Coaches Corner
Hitting The Right Notes With Your Website …
I frequently look at radio websites for upcoming events or pictures of personality appearance. What bothers me is the number of sites I come across without basic information or the navigation bar is confusing. Some of my biggest complaints are no physical address for a station, posted pictures without names, items open but don’t do so in a separate tab, and station information not posted prominently.
Connect The Dots…
I know stations are out at events because I see them post to Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. Yet too many times there’s not a link back to the station website. To make matters even more confusing, many stations don’t repost social media content on their station website. I’m not sure if it’s a disconnect between departments or an oversight. Many of the large companies share national content with all their cluster formats. However, too many local sites are disproportionate when it comes to national versus local content.
No Pointing Fingers…
Who are the biggest offenders of not utilizing websites? Do your own research and see if you come to the same conclusions that I have. Website quality directly impacts audience perception, it’s an important part to the big picture.
Station Websites Need:
Pictures with large, readable text and captions with the personalities’ names and air shifts
Pictures of local events with personalities and listeners
Blogs with comments and regular postings once a week
To be mobile-friendly
More videos (Some estimates say 1/3 of content consumed is video based)
Content that’s up to date
Digital banners reflecting a station’s positioning statement, call letters
Cross-plugging on-air contests, promotions, and local events
Its own dedicated sales staff
Station Websites Don’t Need:
Pictures of events that are a year old (unless stored in an archive section of the website)
Blogs that read like mandatory content
Excessive added value digital banner ads
The use of radio jargon the average listener does not understand
“Contact Us” dropdowns without the name of anyone in programming
Too many misspelled words and poor use of the English language
Out-of-focus pictures
Community calendars without any localization
I Get It …
I know there’s a time crunch to get things done, but it should be a priority to find a way to add some local flavor to what you are doing with your site. Sometimes sales and programming get into battles because a site becomes the new added-value dump. Your website should be treated like the airwaves and meet target audience expectations.
Take The Time…
Do yourself a favor and take a minute to check out some other station websites. Look for things you like and see how you can make a few updates to bring your site up a notch. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get with the team members who consistently get things done. Your website, social media, and what’s on air should all play off each other. A strong digital presence helps keep listeners engaged and reflects the brand you’re building every day.
And if you need some friendly advice, drop me an email; samweaver@samweavermedia.com or text me, (972) 672-4812.