Your Website (Don't overlook this important branding tool!)
Jul 31, 2017 0:51:25 GMT -8
Anairis Q, duffyweber, and 1 more like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Jul 31, 2017 0:51:25 GMT -8
One of the most important marketing tools you can have as a voice actor, aside from your demo reels, is your website. Many people overlook this crucial tool when first starting out, but having a website can up your booking game and lend you professional credibility. A website is important for the following reasons:
General tips:
What if I can't afford a domain name or web hosting?
In the meantime, you can look into free web-hosting sites. As the tradeoff for having a free website is usually ads, try to choose an option with minimal or unintrusive advertising.
What if I don't know how to design websites or graphics?
The best option, if you're willing to spend money, is to hire someone to design a website for you or at least commission someone to make a graphic/logo unique to you. However, there are plenty of free online templates and resources (many simply ask that you link back to the original designer). If you don't have the money to commission someone for a logo, see if you can do a services trade (for instance, you provide voice acting for someone's project in exchange for them making you a logo) or use an online text-to-logo generator.
I'm an amateur/aspiring voice actor. Can I/should I create a website?
As long as you have at least one demo reel, creating a website can generally only help you rather than hurt you. Once you have a demo made and at least a few different roles under your belt, you can start looking into making one (free web hosting sites are generally fine for amateur talent.) You can brand it in a consistent way with whatever online persona you use for voice acting, but if you transition into being a professional voice talent later, you'll want to update your website and branding (or create a new one) to reflect that. Linking to or referencing fan projects is OK for amateur voice actor websites but (aside from indie games or completely original content) discouraged for professional voice actor websites.
I have a Twitter account with my information on it, a YouTube channel where I post video demos, etc. Do I still need a website?
While those sites can be great supplemental tools for promotion, a website - even a relatively bare-bones one - is still a good idea. Not everyone uses Facebook or Twitter or wants to navigate through YouTube pages to try to see your demo or figure out how to contact you, and if you get to the point in your career where you start networking with studios, agencies, or casting directors, they will generally expect to see your website rather than your other online accounts.
Should I write my text/bio in first-person or third-person?
That is up to you. A third-person bio gives off a more "business" vibe, while a first-person bio gives off a more personal/intimate vibe. Either can work, but whichever you choose, be sure to keep it consistent across the board.
How often should I update my site?
There's no definitive answer other than "keep it current and relevant." If your site mostly consists of just your demos and contact info and they've stayed the same, you're good for a while...but if you get a new demo made, book a major role, or change agencies, you'll want to update your site as soon as possible to reflect that. If you have your site copyrighted with the year at the bottom for whatever reason, make sure it's current---if a client sees "(c) 2014 John Smith", they may wonder if your info is still relevant or if you are even active anymore.
___________________________
All of the guides and resources on this forum are provided on a volunteer basis. However, if you find them helpful, please consider buying me a coffee!
- It allows potential clients and casting directors to quickly and easily hear what you sound like.
- It provides an easy method of contact if someone wants to hire you for a project.
- It establishes your branding and online presence.
- It will generally show up as one of the top search results when someone Googles your name, giving you some control over the official information you put out there about yourself and your work. Assuming you have a resume included, it also serves as a verifiable, direct source of the roles you've played.
- It allows studios and potential clients to easily verify information on your home setup.
- Having a website with demo reels can increase chances of random potential clients finding you. Clients who aren't in the know about certain casting sites will often Google to find freelance voice talent, listen to their demo reels, and contact them if they are interested in getting an audition or a quote.
Voice actor websites can contain a variety of information, but the absolute must-haves are your demo reels and contact information. These should all be easily accessible whenever someone first visits your page.
A website doesn't necessarily need to be elaborate or fancy. Keep in mind that when casting directors and potential clients are looking primarily for two things:
1. They want to hear what you sound like.
2. They want to easily be able to contact you for an audition or job.
Demo Reel(s)
As one of the main purposes of a website is for potential clients to be able to hear what you sound like and what types of characters you can play, it doesn't make much sense to make a site until you have some type of demo reel (even a self-made one) or at least some functional samples of your voice and acting. Here are some points to consider in regards to how demos are displayed on your website:
- Demos should ideally be easily accessible from the main page of your site. If you have just one or two demo reels, it may be a good idea to put them directly on the front page. However, a separate page for demos is acceptable, particularly if you have a lot of them... so long as it doesn't take visitors more than a click or two to hear your voice.
- There should be an option to both stream the demos (aka, you can click Play and hear the demo without having to download or go to a separate site) and download the demos if desired. The reason for this is because sometimes casting directors go through and save demo reels of voice actors they want to keep in mind for future projects so that they can contact them if something comes up.
