I was in need of a website for a new audio-based project, but I kept putting it off. Yep. I was procrastinating.
Then something happened to kick my butt into gear …
While attending the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference in Austin, TX, I ran into my old friend Dave Cool (yes, that’s his real name).
He was there to talk to musicians about Bandzoogle, the long-running website builder and host for musicians.
But it was odd seeing Dave there.
I knew he’d worked for Bandzoogle for many years. But I also knew the company was in friendly competition with Host Baby, a sister company of CD Baby.
I quickly learned that Host Baby was winding down, and Bandzoogle would soon be taking over those accounts.
(If you’re a Host Baby customer, I’m sure you’ve received messages alerting you to the change.)
This news and my conversation with Dave made me aware that Bandzoogle was now the premier web hosting platform with a focus on musicians, music teachers, and entertainers.
So, when I returned home from the conference, I opened a Bandzoogle account and made a decision to create that long-overdue website.
Quick note:
In case you didn't know, the main reason I attended the music conference was because of my many years writing, teaching, publishing, and speaking about music marketing.
I’m also an active guitarist, singer, and songwriter. But the website I had been putting off had little to do with my books or original music.
I needed a new site for a separate project: Over the last two or three years my YouTube channel has exploded with tens of thousands of new subscribers and millions of video views.
What caused all that growth?
Believe it or not, it was spoken-word inspiration in the form of guided meditations and affirmation recordings.
I never saw this coming, but I’m loving it. I’ve got a whole new fan base of people around the world who listen to my recordings on a daily basis.
It proves there’s a serious need for positivity and hope in the world. And I’m thrilled to serve humanity in this way.
Back to Bandzoogle …
So, I’ve been wanting to create a simple website that serves this audience.
One morning I opened my Bandzoogle account with the intention of just choosing a simple, clean template.
There were many designs to choose from. Once I picked a template I liked, I started setting up my menu tabs.
Then I put some placeholder content on a page or two.
As I got the hang of the easy Bandzoogle dashboard, I kept going.
- I embedded some of my most popular YouTube playlists on the Video page.
- I embedded my Bandcamp spoken-word albums on the Audio page.
- I grabbed the code from my Aweber account and put an email list signup form on the Free opt-in page.
- Then I found myself filling out my About page too!
Before I knew it, the site had all the basic pieces in place.
I was ready to go live!
Wow. I had no idea I could accomplish this on the same day I started.
So, I logged into GoDaddy and dialed the Bandzoogle servers into the domain name I had already registered — www.BobBakerInspiration.com
I was thrilled to move so quickly!
Then I got an error message! OH NO!
When I entered my domain into a browser, I got a warning about security. It was “unsafe” because the “SSL certificate” wasn't configured properly.
Maybe I had moved too quickly. Maybe my impatience got the best of me.
I searched the Bandzoogle Help files for info. But I quickly found a way to email support … or, better yet, talk to someone via live chat.
What the heck. Soon I was texting live with Hailey.
I explained my issue. She asked me to wait while she looked into it.
About a minute later she said, “Try it now.”
I did and the site loaded perfectly.
My new site is simple, and it won’t win any awards, but I was impressed with how quickly I was able to get it up and running. I felt a sense of accomplished. And, it’s already helping me connect with my spoken word audience in a deeper way.
Bottom line: After knowing about it for many years, I’m sold on Bandzoogle.
I highly recommend it for anyone who needs an easy and affordable website host and builder.
P.S. If you have an interest in learning (and hearing) more about my affirmation recordings, you know where to go:
This uplifting spoken-word material is also available on my YouTube channel, as well as Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple, Amazon, CD Baby, Google, and more.
