The Importance of… A Good Website
The collegiate a cappella world is one of great complexity. Amidst all that there is to take in, The Importance Of… highlights what is truly important, and elements of a cappella that may otherwise be overlooked.
Today's post marks the end of The ACB's 2009 publication season. We will continue to post news updates throughout the off-season, and will return to our regular posting schedule in January 2010.
In wrapping up this season, we would like to thank all of our 2009 contributors... Callum Au, Alexandra Bancroft, Ben Bram, Genevieve Chawluk, Nancy Cheng, Jill Clark, Chris Diaz, Robert Dietz, Dave Grossman, Bill Hare, Michael Marcus, Amanda Newman, Wayne Scheck, Eric Talley and Hanna Winkler.
We would also like to thank you, the readers, for visiting our site.
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This week, we look at the importance of… a good website
In this day and age, everybody’s got a website. Businesses use them to sell products. Colleges use them to serve their student bodies, as well as recruit students of the future. Individuals have their blogs. And then there are a cappella groups. Just about every group I know of has a website. The quality of these pages and the purposes they serve, however, can vary a great deal.
One of the primary functions of an a cappella group’s website should be to network. Having a website allows you to spread the word of what you’re about to the rest of the college community, as well as to the community outside of your school. A website lets people know you exist, lets them know what you’re about, and lets them know how to reach you. Along similar lines, a website can be a great recruiting tool, both for potential members and potential fans. Whereas someone may not be able to make your show, or may be too timid to ask about more information about your group, your site puts the information out there for mass consumption.
Strong websites have a number of facets. A good site will include the history of your group. How long have you been around? What has the group accomplished (in the community? in competition? on tour?)? Member profiles also go a long way toward giving a fuller picture of your group, giving members some personal space to speak for themselves, and lending visitors a sense of the group’s personality.
The most important aspects of a site are those that are interactive. An a cappella group’s website should include information about upcoming shows, as well as any recordings the group might have out there. Media clips can bolster this further, but the bottom line is that the page should help lead visitors toward the opportunity to enjoy your group’s music. In conjunction with telling people how to check out your group’s sound, contact information is vital getting your group booked for shows, and for helping connect a group to its fans.
In an era when there is a website for every individual and everything, it’s absolutely essential for a group to have a strong website, with which to promote itself, network, and connect with fans.