- The more "targeted" demos you have on your site, the better your chances of reaching specific clientele. If you're just starting out, you might only have your character demo, and that's OK. But if you're a singer, for instance, consider including your singing demo as well. Want to do audiobooks? Put together a narration demo. The "core" demos that are the most common/requested are a character demo and a commercial demo, and this is generally sufficient---but as you grow in your career you may choose to have targeted demos for more specific markets, such as games and apps, audiobooks, on-hold messaging, radio imaging, etc. If you are completely bilingual and can act or narrate well in your other native language, this can be a very marketable tool as well. For example, bilingual English and Spanish actors are often requested, so actors who grew up speaking both English and Spanish may include Spanish demos or an option for clients to toggle a Spanish-language version of their website.
- If you have visual reels as well (compilations of footage from projects you are in), this is something to consider including on your website as well, but it isn't required by any means.
Contact Info (Required!)
If you want to be considered for auditions and projects by clients who visit your website, it is imperative that they have an easy way to contact you directly.
- Your most important contact method, and the only one you really need to put on your website, is your e-mail address. Make sure this is an e-mail address that you check at least once a day and can respond to in a timely manner.
- Listing your phone number is not recommended unless you have a dedicated business line or run your own studio, as there are plenty of scammers, spammers, and creepy people out there. Reputable clients can always contact you by email first, and info such as a phone number or Skype/Discord name can be exchanged there.
- You may include your agent's contact info in addition if you are represented, but unless you handle every single inquiry through your agent with zero exceptions, putting your own contact info is strongly encouraged for situations where contacting your agent simply wouldn't be relevant or appropriate---for instance, if someone wants to interview you for a podcast or send you a piece of art of one of your characters, that's not something agents would generally deal with. If someone contacts you about a booking via your website that you'd prefer to handle through your agent instead, you can always forward the inquiry to them or CC them in your reply.
Possibly controversial opinion: DO NOT HAVE A WEB FORM AS YOUR ONLY METHOD OF CONTACT!
It makes sense WHY a form seems like a good option on the surface. Perhaps you're worried about bots or spammers finding your e-mail address, or you prefer to keep your e-mail address private in general. But if a casting director needs to contact you asap, a contact form is loathsome. Here's why:
- Many auditions these days are very quick turnaround (24 hours or less). If a casting director wants to quickly CC you on an audition, they don't have time to fill out a contact form letting you know they'd like to send you sides, wonder if it's actually going to go through to you, then wait for you to get back to them. They need to be able to e-mail you the sides NOW. If a project is urgent, and there is no way to contact you other than an impersonal web form, chances are they will just not bother.
- If you happen to cross a casting director's mind, they may wish to add you to their talent roster for potential opportunities...but again, if they can't easily plug your e-mail address into their database, they're probably not going to go out of their way to use your form to ask.
- Sometimes the forms are buggy and do not work properly, meaning the message may never actually go through! For example, I have used contact forms for people whom I wanted to hire for services (for example, demo producers). The form submissions went into the ether and upon finding some other way to contact them, was told they never received the inquiry. A form not working properly can result in lost income and opportunities for your business!
- And finally, forms are simply annoying, the main reason being that many of them require a Captcha which are awful in their own way. We get that you want to prevent spam, but if you make potential clients (or very busy casting directors) jump through a bunch of hoops just to see about hiring you, they may not want to bother.
If you want to have a form, you can do so in addition (like for fan messages/general inquiries), but you are strongly encouraged to include some sort of direct email for project/audition inquiries (you can clearly state on your site that this is for business only, if you so desire). If you don't want to give out your work e-mail publicly, then at least make a forwarding e-mail from your site that will then forward to the address you actually use, or some other place where you will see it in a timely manner. In terms of spam concerns, displaying your e-mail address as an image rather than text can be a potential option, but it can create an accessibility issue for those who use screen readers.
Additional content that is not required, but strongly encouraged:
- Resume. People generally want to know at least a little bit about your experience. If you don't have a lot of roles yet, you can supplement it as best as possible with lists of student projects, classes you've taken, etc. On the flip side, if you have a lot of roles, you may want to mention your most prominent ones first (with a link to view your full resume on a PDF or separate page.) This can be as simple as "Project Name - Character" separated into categories (animation/video game/commercial/narration). If your work is generally known enough that you don't need a full resume, or you don't have time to make one at the moment, then at least putting a list of some of your most prestigious roles/clients somewhere on your site is better than nothing.
