Go To Our Website

Sadly, nearly all that's left of radio these days can be summed up in that one phrase: "...go to our website." Even worse, I can't name five radio stations in the entire country that have great websites. A few have good websites, but most just plain suck.

Here's a test for how bad your stations site really is: Turn on your station. Listen to the next break you hear. I guarantee there's a plug for the station's website in there. It's usually for a specific piece of content. Maybe a jock blog (that hasn't been updated in weeks), or maybe a youtube video that's been posted. Whatever.

Listen to the jock's break.

Now see how long it takes YOU to find that 'content' on the website - if you can even find it.

Next, ask yourself: "Is that worth it?" Is it really worth it to have air talent plugging a station's website even though the site isn't very good? Isn't it better to have air talent putting compelling content on the actual radio station rather than having them use the station as a commercial for a lame website?

And while I'm on that topic: why does your station's site suck in the first place? Your station's site is almost entirely advertisements. Even when it comes to content. The first thing people see on your site is ads for content rather than actual content!

Remember back in the 70s and 80s when TV shows used to begin with a theme, then commercials, and after all of that, the show would begin? These days, people tune out. Shows open with a quick sounder followed by the action. Why isn't your website like that?

You put your most important stuff on the air at 7:20 and 8:20, right? Because that's when the largest number of listeners are tuned in, right? Guess where the largest number of visitors on your site are. Your Home Page.

Pull up your site's stats and you'll find that many of your listeners never click past the home page. And I'll tell you why: it's because the home page is all flash and no substance.

What you really should be doing is finding out what your listeners favorite websites are... the places they go the most... the sites they spend the most time on... and then ask "Why doesn't our radio station website look like those?"

Your jocks are wasting airtime plugging a website that sucks, yet the website is treated as an afterthought. More effort goes into one hour of your morning show than the amount of work that's done on your website in a week, if not a month or even a year... and yet, the rest of the broadcast day seems to be spent trying to send listeners from the radio to the website.

It makes no sense.