Band Website Ideas

[Pen]

We recently put together our bands website and are looking for ideas and ways to improve it. We aren't the most talented web designers but are interested in ideas that are easily implemented to make the site user friendly to the casual guest as well as using it as a resource to the band.

I'd be interested in viewing sites you guys are using as well as specific thoughts on improving ours.

www.trainwreckrocks.net

THANK!

ps. We have no ambition to be more than a local band that plays private events and area bar scene.

[Ken Sager]

Looks good, informationally it's all there. The numerous photos make it busy, and a little slow to load (even on my DSL), but not a complaint. Does the mandolin get lost in a 6-piece rock'n'roll band?

Looks like a fun group of guys.
Best,
Ken

[AcousticusMaximus]

Looks like we all are kind of in agreement about what a site should have on it, both of you all's look good! #

Acousticus Maximus

[mandowilli]

Nice site, not too busy. I like a site that you can flow right through. Many go for the fruit salad on acid look with as many bright colors as possible and so many tabs and links that you feel like you are in a maze.

One suggestion would be to reconsider the yellow font on grey background on your home page.

[Jim Yates]

Pen-
I like it, I like it. #It's an easy to access site with the Where We're Playing page right up to date, a problem with our site. #I've gotten some ideas from your site. #Please check out ours and give constructive criticism. #Thanks

www.mccormickbluegrass.ca

[shawverscrossing]

I like the trains. Thats cool. One thing I might mention, if you can suck up to a professional photgrapher, maybe get him or her into a couple of gigs for free and pay for their drinks, or even, God forbid, pay them to get some really professional pics for the home page, and even the bio's, it's well worth it.

We are blessed to have an award winning photo-journalist as our guitar player, and a gifted amature photographer (with about 25 grand worth of camera equipment) as our banjer picker.

Don't get me wrong, we don't have an amazing web site, because we don't spend enough time on it, but getting good pics can really help. Not that the pics on your site arent fine, but a true pro can come up with so many ideas and ways to present you that even you will be shocked at how good you look.

Case in point, if you look at our site, check out the page
"Artist Photos", which are pics Chuck has taken over the years at various festivals. Bottom of the page are two pics he took of Del McCoury here in WV. One of the two was made into a poster that hung on stage at the Opry when Del was inducted as a member.

Just a thought.

www.shawverscrossing.com

[JimRichter]

We are blessed to have an award winning photo-journalist as our guitar player, and a gifted amature photographer (with about 25 grand worth of camera equipment) as our banjer picker.

And, that would probably be Dave Sweet, who does take a mighty fine picture.

My site is here: #Richter Digital Arts

Haven't had too much time to get much content up there (want some sound/video samples) cause I've been too busy on these sites:

Compton site

Butch Robins site

As far as www.trainwreckrocks.net, I'd advise that you get rid of any animated GIFs. #I don't like them cause they tend to make a site look amateurish and too busy. #The navigation looks good, but then the framed pages look a bit bland. #Need to pull together a theme for everything (coordination of colors etc.). #I think it is a very good effort and only offer my suggestions cause that was the nature of the thread. #I very much believe that simple elegant design beats out busyness with lack of substance or cohesiveness any day. #Get rid of the animated GIFs and put some thought into the actual pages and you'll have a pretty nice site. #Good start!

Jim

[shawverscrossing]

I really like what you did with Butch's site, Jim. More than half of the hits on our site are from his link to ours. Thanks!

But I do like the trains.

[dreamingtree41]

Here is a very well put togeather we site. It is the Guitar player, Marcus Eaton's site. You will be amazed by the talent he has too!! cheak it out. www.marcuseaton.com