VGuitar Central > General Discussion

Create a website for a band

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arkieboy:
... but working out how to write HTML is fun and pretty simple really

You can get loads of help getting started on www.w3schools.com, and there are numerous plugins and services (simple viewer, video gallery and soundcloud in particular) that can manage and display your pictures, video and audio using simple to configure plugins and cut-and-paste HTML code.

I am a developer, but I refuse to get embroiled in any fancy coding on my sites - someday I might have to hand over development and I want to make sure that I can.  Take a look at these sites - simple static HTML + a couple of cheap plugins and services

IMHO the most difficult bit of a website is getting hold of good graphic props and a clear idea of its style.  Everything else is falling off a log...

www.paulmenel.com
www.arkmusic.co.uk

Steve

acousticglue:
or on the cheap you can use Reverbnation

tekrytor:
Re. on the cheap...making your own web pages and a bit about hosting options

For anyone wanting to make their own web pages...
There are many HTML editors out there, but Kompozer is a very user friendly open source (free) one that runs on PC, Mac and Linux:
http://kompozer.net/


It has WYSIWIG, tag and source modes, so you can edit and see your pages in different views. If you can post to this forum with its little buttons for formatting, then you can use Kompozer. It's really pretty easy to write HTML, as Arkieboy wrote. If you don't know what all this means, the tutorials on www.w3schools.com that Arkieboy mentioned are fantastic for learning HTML and more. In a few hours there and with a little practice, you can learn enough to make your own web pages or interactive CD/DVDs containing your web pages, music and videos. If you've never made a web page, you'de be amazed how easy it really is.

Kompozer has site management tools for advanced and novice users, so it can post pages to your host server automatically when edited, if you set it up to do so. You only need to configure it to know where your host is and give it access, then it remembers that too.

About hosting...
Kompozer is an editor, like Word is for making printable docs, Kompozer is for making web pages. Once you have your web pages, you need to post the pages "somewhere", which is on a host server usually owned by a web hosting service. They charge various rates depending on how much bandwidth you use and how long you sign up for, etc. If you don't stream music and/or video from your web page, you won't need much bandwidth and can save a lot of money. You can always put links on your web page pointing to your YouTube posted videos and audio - yes YouTube hosts audio too - it just needs an image, think jacket or album cover. YouTube does not charge for posting your media either. But once posted there, it's gone into the free world, anyone can download it. If you want to sell your music, then you can post it with iTunes, mp3.com or similar services (most for a fee), and link to your songs there from your web page. Apple and mp3.com, etc pay the bandwidth charges for those downloading your media on purchase, saving your site heavy bandwidth that media downloads consume. They get their money from sales. If your band's web page is taking so many hits that you get dinged for bandwidth, you're probably busting out big time and can afford it. Just don't post a lot of free media for download directly from your pages or you could get a big bill for bandwidth from visitors downloading your audio and video files. Try to post your demos on a free service like YouTube, passing on the bandwidth costs to them and their advertisers. This has all been mentioned before, but bandwidth is what costs the most. Hosting a modest website with dozens of photos, LOTS of text and links is pretty cheap, from under $100 a year. If you make your own web pages, you can save several thousand dollars that a web designer will gladly pocket. If you want a very professional site, you may want to pay the web designer though. Most hosting services (like godaddy, etc) include tools to simplify building your own modest web site. You can also buy your web hosting month to month, so you can try it out before committing to a long term relationship with a hosting service.

Speaking of bandwidth...
The Great Luthier in the Cosmos, the Omnipotent CME Defender, and our generous moderators know I consume enough bandwidth here at vguitarforums since I bought my GR-55. Our kind hosts could probably use our donations to help keep this site operational. Where's that donate link?

arkieboy:
Just a note on hosting

Sometimes your web access service - broadband, dialup, cable tv - also provides you with personal webspace.  www.arkmusic.co.uk runs off space on a Virgin Media server that came free with our home broadband.  If you have your own URL you will need to set URL forwarding from the company who sold you the domain name (that's just some confusing terminology for a tick box on the right webpage).

What you don't get is some of the extras you might get with dedicated hosting - the big MIA on the Virgin severs is support for PHP (an extension language for HTML).  PHP is useful because you can use it to reuse elements of your webpages - header, footers, menus for instance. 

Another MIA is traffic analysis but you can get that for free from Google as part of your google account.

Steve

tekrytor:

--- Quote from: arkieboy on March 10, 2012, 02:18:07 AM ---Just a note on hosting

Sometimes your web access service - broadband, dialup, cable tv - also provides you with personal webspace. ...

--- End quote ---

This is great as long as you maintain the same Internet provider. Some of us move occasionally and this could be inconvenient for those folks because when you change Internet providers, your site is gone, the provided deletes your content, email account, etc. Along the same lines, "on the cheap", Yahoo has "Groups" that allow you to host forums like something like this one, where you can create your cover page and offer files (limited storage size though), discussions, memberships and various levels of access (visitor, member, moderator, etc), for free. When I was gigging a lot, I set up a site for my bandmates and sent my clients there for info. There are other similar services out there too, if you don't like Yahoo!. But when you change providers or don't have a provider for a while, Yahoo! keeps going, so far anyway. They can always change their policies, but I've had a few of my Yahoo Groups for more than 10 years so far. The layout is rather limited and you are subject to their rules, terms of service, etc. But it's a free webpage with some bundled services, download capabilities, no bandwidth charges. Not a bad deal and Yahoo has some web credibility. It's pretty easy to set up and more manageable than Facebook, IMO. You have to approve members and visitors cannot post messages is the default, but I think you can set it up so even visitors can post messages if you like. The problem with allowing visitors to post there is it's a real target for spammers. They like to gain group membership and then post viagra adverts, etc. So if you allow a lot of members, it becomes a drag managing them. Herding cats, etc. If you go the Yahoo route, I suggest keeping tight reins on moderation and allow few members, say just your bandmates (: if you trust them with your band infomercials :), so things don't get out of hand. Like any public media, you probably want to maintain an image and it takes effort, cooperation, restraint, etc. But one could use a Yahoo Group as a free web site for a group or performer. I typically use it more as a server for band files, links information, and online discussions that we can all access from wherever we are. It doesn't cost anything or go down when we move, change providers, or go on the dole. Everyone knows where it is, has it bookmarked, and it's easy to set up and use, password protected, membership by approval. Just another option...

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