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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
OT: Website help...
OT: Website help...
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HarpNinja
497 posts
Jun 08, 2010
12:28 PM
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A few guys have posted about making their own website. I would very much like to do this myself. Something neat and easy that will let me organize my other links. Cheap is great too. ;)
I tried Word Press which can go from a blog into a website, but when I tried to embed from Reverb Nation it wouldn't work.
Any help? I know excellent webdesigners, but the need for a site isn't near enough to their cost.
Thanks!
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bluemoose
213 posts
Jun 08, 2010
12:53 PM
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...I believe you can get me through the night...
Hey, wait a minute. Weren't you going off to get some work done today? Maybe...some special harps for some special people perhaps? :)
It's that multi-tasking thing, right?
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2010 12:54 PM
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arzajac
221 posts
Jun 08, 2010
3:52 PM
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I run a few sites from one instance of Drupal. Drupal is similar to Wordpress but it has a larger community around it (writing and maintaining software for it) and it does more.
What was the problem with importing Reverbnation content? If I understand, you get an RSS feed from Reverbnation? Wordpress (or Drupal) should be able to handle that easily.
What exactly do you want your site to do? For easily adding content yourself, a Content Management System is what you need - that's the whole point. Drupal and Wordpress are examples of CMSes. A CMS like Drupal also makes your site search-engine-friendly automatically.
Drupal and Wordpress are free.
see Drupal.org
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2010 3:53 PM
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captainbliss
127 posts
Jun 08, 2010
4:56 PM
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@HarpNinja:
Am I right in guessing you don't know basic markup and styling? If so...
It isn't too difficult to learn (X)HTML and CSS. Failing that, there are open source (i.e. free to use) WYSIWYG editors, but it takes as long to use them as it does to learn markup, if you ask me.
GIMP is a free equivalent to Photoshop for image manipulation.
As arzajac and beltone suggest, content management systems are very helpful. My CMS of choice is MODx, but Drupal is very powerful, too (haven't heard of DNN, so can't comment). Joomla (another CMS) is reputed to be pretty newb-friendly and there are a wide range of tutorials out there. All of the above will have very supportive communities, too.
Any way you look at it, though, basic web technique (i.e. some understanding of (X)HTML and CSS) is going to be VERY helpful...
EDIT: sketching out an in-depth site structure before you start is pretty useful, too
ANOTHER EDIT: This is an excellent place to start learning how to make websites: http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp
xxx
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2010 5:01 PM
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HarpNinja
499 posts
Jun 08, 2010
7:23 PM
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Thanks guys! I am just looking for something similar to what beltone linked to. I would like to embed the stuff I already have done from Reverb Nation.
So it would be a home page with background (embeded Twitter feed and easy to find links to my MySpace, Facebook, etc.) and then a clickable menu for things like media, pics, gigs, etc. On those pages, I would probably do things like embed my RN music player, calendar, etc.
I bet most of these sites would do that. I did get the codes and copy/paste them into Wordpress, but the graphics wouldn't work. I am sure I screwed up somewhere.
I am active on Facebook and am easy to communicate with there. For my "site" I just want something neat and clean with a theme (which I have figured out) that I can send to bookers to sell my services as the Mike Fugazzi Band.
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arzajac
222 posts
Jun 09, 2010
8:05 AM
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Hi Mike.
I get the impression you would prefer to do some of this yourself and I don't know how much you want to pay, but here is some information that I think will help you.
Domain name:
You can register your domain name anywhere. Don't pay more than $10 per year for a domain. If you register your domain name somewhere else than where you will be hosting your site(s) it doesn't matter - you just have to point your domain to the web hosting server. So don't fall into the trap of overpaying for a domain name.
I like Netfirms for hoting domain names.
Web hosting providers:
A web hosting provider will run the server that will host your site. It's better/faster/cheaper to use one that runs Linux. Most CMSes run on PHP and use a database. Php is a programming language that runs on the webserver as well as the database. The database is typically MySql which is simple and fast. The webserver will offer this as a package.
