I have been utilizing WordPress since 2003. I feel model 0.72 was my first. However the world of web site choices for podcasters has modified considerably since then! So is WordPress nonetheless your best option on your podcast web site, or must you strive one thing else now?
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Your podcast does want a web site!
I’ve come to hate the phrases “discover my podcast in [Spotify / Apple Podcasts / etc.]” and “Wherever you get your podcasts.” My disdain for the latter deserves it is personal future episode!
The largest downside is that telling folks to principally search on your podcast places you on the mercy of not solely the ceaselessly altering search rankings, nevertheless it particularly relies on the idea that there aren’t any different podcasts with comparable names—now, or sooner or later! For instance, there have been 19 outcomes for “suppose exterior the field” in Apple Podcasts after I ready this episode! And if you must begin telling folks which search consequence to decide on, you are already overcomplicating your name to motion.
The only factor is to level them to your web site and let your web site hyperlink to the preferred platforms. Even when your potential listeners need to observe your podcast in less-popular apps, they’d have your web site to see your branding and guarantee they’re following the correct podcast.
A podcast with out a web site is a homeless podcast! Out of your web site, you possibly can acquire electronic mail addresses, promote particular occasions, promote services and products, solicit suggestions, and extra. You possibly can’t successfully do this in podcast apps!
No matter what powers your web site, a very powerful factor is that it makes use of your individual area as a result of that means that you can make timeless calls to motion irrespective of how you modify your know-how.
So please assume the reply to “Does my podcast want a web site?” is at all times “sure.”
Podcast-hosting suppliers have a lot better web sites now
Captivate, Buzzsprout, Transistor, Blubrry, and different podcast-hosting suppliers do supply fundamental web sites for every podcast you host with them. These web sites are sometimes easy, however also can nonetheless be enticing and designed to make your podcast distinguished and simply listenable, together with selling methods to observe your podcast. These websites additionally allow you to publish additional pages and weblog posts. Among the internet hosting suppliers even allow you to acquire electronic mail addresses, solicit suggestions, or obtain monetary assist out of your viewers.
An important factor is for such a web site to work with your area and be an precise web site, ideally with solely your individual branding. Evaluate that to what you get from decrease high quality podcast-hosting suppliers the place you get solely an onlineweb page on their area with their distinguished branding.
So should you want solely a fundamental dwelling on your podcast and your podcast-hosting supplier gives an excellent one, then go forward and use it (so long as you employ your individual area with it)!
WordPress offers final energy with prices
When you get your area and web-hosting, a lot of the WordPress ecosystem does not price any cash. You may get an incredible theme and numerous helpful plugins free on WordPress.org (and thru the theme and plugin catalogs accessible inside your WordPress web site).
However to cite from the Spider-Man comics, usually spoken by Uncle Ben within the films, “With nice energy comes nice accountability!” Or to cite an usually repeated line the I cherished from the As soon as Upon a Time TV collection, “All magic comes with a worth!”
Observe that I did not say utilizing WordPress is free. Certain, you may not have to purchase something, however it would price you time and information to get issues working properly, and additional time and information to preserve them working properly. For instance, if you need a contact kind in your web site, you’ve gotten a number of free and paid plugin choices, they usually all require some degree of setup.
And if you wish to monetize your web site in any method, you may be taking a look at many extra steps and problems.
You can even generate your podcast RSS feed out of your WordPress web site with PowerPress, however I like to recommend that solely when paired with Blubrry podcast-hosting, otherwise you’re ready to deal with a number of geeky problems.
Then what do you do when one thing goes improper? I’ve had a number of WordPress websites compromised earlier than, requiring me to take a position beneficial time to seek out the issue, patch the vulnerabilities, and restore the harm.
So, sure, WordPress offers you nice energy along with your web site. In truth, I really feel assured saying you are able to do nearly something you possibly can think about with a WordPress web site! However that energy will price you in different methods!
Web site builders have gotten simpler and higher
Whether or not you are taking a look at a “web page builder” plugin for WordPress, like Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, and even the more and more highly effective built-in Gutenberg Editor; otherwise you’re taking a look at third-party web site suppliers, like Wix, Squarespace, and such; they’ve all gotten an entire lot simpler to make your web site look and performance nice. And, a lot to my delight, they’re additionally lastly getting higher at supporting the area of interest wants of podcasters.
I nonetheless do not advocate third-party web site suppliers to host your podcast media and RSS feed, however should you get your RSS feed out of your precise podcast-hosting supplier (like Captivate, Buzzsprout, and such), all it is advisable flip your web site right into a “podcast web site” is audio gamers for every episode and subscribe or observe buttons for common podcast apps.
Podpage and Beamly present a brand new method
Lately, a hybrid choice has emerged: third-party website-providers designed particularly for podcast web sites, powered primarily out of your podcast RSS feed.
The 2 hottest choices are Podpage and Beamly (previously generally known as “Podcastpage”—see why they rebranded?). These not solely usually offer you great-looking web sites, however their function choices are beginning to rival what you might make with your individual customized WordPress web site, however with out the price of a lot time and information!
For instance, each Podpage and Beamly allow you to promote various kinds of “memberships” to your viewers, permitting them to financially assist your podcast on an automated, recurring foundation. Each Podpage and Beamly additionally will let you promote some merchandise immediately by your web site. Each suppliers allow you to add further weblog posts and pages in your web site. And so they each supply an entire lot extra!
Between the 2, I normally advocate Podpage extra, however you choose what’s best for you! It additionally helps that my pal Dave Jackson, from Faculty of Podcasting, now works for Podpage!
What’s proper for you?
I do not normally advocate just one choice for everybody as a result of there is no such thing as a “one measurement suits all” for podcasters! However I hope this steering will assist:
- If you happen to love WordPress and wish whole management, use WordPress with PowerPress and Blubrry internet hosting.
- If you happen to do not love WordPress or cannot afford the time and information to run it, use the podcast RSS feed out of your podcast-hosting supplier.
- In order for you a barebones web site you barely have to consider, use your individual area with the fundamental web site out of your podcast-hosting supplier.
- In order for you extra management and do not thoughts some additional steps for each episode, use a third-party web site supplier like Wix or Squarespace.
- In order for you extra built-in options however with out manually crossposting your episodes, use Podpage or Beamly.
Vital tip #1: replace your RSS feed’s episode hyperlinks!
If you happen to select any choices different than publishing your podcast from WordPress (with PowerPress and Blubrry) or utilizing your podcast-hosting supplier’s web site, then you definitely’ll want to make sure you copy the webpage URL for every episode into the episode hyperlink in your episode-editor out of your podcast-hosting supplier. It will guarantee your podcast episodes correctly level to your episode webpages for every episode as an alternative of pointing to the podcast-hosting supplier’s web site that you just’re not utilizing.
For instance, on Captivate, paste the episode webpage URL into to the “Episode URL” subject after you open “Transcription and Discoverability.” Or in Buzzsprout’s, paste it into the “Customized Episode Webpage” subject after you open “See extra choices.”
Vital tip #2: copy or redirect all outdated URLs
If you happen to’ve ever given a name to motion with a particular URL in your area, reminiscent of “TheAudacitytoPodcast.com/giveback” that I take advantage of for should you worth the podcast, then be certain that these will at all times work, whether or not you are altering issues round in your present web site or switching to a very completely different web site choice.
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Disclosure
This publish might comprise hyperlinks to services or products with which I’ve an affiliate relationship. I could obtain compensation out of your actions by such hyperlinks. Nevertheless, I do not let that corrupt my perspective and I do not advocate solely associates.
