New website(s) in progress - any thoughts, tips, or advice

[fusilierb]

I just finished almost finalizing the music page. I have some more to upload, but it's fleshed out now. I was thinking about figuring out a way to build an automated licensing system into the music page. I know I can't mention specific other companies here, but I've had a decent amount of success on a site that sounds a lot like audiofarts. They have a complete shopping cart kind of licensing site that I'd like to try to duplicate. Has anyone tried to build a licensing type app that can plug into a website?

It's seem fairly straight forward, although pretty complicated. You basically have to have a licensing contract built and filled in based on user input that covers multiple licensing scenarios, ie film for broadcast, tv spot, underscore or featured without voice over, time used in broadcast, etc. And all these various types of scenarios generate different pricing models for the licesne. I've checked into a bunch of these contracts and they seem like you can cookie cutter them and then funnel people into a pre-filled license based off of form inputs.

I could obviously just point each piece back to (audiofarts.com) but they take a decent chunk of the money that is made. Although admittedly, they do a lot of work for you up front. But I'm interested in building a direct licensing type thing into the website itself that I can control all by myself.

Maybe the work isn't worth the effort. Any thoughts or ideas? Anyone doing anything like this?

B

[Casey H]

Hi Bryan
One thing to think about is who your most important target audience is and how what impression you want your website to give them. Shallow Bog is nicely done. The thing that struck me is the focus on direct licensing to film/TV supervisors, video game companies, etc. With these folks so saturated with material from every which way and up, is it realistic to expect you'll direct license from your site? What would make them visit? And music libraries provide a large percentage of the music. Would you be inviting music library folks to visit? They could be put off or confused by you sounding like a production library yourself, trying to direct license the same music you are pitching them.

My reaction this morning with only one cuppa coffee in me is you have your websites backwards. The one with your name should be very much like Shallow Bog but about you as a composer showing your work and ability to do custom projects. It is the place to bring people to see, “Who is Bryan Fusilier and what is his music like? Worry about direct licensing much further down the road when you've built up reputation and a lot of solid credits.

The discussion website might be better without your name as the title. It is not uncommon for people to whom we pitch to Google us. You want your name to bring up the most professional composer site. I know this one is a work in process, but it might come off more amateurish. Although it would come up in searches if it had your name anyway, I’m not sure you want it to be “yourname.com”.

Looking at Shallow Bog (minor stuff), you might want to clean up short choppy sentences on all the pages.

For example (not exact), FROM:

Shallow Bog Productions creates unique music for Film, Television, Video Games and the Internet. We love creating music, all types of music. We especially love Horror and Suspense, but everything here is not so drab and dreary. What we really love is good drama. And we are interested in working with like minded people. Take a look around to see what we do and, if you feel that we can do something interesting together, by all means let’s talk about it. We’d love to help you bring your vision to life.

TO:

Shallow Bog Productions creates unique music for Film, Television, Video Games and the Internet. We love creating all types of music especially Horror and Suspense, but everything here is not so drab and dreary. What we really love is good drama and we are interested in working with like minded people. Take a look around to see what we do and, if you feel that we can do something interesting together, by all means let’s talk about it. We’d love to help you bring your vision to life.

Those suggestions were independent of actual content.

Post-edit: I’m not a big fan of being too genre specific up-front on your website. Do you only do Horror & Suspense and dramatic pieces? If that’s so, then it’s OK. But if there’s more, you don’t want a visitor looking for someone else to leave immediately, thinking you can’t deliver what they are looking for.

Just some thoughts…

Casey

[fusilierb]

Hi Bryan
One thing to think about is who your most important target audience is and how what impression you want your website to give them. Shallow Bog is nicely done. The thing that struck me is the focus on direct licensing to film/TV supervisors, video game companies, etc. With these folks so saturated with material from every which way and up, is it realistic to expect you'll direct license from your site? What would make them visit? And music libraries provide a large percentage of the music. Would you be inviting music library folks to visit? They could be put off or confused by you sounding like a production library yourself, trying to direct license the same music you are pitching them.

My reaction this morning with only one cuppa coffee in me is you have your websites backwards. The one with your name should be very much like Shallow Bog but about you as a composer showing your work and ability to do custom projects. It is the place to bring people to see, “Who is Bryan Fusilier and what is his music like? Worry about direct licensing much further down the road when you've built up reputation and a lot of solid credits.

The discussion website might be better without your name as the title. It is not uncommon for people to whom we pitch to Google us. You want your name to bring up the most professional composer site. I know this one is a work in process, but it might come off more amateurish. Although it would come up in searches if it had your name anyway, I’m not sure you want it to be “yourname.com”.