- Home studio information. If you want or need to record from home for higher-level projects (or even paid projects in general), then putting your home studio information somewhere on your website is highly encouraged. The main pieces of information you need to include are your microphone, audio interface, general booth setup/room treatment, and connection options for live sessions (ex: SourceConnect?* Discord? Zoom?) A photo or two of your recording space can be helpful, although it's not required. If you are truly ADR-capable (big enough monitor, hardwired internet, can control gain in your booth, know how to dub to picture in real-time and can handle multiple programs running including video and audio streams without bad connection lag or computer fan ruining your recording), then you can list this as well.
*Don't list that you have SourceConnect Standard unless you actually have it, as it can be notoriously difficult to set up and troubleshoot. If a client decides they need you for a SourceConnect session within the next 24 hours, are you able to deliver?
Less important things that you don't necessarily NEED on your site, but can be helpful:
- Bio. Keeping your website strictly business is fine, but some like to add a more personal touch by having a few paragraphs about themselves---for instance, where they grew up, how they got started in voiceover, and what their hobbies are.
- FAQ. This is mainly for people with established followings of some sort who tend to get emailed the same questions over and over. Unfortunately, not everyone's going to read your FAQ and will continue to email you the same questions anyway, but you can include it if you feel it has helpful or relevant information. *If you don't want to deal with the dreaded "how do you get into voiceover" question, feel free to link the Voice Acting Club website which has tons of free resources!
- Social media links. If you have an active presence on social media and/or a fanbase looking to engage with you, posting links to your social media pages can be helpful in branding and also getting you more followers. Be sure these are accounts that are open to the public to view and follow---for instance, if you have a Facebook link, link to your Facebook business page (the one that people can "like"), rather than your personal Facebook account (where people would have to friend request you.) Whether or not it's "fair", a social media presence is important to certain clients for marketing reasons, so it makes sense to give people easy links to connect with you on various platforms.
- Testimonials. To be honest, testimonials from past clients can seem a little awkward and self-serving at times (and no one really likes to ask their clients or directors to write them one), but some people out there swear by them. If you do choose to include them, make sure you have permission from anyone whose quotes you are using.
Things to avoid including:
- Your rates, in most cases. Generally speaking, rates are something that should be communicated and negotiated with your client after they've already contacted you expressing interest. It will also allow you to tailor your rate to what they're proposing or even what their own budget is. Remember that rates are often based on many factors such as type of project, workload, and intended use/distribution. It's very easy to shoot yourself in the foot by posting prices there for all to see on your webpage---make them too high and potential clients may be discouraged from contacting you; make them too low and you risk being seen as a "bargain" actor who is undercutting others. Unless (for instance) you specifically offer voice commissions that fans of yours need a clear and standard rate structure for, anything involving pricing and payment is usually best discussed privately through e-mail.
- Autoplay. You might think it's fun or creative to have your demo reels or a project compilation video play as soon as someone visits your site, but this is a definite no-no---just think about the backlash against ads that autoplay video and audio and how you immediately rush to turn them off without even bothering to see what they're about. Many people use headphones and demo reels tend to be LOUD, so you don't want to make them jump out of their chair (or accidentally create an embarrassing situation if they open your site in a public place and aren't wearing headphones). Anything that has sound should actually require the user to push "play" and not do so automatically; otherwise they will probably close out of the page and not come back.
- Ads. Banner ads can make your site look unappealing and even amateur, and popup ads are an annoyance. While many people use Adblock these days, it's not always an option on mobile devices or certain work/school computers. If you're forced to rely on free web hosting, try to choose an option where they ads are as unintrusive as possible (no video ads, and nothing in the middle of text or content people are trying to view.) The worst offenders are probably the ads that cover the page and force the user to click a tiny, barely visible "x" to close them out in order to view the content---some people just won't bother.
- Overly flashy intros, animated backgrounds, hard-to-read text, etc. You want your website to be aesthetically pleasing, but also easy to read and navigate. It is better to err on the side of clean and simple rather than distracting and busy. Color schemes, layouts and fonts should be coherent and pleasant---nothing like pink Comic Sans text on a green background to show your credibility, right?
- Unrelated business endeavors. Chances are you probably do other things to make money, but your site should be primarily about you as an actor. If you have another business that's not related to the entertainment industry and you really want to link it, keep it non-intrusive; perhaps as a link on your bio page ("When Anne isn't voice acting, she's also a chef! You can view her cooking blog here.") Your clients may be turned off or confused if they see half your site is being used to promote your multi-level marketing scheme selling crystals or wellness shakes. Similarly, Gofundme or other services used to solicit donations are best promoted on your social media pages rather than on your primary business website.
