Making a musician website is fairly straight forward, especially with all the tools like WordPress and Bandzoogle to make the process easier for those with little to no web design experience. Even so, making a good website is a little more difficult. You need to make it relatable and accessible to both new fans, potential fans, and super fans. It needs to be easy to navigate and not too cluttered. On top of that, your website needs to look good visually and reflect your brand and artist image.
This guide analyzes the website of Ed Sheeran. We’ll take a closer look at the items on his home page so you get a better idea of how you could organize your website. The point of this guide is not to enable you to make an exact copy of Ed Sheeran’s website and slap your name on the top. This guide will give you ideas of where items should be placed, what items should be included, and what items should be left out.
The Video On The Front Page
The first things I want to mention about Ed Sheeran’s website, is the video he displays near the top middle of his home page. This is what most people will instantly notice when they visit for the first time. Not only is it in a prominent position, but it’s also eye catching.
In this space, Ed puts his video playlist. The reason for this is simple: video is one of the best ways to get people interested in what you’re offering!
Think about it, how many times does it take you hearing a song before it sticks in your head? While it’ll only take one listen for some songs, in general it usually takes two, three or more. On the other hand, usually if you see a good video, you remember it instantly. It’s also a lot easier for most people to get hooked watching a video, over hearing a song for the very first time.
Of course this is generalizing as everyone takes in music differently. But as a general rule, video and music grabs people’s attention a lot quicker than plain audio does.
My bet is that this area is one of the most popular on the website’s home page.
One more thing to note about this area is that the embedded video also contains a playlist. So if you’ve seen the first video he displays, you’ve the option of looking through his other material either for something you haven’t seen before, or for your favorite song of his.
To read the full guide, visit Music Think Tank.
