A Full Information to Making a Compelling Podcast Web site

Whereas podcast directories like Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts present simple methods to distribute your episodes, these platforms have their drawbacks in the case of your constructing, rising, and monetizing your podcast. That’s why making a podcast web site generally is a sensible transfer in your present. A web site can provide you quite a lot of flexibility, direct contact along with your listeners, “proudly owning” your content material and model, and a lot extra upside we’ll evaluate on this article.

Thankfully, making a podcast web site doesn’t should be troublesome. In reality, there are many choices to swimsuit novices or individuals with out prior expertise. Moreover, constructing an internet site in your podcast lets you get found by new audiences (with search engine optimization and natural visitors), achieve extra management over your content material, and work together instantly along with your listeners.

On this submit, we’ll talk about why it’s best to think about creating an internet site in your podcast. Then, we’ll discover 3 ways you are able to do this earlier than sharing our greatest practices and suggestions in your website. Let’s get began!

Why You Ought to Think about Making a Web site for Your Podcast

Top-of-the-line causes to contemplate making a podcast web site is that you’ll personal your complete model and content material. Proper now, you may use a platform like Apple or Spotify, and though it hardly ever occurs, they’ll pull your content material out of the platform with out discover. Additionally, these platforms have a lot content material that the listener can simply be distracted in direction of different episodes from different podcasters.

Greater than that, a devoted web site unlocks a myriad of customization choices, permitting you to curate your guests’ expertise: 

As seen within the above instance, you’ll be able to add a “donate” button to get help out of your guests, get recorded voice messages or contact varieties instantly out of your listeners, and extra.

In a listing, your itemizing is fairly primary, consisting of a title, art work, and a listing of episodes. Nevertheless, with an internet site, you achieve extra flexibility, selecting the place you promote sponsors and the way you arrange episodes. You’ll be able to add extra content material (and even totally different mediums like a weblog, movies, attachments and so forth.) and embody way more data and assets.

Moreover, a podcast web site gives a single hub the place you’ll be able to direct guests. As such, you’ll be able to streamline your content material and make it simpler to advertise. 

Plus, you should utilize Search Engine Optimization (search engine optimization) strategies to get found by customers that don’t even find out about your podcast. Greater visibility within the search outcomes can drive extra natural visitors to your web site, enabling you to develop your podcast a lot quicker.

Additionally, you’ll be able to work together along with your listeners instantly by encouraging them to depart feedback or voicemail. You’ll be able to reply to their suggestions and begin to domesticate extra private connections along with your viewers.

Additional Studying: The High 24 Podcast Statistics You Must Know in 2023

The Downside With Generated Podcast Web sites

You may think about using a easy, auto-generated podcast web site supplied by your podcast internet hosting supplier. These websites present handy platforms for storing and sharing your episodes. Nevertheless, there are specific downsides to this selection. You hardly ever get enough (if any) customization or design freedom. Many of those platforms received’t provide a weblog, customized pages, or generally even a customized area, so there’s not sufficient upside there.

How you can Create a Podcast Web site (3 Methods)

Now that the advantages of making your individual podcast web site, let’s have a look at 3 ways you are able to do this!

1. Create a Podcast Web site Utilizing Podcastpage

The Podcastpage.io platform is likely to be the most suitable choice for novices or individuals who don’t wish to spend effort and time managing an internet site. Podcastpage will allow you to take pleasure in each worlds – you’ll get a full web site, with limitless episodes, customized pages, a weblog, hundred of design choices, and so forth., and nonetheless quite a lot of automations and podcast-specific options you received’t discover anyplace else.  Because it requires no data of coding or technical experience, utilizing Podcastpage is a simple method to arrange a website: 

It’s a hassle-free different to a number of the extra demanding choices. As an example, you’ll be able to profit from seamless integration with YouTube feeds, enabling you to create an attractive web site in your YouTube channel and/or podcast. 

In the event you’re strictly centered on podcasting, Podcastpage syncs your current episodes and any new episode you publish sooner or later.

