Even though brick-and-mortar stores are making a comeback, 34% of shoppers shop online each week. Even if you don’t sell products online, having an online presence is important. It helps with brand awareness, provides customers with valuable information, and is a marketing asset.
Luckily, you don’t need to hire an expensive web developer to build your site. In this blog, we’ll explore 9 tips and tools you can use to create a stellar website for your music store.
Luckily, you don’t need to hire an expensive web developer to build your site. In this blog, we’ll explore 9 tips and tools you can use to create a stellar website for your music store.
How To Build a Music Store Website: 9 Tips & Tools
As a business owner, you wear many hats — and web developer is a new one. Thankfully, we’ve taken the guesswork out of how to build a music store website and simplified it so you can get back to more important tasks.
1. Define Your Goals and Target Audience
Before diving into the technical aspects, it’s important to define what you want your website to achieve. Are you looking to sell musical instruments, offer sheet music, or provide repair services?
This may be the most time-consuming part, but it will be well worth the research down the line. Understanding your goals will guide the design and functionality of your site. Plus, knowing your target audience — whether they are budding musicians, professional artists, or music educators — will help tailor the user experience to meet their needs.
2. Choose the Right Platform
Once you know who your audience is, it’s time to choose a platform for building your website. There are plenty out there, but here are popular ones for beginners:
Music Shop 360
Features: Music Shop 360 is a complete POS system designed specifically for music shop owners. It helps you manage everything in one place, and includes a website builder to easily manage your online presence. You can seamlessly integrate other tools into your site like Apple Pay, Klarna, AfterPay, QuickBooks, and more.
Best for: A novice website builder, or someone who needs a simple all-in-one solution they can manage in one location.
Squarespace
Features: With elegant templates, built-in e-commerce functionality, blogging tools, and robust customer support, Squarespace has you covered.
Best for: Ideal for creative professionals, artists, and small to medium-sized e-commerce stores.
Shopify
Features: Shopify is a comprehensive e-commerce platform with a wide range of themes, integrated payment processing, inventory management, and a large app store.
Best for: Suitable for all sizes of e-commerce businesses, from small startups to large enterprises.
BigCommerce
Features: BigCommerce offers a scalable e-commerce platform with a variety of themes, SEO tools, and advanced marketing features.
Best for: Great for growing e-commerce businesses looking for scalability.
WooCommerce (WordPress)
Features: WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that is highly customizable. It boasts a wide range of themes and plugins, supported by a large community.
Best for: Best for those familiar with WordPress and in need of a flexible e-commerce solution.
We’d highly recommend a comprehensive solution that won’t make your head spin trying to fix back-end code. Luckily, with platforms like these, you won’t need to break the budget on a costly web developer.
Be sure to consider what function your website needs to serve. For example, do you only do repairs, but hope to sell merchandise in the future? Make sure the platform you choose is easily scalable so you won’t be stuck completely revamping your website in the near future.
3. Create a Cohesive Brand Design
Make sure your brand design is cohesive and easily identifiable. This includes using consistent images, font style, and colors. If someone goes to your Instagram page and it has a completely different look and feel than your website, it could confuse potential customers.
Consider imagery that resonates with your target audience. High-quality visuals of your products and a user-friendly interface will enhance the overall user experience and encourage customers to explore your website longer.
4. Implement E-Commerce Functionality
A great music store website needs solid e-commerce features. Make sure your music shop website has detailed product listings with clear descriptions, high-quality images, and accurate pricing.
It's also important to have search and filtering options to help customers find what they're looking for quickly. A smooth shopping cart and checkout process makes it easier for customers to purchase records. You can also cross-merchandise or upsell if your checkout process is fast and painless.
Lastly, make sure you can integrate secure payment options like credit cards, ApplePay, PayPal, Klarna, and other popular methods to ensure customers feel safe and confident when checking out.
5. Optimize for Search Engines
What good is a shiny new website if no one can find it? Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital for driving traffic to your website. SEO is a way of increasing visibility on search engines like Google, using relevant keywords like “buy musical instruments online” and “guitar repair in Cleveland.” You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Helium 10 to find relevant keywords for your specific music shop.
Create engaging content like blog posts or product reviews to improve your site’s visibility in search engine results. Most importantly, ensure your website is mobile-friendly! Over 75% of shoppers in the U.S. will browse on their mobile devices rather than a desktop computer.
6. Add Customer Reviews and Ratings
Customer reviews and ratings play a huge role in buying decisions. Let customers leave reviews on your products and highlight the positive ones. This builds trust and gives new customers the confidence to make a purchase, thanks to the social proof from others. Remember: You need to get permission from reviewers to use their name.
Don’t have any reviews yet? Don’t worry. Encourage walk-in customers to leave reviews on site or on their social media and tag you. If someone purchases from your website, you can always schedule follow-up emails to politely nudge them to leave a review.
7. Make Navigation Easy and User-Friendly
Keeping visitors on your site means having a well-organized layout. Use intuitive navigation with clear categories and a simple menu, making it easy for customers to find what they need, whether they’re browsing product categories or using the search bar. A smooth, hassle-free experience keeps visitors engaged and boosts the chances of conversions.
8. Get the Word Out
Promote your website to drive traffic and boost visibility. Use social media and online ads to reach your target audience. Engaging with customers through these channels can build brand loyalty and encourage repeat business.
9. Track Website Metrics
After your website is up and running, keep an eye on its performance with tools like Google Analytics. Track metrics like visitor behavior, conversion rates, and sales data to see what’s working and what needs improvement. Regular updates based on these insights will help optimize your site’s performance and improve user satisfaction.
How To Build Your Website With Music Shop 360
Mastering the art of how to build a music store website takes careful planning, the right tools, and ongoing management. By setting clear goals, choosing the right platform, and adding essential features, you can create an online store that attracts customers and offers a seamless shopping experience.
Music Shop 360’s extensive features can boost both your online and offline operations. It handles the tasks of building a website, managing inventory, processing sales, and analyzing performance. Its seamless integration with your website ensures that your online store’s inventory is always current and simplifies managing both online and in-store transactions.
Schedule your free demo to learn how Music Shop 360 POS can help you build and manage your site from a single platform.