Episode 36: Do I Really Need a Website?

This week, Karen discusses everything you need to know about having a website. It’s easy to think that  technology these days has made websites obsolete. With the many people on most social media platforms, and with the majority of web browsing taking place on mobile devices, it can seem pretty pointless to design, pay for, and maintain your own personal site, in addition to everything else going on in our lives. Here’s why a website can be important for young professionals. 

In any career field, including music,  your website is basically your business card to the world. It’s a central digital location where anyone can learn about you and get in contact if needed. They can gain an in depth perception of you without having to dig through your facebook or instagram and have a clear and easy way to reach out to you. Websites can also function in a full circle action, allowing anyone viewing your website to also have access to all of your other online presences. 

How much does it cost?

Having a website can cost anything from free to thousands of dollars depending on a number of factors. The first thing you will need is a domain name. You domain is your website’s address and how people will find you. This can be personalized but will probably look something like www.yourname.com. A domain usually costs between $10-$20 a year. On SquareSpace, you receive a free domain for a year with the purchase of a hosting plan. 

Speaking of Square Space the next thing you need to do is find a hosting site. There are many options out there but if you’re looking for something user friendly that you will easily be able to edit and maintain, SquareSpace or Wix are going to be your best bet. These run about $150 a year and can also be paid monthly. 

Another cost determining factor is dependent on whether you design and create your own website or if you hire someone to do it for you. Sites like SquareSpace have countless tutorials and explanations for their templates making the process extremely easy to learn and even master.  If you decide to hire someone, this usually runs anywhere from $300 to a couple thousand depending on how complex you want your website to be. Karen personally usually goes this route and has her websites built by an outside source. 

Content

The next step is content. You don’t necessarily need to have the most complicated or fancy page design if you have good content. High quality photos on your website makes all the difference in the world and can truly transform the page itself. A

• Listener Write in: https://www.musiciansguidepodcast.com/about
• Patreon- Come Hang out: https://patreon.com/user?u=66581011&utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
• The Musician's Guide to Social Media Courses: https://www.musiciansguidepodcast.com/courses
• Leave us a Review on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-musicians-guide-to-being-healthy-wealthy-and-wise/id1440699268
• Karen Cubides Agency: https://karencubidesagency.com
• Karen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen.cubides/
• Jen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjames.co/