Higher but, Podcastpage is a feature-rich podcast web site builder. The platform gives high-quality audio gamers and a variety of pre-designed templates that will help you create an attractive website with minimal effort. 

2. Create a Podcast Web site With WordPress

WordPress might be the preferred web site platform on the market. Over 40% of the net is constructed on WordPress, nonetheless, which means it’s not particularly tailor-made for podcast web sites. Consequently, you may require many plugins, themes, and configurations to get all the pieces arrange accurately. 

WordPress is an open-source Content material Administration System (CMS), that means its supply code is accessible freely, and you’ll mainly use it or customise the software program to suit your actual wants. It could possibly be a viable choice should you’re in search of a customized answer constructed up from scratch.

This will likely add up in each money and time over time, when evaluating to different choices.

Constructing your podcast web site with WordPress has a steeper studying curve. Subsequently, it may not be very best should you’re a newbie or desire to dedicate your time to working in your podcast (not your website). 

This strategy is usually extra time-consuming. Plus, you’ll be absolutely accountable for your website’s safety, search engine optimization, plugin set up and updates, upkeep, and discovering a internet hosting supplier:

You’ll additionally want to decide on a theme in your podcast web site. Dixie is a superb choice with a contemporary look, loads of structure choices, and its personal audio participant:

Astra can also be a flexible theme that can be utilized for just about any goal. Lastly, the Tusant theme is one other glorious selection because it helps simple listening:  

When choosing your theme, there are specific options to look out for:

• Loads of customization choices
• Fashionable show layouts
• The performance to incorporate and play podcasts
• Compatibility with different podcasting platforms/instruments

General, a WordPress web site can grant you nearly full management over your content material. Nevertheless, creating one will be demanding and doubtlessly dearer. 

Additional Studying: How you can Begin a WordPress Weblog from Scratch TODAY!

3. Create Your Personal Customized Podcast Web site

As an alternative of constructing an internet site from a WordPress theme or a Podcastpage web site, you could possibly go the customized route. Making a customized podcast website implies that you’ll design all the pieces from scratch to suit your imaginative and prescient. 

With out substantial coding expertise, you’ll doubtless want the talents of knowledgeable developer. Alternatively, you’ll have to be taught quite a bit to do that your self.

The creator of your website, whether or not they’re a designer or a developer, may have full management over your structure/content material. The upside is that it’s best to find yourself with a singular, interactive web site. The draw back is that everytime you wish to make vital adjustments or updates to your website, you’ll require your developer’s providers, which might turn into expensive.

Moreover, help will be restricted should you encounter issues along with your web site. With different choices (like Podcastpage and WordPress), you’ll discover that many different individuals use these platforms. You’ll be able to entry many free assets, fast troubleshooting suggestions, and helpful boards. 

6 Finest Practices for Your Podcast Web site

Hopefully, you’ve now decided the most suitable choice for creating your podcast web site. Let’s check out six finest practices to optimize your website!

1. Deal with Pace

Sluggish loading occasions will be irritating in your guests. The chance of a ‘bounce’ (somebody shortly leaving your website) will increase by 32% because the web page load time goes from one to a few seconds. 

There are additionally penalties in your search rankings. Search engines like google consider your web site’s bounce charge, amongst different components like how a lot time individuals spend in your website. 

Search engines like google then use these metrics to grasp whether or not your content material is efficacious for customers. Your web site will be ranked decrease on the outcomes pages if the numbers present low interactivity.

You’ll be able to conduct a fast web site velocity take a look at to measure your present efficiency. Pingdom is a wonderful instrument that gives prompt outcomes:

Since quick loading speeds create a greater Person Expertise (UX), there are additionally some easy adjustments you may make to enhance your web site efficiency. For instance, you’ll be able to scale back web page sizes and use smaller fonts and pictures. 

2. Use Search Engine Optimization (search engine optimization) Strategies

Establishing your web site as a hub the place guests can find out about a selected matter is important. Constructing authority can sign to search engines like google that your pages are useful for web customers. 

