Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor

We can talk about the elements of a good music artist web site all day long, but the best way to really "get it" is to actually visit kick-butt music sites and see them in action. One indie artist who is kicking some major butt in the web design and clarity department is Scott Andrew. Pay a visit to www.scottandrew.com and see what I mean.

What I Like About Scott's Web Site:

He has a "branded" domain name. He isn't sending people to a GeoCities or MySpace web page. He was smart and registered his artist name. Luckily, it was available as a .com.

Scott is clear about the kind of music he plays. The main image at the top of every page says, "Scott Andrew, Lo-Fi Acoustic Pop Superhero!" It's descriptive and tongue-in-cheek funny, which reinforces Scott's persona.

On the home page, he spells out his sound further. The text reads "Indie pop? Folk rock? Americana? Geez, who cares? Performing songwriter Scott Andrew charms audiences by delivering scruffy, lo-fi acoustic pop with self-effacing wit and underdog bravado. That's really all you need to know." It gives visitors a clue while still being cool and a little mysterious. Much better than the vagueness that permeates most music web sites.

Instead of offering to send you e-mail updates, Scott asks you to join his Demo Club. And he entices fans by writing "Join the Demo Club to unlock new music, get discounts, tour dates and other neato stuff." Smart move.

Scott includes upcoming shows and blog-like news entries on his home page. This keeps things fresh and up-to-date. Fans always like to know the latest.

The music page is clearly laid out. Scott lists each of his CDs, plus you can stream or download each song or purchase each CD. There's no confusion over what you can do or how to do it.

He even includes a Music Usage Policy. The page begins, "This page should answer all your questions about using my songs in podcasts, film and other media ..." Brilliant.

Everything is crystal clear. It's obvious that Scott is an excellent writer (of the English language in addition to songs), and that's one of the things that makes this site so strong. Everything is spelled out for visitors -- in a clear and concise way. Nothing is left to chance, yet he keeps things light and friendly.

Take a look at your own artist web site and ask yourself if you're being as clear and inviting as Scott Andrew. Don't steal his words or design. But do use these principles to make your own site one that's more appealing to your fans.