R&P Post 11: Artist websites that have inspired and influenced my ideas

The artist's website is a cross media platform that is available to use on technologically converged technology. It is the main platform that connects all the forms of marketing together and it's purpose is to hook the audience into staying on the page for longer by use of various techniques.

Here are the forms and conventions of a website that I have noticed during my research:

• A banner, usually found at the top of the page. Occasionally on the right hand side
• If artist has recently released a track or album, this is the first thing that is promoted
• Photos of the band or artist everywhere
• Pages: home, photos, news, bio, video, music, store
• Links to iTunes, Spotify etc.
• Links to social media
• Join or sign up to the newsletter
• Tour dates
• Merchandise
• Institutional information at the bottom of the page
• Clear colour scheme throughout
• Logo or visual motif is placed carefully

I have conducted research into the websites of solo female artists. Here are my findings:

Beyonce's website is very stylised and focused on her star image. It features photos of her and her back-up dancers during her performances. The photos on her homepage are updated after every performance so that the content is new and keeps fans checking her website. The design is minimalistic; mainly in black and white making it very professional.

I have included a video, in which I explore Beyonce's website. It can be viewed below:

Taylor Swift's website has a very personal touch. The photos on her homepage are of her and her cat, something that her fans know is very important to her and is a part of her lifestyle and image. Her personally written message to her fans make them feel connected to her (personal identity gratifications). In addition to this, the vault section has old home videos of Taylor when she was 4 years old. This gives her the image of the "girl next door" and she keeps it real with her fans.

I have also made a video that explores Taylor Swift's website, seen below:

The selection of websites that I have studied have given me a lot of inspiration for the design of my own. I chose to look a websites from a wide range of artists and then narrowed it down to artists who I felt would convey a similar feeling to my artist. With the new knowledge of conventions and my understanding of how to target an audience while maintaining the star image, I look forward to coming up with ideas and creating my own website.