Listed here are some finest practices to assist increase your search engine optimization & search rankings:

• Publish solely your finest materials.
• Use focused key phrases inside your content material.
• Embrace loads of high-quality hyperlinks.
• Use social proof like testimonials and opinions.

Google Key phrase Planner is a helpful instrument that helps you establish related key phrases in order that what customers are trying to find:

Since sure key phrases will be difficult to rank for because of their recognition, think about using long-tail key phrases. These are multi-word keyphrases, reminiscent of “finest low cost internet hosting for podcast web sites”. Though long-tail key phrases have decrease search volumes, they is likely to be simpler to rank for since they’re often extra particular. When you rank excessive on quite a lot of these key phrases, it’s possible you’ll get vital quantities of visitors.

To benefit from your key phrase alternatives, it’s essential to incorporate as a lot written content material as attainable. Subsequently, we advocate producing detailed present notes and podcast transcripts whereas creating weblog posts and using feedback sections.

Different methods to spice up search engine optimization in your podcast web site embody utilizing related title tags and meta descriptions. We additionally advocate creating quick clickable URLs and ensuring that your internet design is responsive on smaller screens. 

Additional Studying: 11 search engine optimization Finest Practices to Observe in 2023

3. Go for Multi-Web page Performance

An awesome podcast web site sometimes has a number of pages, reminiscent of separate pages for every of your episodes. Amongst search engine optimization perks, this setup means that you can publish in-depth present notes, making your website extra accessible and informative.

After all, you’ll want a homepage in your website, which is the place guests will often first land. We advocate that includes your latest or hottest episodes right here. 

For instance, if you arrive on the Full Mutuality podcast web site, you’re instantly greeted by a sticky audio participant showcasing its newest episode:

You may also think about including a weblog to your podcast web site the place you’ll be able to adapt your podcast content material into written posts. This helps you attraction to extra customers and gives an additional place to hyperlink to.

If you publish new episodes, creating a brand new weblog submit will be helpful so that you’ve a singular location for every episode. Right here, you may embed your audio participant, add your present notes, and embody your episode transcript:

An About web page can also be an ideal ingredient to incorporate in your website since you’ll be able to describe your present and supply a quick backstory in regards to the hosts. Via this private data, you’ll be able to forge significant connections along with your listeners. 

Lastly, think about making a devoted web page the place listeners can get in contact or subscribe to your mailing checklist. A contact kind could make guests really feel extra snug about reaching out to you. That being mentioned, attempt to ensure the shape is brief and simple to finish to spice up conversions.

4. Add an Audio Participant

Fastened or sticky audio gamers are in style selections since listeners can play one in all your episodes whereas looking different areas of your podcast web site. You may also embody an embedded audio participant in order that listeners can play episodes out of your podcast internet hosting firm. 

You can too discover embedded audio gamers that combine with different platforms. As an example, The Man Cave Chronicles podcast incorporates a YouTube embed participant:

It’s essential that your audio participant is customizable. On the very least, it ought to have the important options you want, reminiscent of automated timestamps, superior controls, obtain choices, and social sharing buttons.

For instance, Podcastpage’s audio participant is absolutely customizable, enabling you to vary all colours and controls, add timestamps, and make it ‘sticky’ throughout all pages:

Their audio participant has an optimized structure that features your episode title and podcast art work. You can provide your audio participant an interesting border or conceal it at particular occasions to not inconvenience your listeners. 

6. Prioritize Person Expertise (UX)

A well-executed podcast web site is accessible, simple to navigate, and informative. You also needs to purpose to signpost essential options in order that it’s apparent the way you need guests to behave in your pages. 

Once they arrive on an episode web page, listeners ought to immediately know how one can obtain content material and share movies. In the meantime, it ought to all the time be clear how customers can contact you or be part of your mailing checklist. 

To supply a clean, constant UX, think about selecting a visually interesting theme that matches the tone and really feel of your podcast. 

