I have started to put together a resouce page and will add to it over the next couple of weeks. Here you will find a list of useful tools and services to help you promote your music.
Top Recommendations
Web Hosting
Premium Hosting
WP Engine: When you are first starting out, you might not see the need for premium hosting but after you’ve had a website hacked or crashed then you will suddenly realise the need. WP Engine only host WordPress websites, allowing them to focus on performance and security. They offer Daily Backups, Firewall and Malware Scans and most importantly Great Support. They also configure their WordPress websites to perform better and load faster so your fans won’t get distracted while your website loads.
Affordable Hosting
Hostgator: For an affordable and quick set up option I recommend checking out Hostgator. They offer great deals and if you use the promotional code below you will receive a 25% discount. They also have 24/7 online chat support, but you will be responsible for backing up and protecting your website against hacks and crashes.
PROMO CODE: plstchlway25
Read my step-by-step guide to launching a website in 5 minutes.
ActiveCampaign: If you are looking for something a little more specialised then you can try ActiveCampaign. I use ActiveCampaign and it is versatile with very powerful automation but it takes a bit of setting up and has a steep learning curve.Premium WordPress Themes
ThemeForrest: For the largest selection of music themes you should check out ThemeForrest. On last count there were 77 themes designed for bands and DJs.
Thrive Themes: If you would like a theme that is free from gimmicks and distraction. One that focuses on getting fans to sign up to your mailing list then I highly recommend Thrive Themes. They build great themes that are usually aimed at businesses but, can also work for bands. They also have soe really powerfull marketing pugins for WordPress.
Fan Capture
OptinMonster: You will see various sign-up forms on this site. Ranging from simple sidebar to after-post and even pop-up. These are all powered by OptinMonster. A lot of people give out about pop up forms and say they would never visit a website that has them, but the truth is very few people actually leave a site when they see them and they often come back again. They are the highest converting form on this site.
Web Services
If you are not already using Dropbox then you need to start. It is the single best way to store and share files across multiple devices. I do everything through Dropbox and able to share any folder or send any file in a matter of minutes even if I am nowhere near my computer. There is a free and paid service and for most people the free service is enough.
Secure and save all your passwords with 1 Password so you don’t get hacked. Hacks happen on a mass scale and not on a individual one, so saying “Why would someone hack my account”, is not how you should be looking at it.
Google Analytics can be plugged into any website. It is free to use and very powerful. Knowing how many people visit your site, where they come from and what they view is essential in managing your website and planning promotions.