Nowadays, there is (mostly - read the fine print) unlimited bandwidth with most plans. There is a limit to the amount of storage you can use on the server, but that is seldom an issue if you use third-party services like reverbnation, youtube, etc... Things that also affect the price of your web hosting include the number of domains you can have off of one account, email size, and other features.
Cheaper plans typically give you poor service since they may run a few thousand sites on one server! If you chose a company that keeps that number reasonably low, the chances that your site will be slow is much lower.
Hostmonster seems to offer a good service for a low price. It probably offers more features than you need, but I can attest to how reliable they are.
1and1 hosting is another, cheaper option.
Once you got that, you find your CMS and install it on your server. Usually that means uploading the files to the place where they need to be on your webserver hosting and then creating a database for it. You then tell the CMS what database to use (you created a password for it when you created the database).
Log in, and create content.
If you want to hire somebody to do all of that for you, it should be easy to find. If you want to save money, you can do all of that yourself and spend money on other things, like building a custom theme for your site.
This is a plain Drupal site:
One of my sites
This is a highly themed Drupal site:
Not one of my sites, It costs a lot to make it look like that...
Typically, if you want to pay someone to create a highly themed site from scratch, it will cost a lot more than of you run the backbone yourself and just pay a PHP/CSS designer to customize a ready-made theme for you for your site. There are plenty of themes to start from, just look on Drupal.org. You should be able to find someone to put the spit and polish on your site for a fee there too.
Another advantage that Drupal has is that you can run multiple sites from it. Once you get your first site running, if you want to create another, completely different site, you just create another database and register another domain (or a subdomain of your first domain) and point it to your drupal folder.
Some record companies do this - here are some examples:
http://www.allisoniraheta.com/update.php?op=info
http://www.daughtryofficial.com/update.php?op=info
(You can see that they are running Drupal under the covers)
So, I hope that helps in some way. I'm not on Facebook, but I check my emails a lot. If you have any questions about this or troubleshooting why you can't import an RSS feed or something, please email me and I will try to help you out as best as I can. arzajac at yahoo dot ca.
Cheers!
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John Wright
1 post
Apr 26, 2025
12:21 PM
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The Stress-Free Website Solution for Musicians
Hey Mike! You're looking for a simple way to organize your music links and embeds without breaking the bank or learning to code. After helping dozens of musicians with this exact challenge, I've found the number one solution that checks all your boxes:
1. Carrd.co - The Simple, Embed-Ready Platform
- Why it's perfect for you:
- One-page design keeps your content clean and professional
- Effortlessly handles ReverbNation embeds (just paste the code)
- Mobile-friendly templates that make you look pro instantly
- Premium pairing: Combine this with a memorable domain (like MikeFugazziMusic.com) to create a powerful brand presence
2. Why Your WordPress Embeds Failed (And How to Fix)
The issue you encountered typically happens because:
- WordPress' visual editor strips embed codes
- Security plugins often block iframes
Quick fix: Use the "Custom HTML" block or try the "EmbedPress" plugin
3. Domain Strategy That Works for Musicians
While you can get cheap domains, consider these advantages of premium names:
- Instant credibility (MikeFugazzi.com vs MikeFugazziBand1234.com)
- Better recall when bookers hear your name
- Built-in SEO for local searches ("Chicago blues harpist")
The complete package:
- Carrd ($9/year)
- Premium domain (varies)
- 30 minutes setup time
Why This Approach Wins
- Solves the immediate problem (working embeds, no tech hassle)
- Introduces premium domains as a natural upgrade
- Provides clear next steps without overwhelming
"When my clients combine Carrd with the right domain, they get booking inquiries before they even finish their coffee."
Would you like me to suggest some available premium domains that would fit your brand perfectly? I've helped several blues artists find names that stick.
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