To optimize your UX, guests shouldn’t should attempt onerous to seek out what they want in your website. With this in thoughts, think about putting your subscribe hyperlinks someplace seen and accessible reminiscent of your header or footer. You may also spotlight helpful data, reminiscent of social icons, subscribe buttons, and listener opinions.

Additional Studying: The 25 Main Podcasting Instruments to Assist You Begin or Develop Your Podcast

Now that you know the way to create an ideal podcast web site, listed below are 3 ways to advertise your podcast!

1. Construct a Web site

A devoted podcast web site creates an area so as to add content material and develop a hub in your present. With methods like search engine optimization, you’ll be able to simply appeal to new guests and increase your model’s visibility. 

Plus, along with your website sitting within the prime search engine outcomes, you’ll be able to achieve extra credibility and construct an authoritative internet presence. 

We’ve already mentioned how one can arrange a devoted podcast website. We advocate utilizing Podcastpage’s web site builder because it’s easy to make use of, making it appropriate for full novices and professionals alike. As such, you’ll be able to velocity up your workflow with pre-designed templates and get your podcast website up and working very quickly!

2. Use Social Media

Utilizing social media is an effective way to domesticate stronger relationships along with your listeners. Plus, you make the most of social platforms to determine your model’s persona by means of humor, storytelling, and memes. 

Social media can also be helpful for partaking along with your viewers and constructing neighborhood since you’ll be able to work together with listeners instantly:

Some nice methods to have interaction along with your viewers embody asking questions, working polls, and responding to feedback. Additionally, think about sharing wealthy media, together with soundbites, pictures, and movies. 

Moreover, you’ll be able to create posts to replace your listeners about upcoming episodes. We additionally advocate sticking to a constant posting schedule in order that listeners know when to anticipate new content material.

3. Associate With Different Creators

Growing mutually-beneficial relationships with different podcasters in your area of interest will help you appeal to new listeners who’re already engaged with related content material. 

For instance, if you’re on YouTube, you’re sometimes introduced with really helpful movies. These clips allow you to find new creators who can achieve subscribers by being featured on this place.

You’ll additionally see this really helpful characteristic on platforms like Apple Podcasts:

When you’ve discovered different reveals in your area of interest, you could possibly start with a promo swap (you promote one other podcast, and so they promote yours) or turn into a visitor on one other present. Alternatively, you may desire to host a visitor in your podcast. Then, you’ll be able to ask them to share your hyperlinks with their viewers or plug your web site on the finish of the episode. 

You’ll be able to seek for related reveals utilizing particular key phrases to seek out different creators inside your area of interest. You can too discover classes and tags on sure platforms to seek out acceptable collaborators. 

In the event you contact hosts instantly, think about crafting a transparent e mail to pitch your thought. You may define what your podcast is about, who your audience is, and what you’ll be able to provide the opposite podcaster.

Additional Studying: The 11 Finest Digital and Social Media Advertising Podcasts to Hearken to in 2022

Conclusion

Podcast directories will be helpful within the early days of your present. Nevertheless, when you’ve constructed a following, it’s time to create a podcast website. Whereas making an internet site may sound overwhelming, there are a lot of choices to fit your abilities and expertise. Then, you’ll be able to take pleasure in search engine optimization perks, extra management, and superior customization choices in your podcast.

To recap, listed below are 3 ways you’ll be able to create a podcast web site:

1. Podcastpage: This web site builder is the best answer for podcasters.
2. WordPress: Arms you full management over your content material. Nevertheless, it may well contain a number of upkeep and configuring extra instruments for performance.
3. Create a customized podcast web site that’s totally your individual: Nevertheless, this strategy requires a steep studying curve or the help of a developer. 

Do you will have any questions on making a podcast web site? Tell us within the feedback part beneath!

Creator Bio

Tom is the co-founder of Podcastpage.io, the main web site builder for podcasters and audio/video creators. When Tom isn’t busy coding, you’ll discover him serving to podcasters develop their reveals!

Hero picture by Hillary Black on Unsplash