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Do you really need a podcast website for your show?
Should you be putting in that additional effort to create a website?
In this episode we will be talking about the importance of having a podcast website and why most successful podcasters recommend having a podcast website for your show.
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One of the common questions that a lot of beginner podcasters have is, if they should really have a podcast website for their show.
Going by what most successful podcasters follow, a podcasting website is an absolute must.
In fact, every big podcaster has a website for their podcasts, especially if the show is audio only.
The common reason for this can be attributed to the way podcasts are distributed.
Podcasting directories only give you an option of listening to the show. And it is very difficult to make people to take an action, if they are only listening to an audio.
Which means, listeners that your show gathers are listeners only until the episode ends.
There is no assurance that they will come back and listen to the next episode, unless your show is so addictive.
And truth be told, except for maybe the true crime podcasts out there, I don’t really think there is any podcast that has a listener who is anxiously waiting for the next episode to drop in their favorite listening platform.
..and this I am talking from my personal experience as well.
There are numerous shows that I listen to but I am never regular and wouldn’t necessarily tune in and listen to every episode that is released, and especially immediately after it is released.
So how do you make a listener a long term listener and a fan of your show?
The answer to that question lies in a Podcast website!
Why do you need a Podcast Website?
This episode actually came out of one of my discovery calls. I had this gentleman who was checking on the feasibility of a specific niche.
During the conversation, I asked him to direct the traffic to a website that he can setup.
To this he asked me a couple of questions and also expressed a few concerns.
I will come to both of these one by one.
First the questions –
- Why do I need a website? Wouldn’t that be double work and double efforts?
- Isn’t that a lot of investment to start off with podcasting?
I am sure as somebody who is planning to start a podcast or, somebody who has just started a podcast, you too will have a similar question.
Why do you need a website for a podcast?
For us to understand the answer to this question, we need to understand podcasts.
Podcasts have been there since a few years in the international market specifically the United States. The first podcast I listened to was somewhere in 2006 and since then I have been subscribed to a lot of podcasts.
But Podcasts have been relatively new to the Indian market.
In spite of being in the market for these many years, podcasts still haven’t been able to get people to take actions independently.
I mean, while podcast listeners enjoy the show and tune in every time a new episode is released, getting people to take an action like subscribing to stay updated, making them buy a product you are recommending, getting them to reach out to you for consultations etc. are still somethings that we haven’t figured out yet.
The best action that we have been able to make our listeners take is to maybe post a review for the show. That too, hasn’t happened without a lot of push on social media and in fact some of the more sucessful podcasters even had to giveaway stuff in return for a review and rating.
When that is the case with an established market, what can you expect from a market that is still maturing.
What all successful podcasters from outside India who have built a brand have done is redirect all of the audience traffic to a website. Then most of the action happens there.
So, it is this two-phased approach that they follow to continue their engagement and build their audience. First build attention using their podcast and second continue that attention and build engagement by redirecting the listeners to their website.
When an established market has followed this approach after a lot of trials, should we be re-inventing the wheel?
Now onto the question – why do we need a website?
Advantage of having a website for a Podcast
Now that we have established that a podcast website is an absolute essential, let us look at some of the primary advantages of having a website for a podcast.
Identity
People remember people through their faces. Unless you are able to put an image to a name of a person, it is unlikely you will remember them and relate to them.
A website helps to build that identity.
An about page can give your audience a snapshot of who you are and they will get to know more about you. This helps them relate to you and identify you the next time they listen to you show.
And the more they are able to connect to you (through your stories), the better it will be for your show to build a listenership.
Build a returning audience
Its not uncommon of life to come in your way. It’s also not uncommon to lose attention.
Even the most engaging of the shows see a lot of listeners dropping off. Audience retention is a big problem in podcasting.
What if every time you broadcast an episode, you could send out an email or, a notification to your existing audience telling them about the latest episode.
The chances of them tuning into the episode increases if you are able to do that kind of an outreach.
A website can help you build this audience and send these notifications.
Wondering how to do it?
It is by building an email list using an optin form on your website.
You might want to listen to my episodes on list building for podcasters to learn more about how to build you list and market to them.
Building a brand
Visibility is what builds a brand. McDonalds, Dominos Pizza, Starbucks, Audi, BMW, Gucci etc. all are brands that you can identify with when you see them.
Imagine if BMW was a brand but you have never seen how it looks. Will you ever be able to identify the brand?
A website is your brand. It builds you as a brand and helps you market yourself to your audience.
The Connector
A website is what acts as that connection between your audience and your show. In fact it is the connection between you and your audience as well.
Redirecting your audience to something tangible helps them stay connected.
A website is many things. It is your real estate on the internet. It is that corner of yours where you and your audience engage with each other.
That’s why you need a website.
Monetization
One of the biggest worries of most podcasters is monetization.
In fact, 98% of podcasters have still not been able to figure out this problem. They are unable to monetize their show in spite of a decent listenership.
One of the primary reasons for this is their outlook to podcast monetization, which is something I discussed in an earlier episode of mine. You can listen to it here!
But another reason is their lack of understanding on how podcasting as a medium works.
If you have that understanding, you will realize the importance of a podcast website.
A podcast website makes podcast monetization extremely easy and doable.
And for me, that is the biggest and most important reason to have a podcasting website.
How to create a Podcasting Website?
Building a website today has become so easy that even if you have no clue of how to do it, you can learn it and build a website for yourself in less than 15 minutes. In fact there are a lot of podcast hosts who are setting up free websites for their podcasters, if you prefer.
Domain names and hosting also have become so cheap that you can to have a website of your own for under $60.00 a year.
So if you think that is expensive, then podcasting might not exactly be a good option for you.
Now onto the concern that this gentleman raised on the discovery call. He had no clue of building a website and all of the other technical stuff that goes into it.
If you are in a similar situation, then here is a video I created that will show you how to setup a website. I am using Hostinger for hosting the website.
If you are still unable to setup a website for you, then I have a solution for you.
I can build a simple website for you where your podcasts can live.
I can train you to update your website with the latest episodes and bring you up to speed with managing it. The charges will be nominal and you wouldn’t have a burn a hole in your pocket.
The only conditions is, you have to buy a new hosting plan from Hostinger, using the link here.
If you are stuck with building a website of your own and want to check out this option, then reach out to me using the contact form there. And I will connect with you.
Conclusion – Podcasting Website!
A podcast website is simply a non-compromisable in podcasting.
Celebrity podcasters like Joe Rogan and Ranveer Allahabadia can afford to run a podcast without a website and still make money from it.
But indie podcasters and small time podcasters like you and me absolutely need a website, if you are looking at podcasting from a long term perspective.
So, my sincere advice – Don’t compromise on a few dollars. Get your podcast website up and running.
That’s it for this week’s episode.
If you haven’t heard Bijay Gautam from the inspiring talk and Amar Vyas from baalgatha, then you might want to check out some of my earlier episodes as well.
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NOTE: This episode was originally published on 15th April 2020 as Episode-11 in the show. This is a re-publish of the same episode updated with information that is relevant to today!
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