- Make sure your site is accessible on mobile devices! These days, it is common for people to be browsing from smartphones and tablets, so you don't want to have your site look like a mess or have the demos unplayable without downloading some app or plugin. Visit your site from your own mobile device(s) and make sure it looks good and works properly. If you have a fancy design that doesn't transition well over to mobile and you don't want to alter it, there is code you can use in your site that will enable a different (smartphone-friendly) version of your site to load if it detects that the user is on mobile.
- Check different web browsers, too. While things should generally look the same across the board, certain browsers may have quirks that cause something not to work as it should. Cover your bases by making sure your site looks good in the most common web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Are there any restrictions on the general look of the site? Should I keep it "strictly professional"?
Practically speaking, it doesn't matter too much what the actual site looks like so long as people can find the needed information. The general rules apply that it should be clearly readable as well as at least somewhat aesthetically pleasing, but unless you're exclusively working for stuffy corporate clients, don't feel you need to stick with "safe" colors and plain text. Your website is an extension of your brand, and should reflect your personal branding and who you are as an actor. You can have a site that looks "professional" (well-designed, easy to navigate, and visually appealing) without being boring. If you have a logo, it should fit into the general theme of the site (or vice-versa) so that everything looks cohesive.
What should I call my site/what should the URL be?
Generally, the title of your site should include your name and what you do. For example, "John Smith, Voice Actor", "John Smith Voiceovers", or "John Smith | Voice Talent". The best choice for your domain name is usually something like YourName.com, but if that's taken (which may be the unfortunate case especially if you have a common name), you can try something like JohnSmithVO.com or johnsmithvoice.com. If you are marketing yourself as an amateur/online voice actor or content creator, you can use your username, but if you plan to submit to agencies or studios it's best to avoid anything too cutesy or unrelated, unless it's the name of your actual business or company.What if I can't afford a domain name or web hosting?
In the meantime, you can look into free web-hosting sites. As the tradeoff for having a free website is usually ads, try to choose an option with minimal or unintrusive advertising.
What if I don't know how to design websites or graphics?
The best option, if you're willing to spend money, is to hire someone to design a website for you or at least commission someone to make a graphic/logo unique to you. However, there are plenty of free online templates and resources (many simply ask that you link back to the original designer). If you don't have the money to commission someone for a logo, see if you can do a services trade (for instance, you provide voice acting for someone's project in exchange for them making you a logo) or use an online text-to-logo generator.
I'm an amateur/aspiring voice actor. Can I/should I create a website?
As long as you have at least one demo reel, creating a website can generally only help you rather than hurt you. Once you have a demo made and at least a few different roles under your belt, you can start looking into making one (free web hosting sites are generally fine for amateur talent.) You can brand it in a consistent way with whatever online persona you use for voice acting, but if you transition into being a professional voice talent later, you'll want to update your website and branding (or create a new one) to reflect that. Linking to or referencing fan projects is OK for amateur voice actor websites but (aside from indie games or completely original content) discouraged for professional voice actor websites.
I have a Twitter account with my information on it, a YouTube channel where I post video demos, etc. Do I still need a website?
While those sites can be great supplemental tools for promotion, a website - even a relatively bare-bones one - is still a good idea. Not everyone uses Facebook or Twitter or wants to navigate through YouTube pages to try to see your demo or figure out how to contact you, and if you get to the point in your career where you start networking with studios, agencies, or casting directors, they will generally expect to see your website rather than your other online accounts.
Should I write my text/bio in first-person or third-person?
That is up to you. A third-person bio gives off a more "business" vibe, while a first-person bio gives off a more personal/intimate vibe. Either can work, but whichever you choose, be sure to keep it consistent across the board.
How often should I update my site?
There's no definitive answer other than "keep it current and relevant." If your site mostly consists of just your demos and contact info and they've stayed the same, you're good for a while...but if you get a new demo made, book a major role, or change agencies, you'll want to update your site as soon as possible to reflect that. If you have your site copyrighted with the year at the bottom for whatever reason, make sure it's current---if a client sees "(c) 2014 John Smith", they may wonder if your info is still relevant or if you are even active anymore.
___________________________
All of the guides and resources on this forum are provided on a volunteer basis. However, if you find them helpful, please consider buying me a coffee!
I’m a female voice actor with a High pitched, normal and robotic voice and I can also do British accents! I do murder drones and I could try any other and I can follow scripts! Send me an email if you need me! (Mahatareq09@yahoo.com)