Your social media may absolutely be enough. It’s possible that your entire fanbase can live on social media and never need to visit your website. But there is a reality where investors, partners, press, and deep fans will want to know more about you. Tour dates, merch, exclusive content can all live on your very own online destination that NO ONE can take away from you. Let’s talk through some of the major considerations when it comes to you having & maintaining your own website.
Businesses do Business with Businesses
We advise all artists to form an LLC for every business category they intend to enter into. Along with it being taxed and paid via an S-Corp, we suggest creating a business structure prior to entering into any contracts with entities like labels, merchandising partners, and certainly web designers.
Scheduled Content is King
Your web presence is critical. Whether it’s images of your latest jam session or footage of a clothing line launch, you’ll want to reinforce your brand with every mention. That said, social media can account for most of your web presence along with press releases or featured articles. However, at some point along your journey you will want to control of your messaging and schedule regular releases of content in your own experience. Having a website can open the door to less expensive online stores, reduced ticket hosting, and more. But a partially maintained website can hurt your brand. You’ll want to schedule content and keep a continued drip of content to your website.
Domain Control
Artists often fall victim to cybersquatters and end up having their domains acquired/registered by bad actors. After years of domain squatting you may finally be able to secure yourname.com and begin sending traffic to your own domain. Even if your goal is to route traffic to your social media or analytics landing pages you will want clear pointers to your intended destination. You’ll want to own your domain outright. Transfer the records to a domain registrar that you control as soon as you can.
Business Credit
What would you do with $100K? Well, often when a recording artist is offered an advance (against future royalties) with the most unfavorable terms. Terms often include riders, premium expenses, service mark-ups and worst of all… high interest. What if it was possible to receive capital for your tour or recording or merchandise operations? Well it is. It’s called business credit. Obtained through your own personal guaranteed terms at 0% for 18 months. You can conservatively secure $25K lines of credit from at least 4 banks on one Monday. All you need is to meet a few criteria and you could walk into those banks tomorrow and walk out with funding for your next project: Good credit, a properly structured LLC, and yes… a website.
Take Inventory
Throughout your journey as an artist you will accumulate articles, write-ups, junkets, interviews and so much more. Take some time with your publicist to scrape together your most notable content and add them to your own website in the form of links or sub headings. Continue to build your own content and release on a schedule you’re comfortable with. Also, your digital press kit should live with you. That way your always control the latest & greatness narrative.
Merch
If you intend to sell merch (and of course you’ve trademarked your logo) you’ll want to sell it on your own online platform. It’s important that sales originate from your own domain in order to accurately track conversions and interest. Your store may be powered by a true digital commerce engine but ensuring your sales are attributed correctly will make or break your future negotiation leverage.
Manager of Web Operations
Someone should be responsible for your website. Period. Uptimes. Downtimes. Email. Redirects. Renewals. Everything. You’ll want either an in-house specialist or a trusted partner to have access (not control) of your domain, web host and other networking considerations.
Attorney at Law
The truth is you may have to sue someone. Or file an injunction. Or direct a cease & desist. Your online presence will be again be critical to your fans and it must be protected at all costs. The last you want in the event of a web breach or trademark infringement is to THEN pay a premium to find law partner. It is in your best interest to have at least 3 types of lawyers at the ready: an entertainment lawyer; a criminal attorney; a tax attorney. Sourcing and deploying these resources at the last minute will be costly.