too-distant future, broadband Internet access will become the norm, and with it more streaming video and audio on websites. The technology is advancing so rapidly that teachers may now seriously consider adding video clips of their lessons and masterclasses to their websites.
(Note: Intellectual copyright is being redefined for the digital world of information technology. It is imperative that all content on your site—graphics, text, audio and video—comply with copyright laws. Credit all photographs, make sure you get usage rights for graphics, and purchase the required licenses for music used on your site. Even your demo CD will soon need the required licenses.)
Like advertising copy, writing for the web requires its own special skills; people skim when they read on the web and therefore the writing needs to be more casual than in print. If budget allows, you might benefit from hiring a copywriter. It is essential that your site is proofread carefully—by you and possibly one or two other people—since misspellings and poor grammar give a negative impression. I’ve too often seen wonderful design projects ruined in the end by a glaring misspelling of a single word, overlooked in the process of meeting design and production deadlines. (Similarly, a website must be carefully checked for broken links, audio files prepared for outdated plug-ins, and cumbersome graphics that take too long to download.)
Once your site is officially launched and you’re online, you need to keep it fresh and add new information periodically to encourage return visits. Developing a mailing list for simple e-mail announcements of recent updates is a great way to keep in touch with friends and colleagues in the business. This is important to keep in mind during the initial stages of design: choosing to forego some of the “cool” features found on flashier sites can make it easier to update the site quickly, and can save you money.
It is also wise to use traditional means to advertise your website. Add your URL, or web address, to your print and marketing materials such as business cards, promotional brochures and postcards, media kits, résumé, demo CD, and e-mail signature. . It’s also important to plan to use reciprocal links from other sites—currently getting others to list your website on their site is one of the most effective ways of getting your site rated in search engine listings.
What goes into creating a compelling website? Web design is a complex alchemy of art and technology. While striking visual design should be the first thing that impacts the visitor to your site, finding content on your site should be easy, fun, possibly intriguing or even delightful. Information design is the secret to a compelling website. As with an audition or demo CD, you have only five to ten seconds to make a good first impression. A visitor will be quickly frustrated by poor visualPoor visual will quickly frustrate a visitor and technical design, will leave and, chances are, never return.
One typical mistake individual artists or small businesses often make is to design their first website themselves or have a relative or friend who is “good with computers” do it for free. This may be a fun way to post pictures of your cat for friends and family, but if your site looks unprofessional it will be useless to you—in fact, it will be a liability. A website reveals who you are personally, artistically and professionally, and you want to make a positive impression. As a friend who writes about the arts recently said to me, “Most people can see, but not everyone can hear.” Think about how beautiful set design enhances the power of music. Your website is a creative expression of you and what you do, and you want to look great. Hire a professional designer who understands your business. Beware of cookie-cutter deals. Budget for a custom-designed site.
Designers are often found through referrals from colleagues and friends. You can also search the Internet for websites that impress you and then find out who designed them. Contact local design studios in your area; ask for quotes and referrals for designers who build sites for individual artists with smaller budgets. If you don’t find talent locally, look on the web where an exciting community of designers is doing wonderful innovative work. In the virtual world of the Internet, you can work with a designer in another city; designers themselves are now collaborating from different countries on projects. Work can all be reviewed online and discussed through e-mail or over the phone. Even after an initial meeting in person, much of a project can proceed online.
When you meet with a designer, be as prepared as possible. Spend time beforehand looking through art books and magazines for examples of designs you like, as you would if you were hiring an architect or interior designer. Think about color and style, and have a list of URLs of sites you like. Start to organize your content. Come prepared to ask and to answer questions. What features does your site require for the stage you are in your career, and what solutions fall within your budget? Will you need other marketing materials such as stationery, business cards, or a logo design? Do you want create a personal and unique look that will carry over from print to web?
Designers are problem solvers. A good designer listens for words that provide the key to a design that expresses your image. They will help you define the purpose of your website and the audience you want to target. Be prepared for the designer to suggest alternatives that are known to be effective in achieving the specific goals you list.
Expect your designer to write up a formal proposal describing the overall scope of the project, including what is and is not included in the contract; this should be signed and will serve as an important reference throughout the project. A production schedule with clearly defined deadlines is also important.
Start to get a sense of what good design entails: a good client is an educated client. This is why designers usually don’t quote prices until they meet with you, see your materials, and talk with you. The cost of your website could range from coffee at Starbuck’s to $10,000. There are companies that specialize in inexpensive and fast turnaround; just be sure to view samples of the work to see what you’re getting into. For a custom-designed website, a singer should expect to pay within an average range of $2000-$5000. Flash animation, slide shows, dynamic content, custom graphics—these are some of the features and components that add to the cost, as does the amount of material, or content, you want on your site. For a budget under $500, a beautifully designed one-page business card with several audio samples, contact information and an e-mail link could then be expanded into a small web presence for under $2000. On the other hand, for an established singer—whose website is a major promotional tool used to build an audience, sell CDs, and market their career—the cost could well exceed $5000.
Remember, you can always start modestly and build your site gradually. Less can be more in design as well as in singing. A website is a growing organism. What’s important is to begin to establish a positive web presence. Your website will prove to be one of the best investments you can make for your career and for yourself. In a time of serious changes in our business, this is something you can do to connect your art and your work with the public and the marketplace. Once you begin, your designer will guide you through the baffling technology, hard work and exhilarating magic of building your website.
