[Dixielandjazz] Web sites re-dux

[Nancy Giffin]

Recently, our beloved un-Rev. Tom Bob (Wiggins) brought up an important fact
about band Web sites: Bands can pay a lot for a Web site, yet be hard to
find on a Google search (or other search engine).

SAVING MONEY
Anyone can get "free" Web hosting with banner ads at a place like
freeservers.com, or even WITHOUT banners at a place like doteasy.com (just
Google search "free web hosting").
OR, if your ISP offers you free Web hosting with your e-mail account, you
can set up the way Steve has: http://home.earthlink.net/~barbonestreet/

STANDING OUT
To stand out on a search engine like Google, have your Web designer add
highly specific "key words" into the hidden source code of your home page.
For example, the Cell block 7 site has these keywords: "traditional jazz,
West Coast Revival, Lu Watters, Turk Murphy, Sacramento, Lodi, Dixieland
jazz." Then there's Butch Thompson, whose high-quality Web site I've praised
in the past, which has the keywords: "Butch Thompson, jazz pianist, Prairie
Home Companion, traditional jazz, New Orleans jazz, Butch Thompson Trio,
blues piano, traditional jazz piano, stride piano, vintage American music,
Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin, ragtime, early jazz, Fats Waller."

You can "buy your way" to the top of the search engine, or -- at no extra
cost -- use a combination of well-thought-out key words to get you as close
to the top as possible. Be intuitive: stop and think what key words your
audience might type into a Google search. Then, place those exact words in
the hidden "meta-tags" of your site encoding.

PROMOTING
Once you have your URL (W.orld W.ide W.eb address), preferably your band
name so folks remember it, you can put it on all promo material and CDs, and
then buy inexpensive, business-card-size ads to promote your name and URL in
jazz newspapers and jazz society newsletters. Your accurate and up-to-date
"promo package" can be on-line, saving you the high cost of paper, printing,
and mailing. 

DESIGNING
A few tips off the top of my head for your Web page design --

A simple, ONE-PAGE site should include, at the very least:
-- your best PHOTO, CONTACT info, and a short PARAGRAPH about you
  (Tell why you're special or unique; mention significant career highlights)

A LARGER SITE might want a SIMPLE home page with the "basics":
your best photo, a brief welcome, a news flash or important notice,
plus links to other pages that include:
-- CONTACT info: phone, e-mail, snail-mail
-- A current, accurate BIO,
    preferably in 3 versions: short, medium, and long (article-length)
    You can have just one long bio, but you're placing your entire image
    in the hands of an unknown editor who could hack it to death.
-- CD SALE info
-- PHOTO gallery with links to download of professional shots in two
formats:
   * high-resolution (350ppi TIFF or JPEG files) and
   * low-res. photos (150 ppi JPEG)
And if you tour a lot, add:
-- Recent PRESS RELEASES
-- Your performance SCHEDULE

Pick a "color palette" -- between two to four colors that reflect the band's
personality or uniforms, for example:
-- a neutral background color (or plain black or white)
-- a text color that contrasts the background for good legibility
-- a bright accent color for headlines
    (warm colors like red, orange, or yellow if bkgnd. is dark enough)

Plan carefully; keep it SIMPLE, basic, and well organized.
Strive for no more than "two clicks" to any important information.

Rambling now; sorry for the coffee fingers. I'll now spare the list by
welcoming anyone with questions to write me off-list. Don't forget to check
out Ron and Rosemary Gable's site for promoting jazz and jazz musicians:
http://www.jazzadvocate.com/

Love and hugs,
Nancy