Looking at Shallow Bog (minor stuff), you might want to clean up short choppy sentences on all the pages.

For example (not exact), FROM:

Shallow Bog Productions creates unique music for Film, Television, Video Games and the Internet. We love creating music, all types of music. We especially love Horror and Suspense, but everything here is not so drab and dreary. What we really love is good drama. And we are interested in working with like minded people. Take a look around to see what we do and, if you feel that we can do something interesting together, by all means let’s talk about it. We’d love to help you bring your vision to life.

TO:

Shallow Bog Productions creates unique music for Film, Television, Video Games and the Internet. We love creating all types of music especially Horror and Suspense, but everything here is not so drab and dreary. What we really love is good drama and we are interested in working with like minded people. Take a look around to see what we do and, if you feel that we can do something interesting together, by all means let’s talk about it. We’d love to help you bring your vision to life.

Those suggestions were independent of actual content.

Post-edit: I’m not a big fan of being too genre specific up-front on your website. Do you only do Horror & Suspense and dramatic pieces? If that’s so, then it’s OK. But if there’s more, you don’t want a visitor looking for someone else to leave immediately, thinking you can’t deliver what they are looking for.

Just some thoughts…

Casey

Thanks Casey. All good points!

Shallow Bog is not going to be given out to production libraries or folks like that. It's really for local producers here in town who I've been meeting and I want a Production Company "look and feel" to the site that I send them to. So it's only for people I directly meet and a place to send "end user's" to. I'm actually not expecting much action to come from either of the two sites. But I need a business card site. I'm also talking with some other local people who do different styles than I do about sort of banding together, which is why I don't want it to just be my name as the web site. I want it to look like a production company, because if my long term plan works out, it will be.

The Bryanfusilier.com site is really more for me. It's got my music on it and people will find it via my name, but I'm more interested in using it for other things, like teaching and exchanging info. I can see how it might be perceived as more amateurish? I hope not and will keep that in mind. But I'm really not expecting much of any real production library work to come from these web sites. It just doesn't seem like those folks would ever go searching the web for new talent. They seem to have people feeding them new artist's via things like Taxi and other connections.

I'll check all the text closely.

Thanks Casey!
B

[coachdebra]

OK - some feedback on the bog site.

I recommend strongly AGAINST having a contact link go directly to your email address - it's too searchable by spam bots. I recommend using a contact form - you can see the contact page on my website for an example. if you're building on wordpress there are a few plugins that do this easily. I use contact form 7, but it's not the only one out there. If you're building on html, I bet you can find the code already set up, by googling contact form html code!

I understand that your bog site is primarily a brochure site - here we are and here's what we do. But I still strongly recommend that you find some way to collect emails from your visitors. Otherwise, you lose them when they leave the site. Whether it's just a straight up - "Stay in touch" and a place for them to submit their email, or you offer something free in exchange. The free could be a white paper for new filmmakers about working with a composer (e.g. - the top 5 mistakes new filmmakers make...) or a free ringtone. Whatever.

I think it's critical.

And then you need to send out a newsletter at least once a month. Content could be news about placements, or welcoming new composers to the fold and inviting your readers to check it out. It doesn't need to be a lot or fancy - just connect.

[fusilierb]

OK - some feedback on the bog site.

I recommend strongly AGAINST having a contact link go directly to your email address - it's too searchable by spam bots. I recommend using a contact form - you can see the contact page on my website for an example. if you're building on wordpress there are a few plugins that do this easily. I use contact form 7, but it's not the only one out there. If you're building on html, I bet you can find the code already set up, by googling contact form html code!

I understand that your bog site is primarily a brochure site - here we are and here's what we do. But I still strongly recommend that you find some way to collect emails from your visitors. Otherwise, you lose them when they leave the site. Whether it's just a straight up - "Stay in touch" and a place for them to submit their email, or you offer something free in exchange. The free could be a white paper for new filmmakers about working with a composer (e.g. - the top 5 mistakes new filmmakers make...) or a free ringtone. Whatever.

I think it's critical.

And then you need to send out a newsletter at least once a month. Content could be news about placements, or welcoming new composers to the fold and inviting your readers to check it out. It doesn't need to be a lot or fancy - just connect.

Good point about the email and spam. It's all wordpress. I just found the plugin you use and installed it. Thanks!

I setup ShallowBog as a label on Reverb Nation a long time ago, so I went and grabbed their email list widget and put it at the bottom of each page. Another good call.
Thanks Coach!
B

[coachdebra]

Pleasure!