So, you’ve started a podcast. That’s awesome! Podcasting is one of the hottest ways to consume content these days. In fact, 44 percent of the US population has listened to a podcast.
But just because your fans are listening to you, doesn’t mean that they don’t need to see you on the web.
A website will help your podcast be discovered by a ton of new listeners on the web. In addition, a podcast website will give your current fans a chance to get to know you better along with the opportunity to listen to your episodes right from their browsers.
Take your podcasting from the hobbyist level to professional. Here’s how to build a website for your podcast.
Set up Hosting for Your Website
The first step to building a website for your podcast is to set up hosting. Web hosting is basically where your website will be stored on the internet so that users can access it. So, if you don’t have a web host yet, we recommend you set up an account with Bluehost. You can get shared web hosting with Bluehost for as little as $2.95 per month including a free domain name, which is perfect if you’re just starting out in the world of podcasting. Just choose the plan that’s right for you, enter in your details, and voila! You’ve got web hosting for your website.
Plus, Bluehost has long been recommended by the most popular website and blogging platform, WordPress, as one of the best web hosting solutions for WordPress sites. Not only that, but Bluehost has premium customer service and reliability, an easy-to-use control panel, expert, in-house technical support 24/7, and more. Once you’ve purchased your web hosting, you’re ready to start building a website that satisfies the fans of your podcast and attracts new listeners.
If you’re interested in seeing a step-by-step guide for how to create a Bluehost account and one-click WordPress installation, check out our tutorial: Start Your Blog or Site in 5 Minutes with WordPress.
Install WordPress
After you’ve purchased web hosting with Bluehost, you need to install WordPress. WordPress makes it super easy to build a stunning site for your podcast in minutes. WordPress is open source software which means it’s free to use and you can customize it any way you like. It’s one of the best solutions for podcasts and you’ll find that many podcasts choose to run their websites on WordPress.
The great thing about choosing Bluehost as your website host is that they provide one-click WordPress installation. After you’ve created your Bluehost account, from your cPanel, scroll to the section named “MOJO Marketplace,” and click on the “One-Click Installs,” button. From here you’ll be taken to a page called “Scripts and Platforms”. All you have to do is find the option for WordPress and click, follow the simple steps, and you’re done. Now the fun part of building and designing your podcast website can begin.
Choose a WordPress Theme for Podcasters
Next, you need to make your website visually appealing for your visitors. Luckily, WordPress makes that very easy to do with WordPress themes. Free and paid WordPress themes are available for download to give your plain, boring site an instant makeover. You don’t need to know how to code at all, in an instant you can download a WordPress theme and install it on your site. Plus, you can choose a WordPress theme that’s specifically designed for podcasts.
For instance, this one below is called Gumbo, created by SecondLine Themes. It’s a great looking theme that includes the PowerPress plugin and it supports self hosted or external embeds from SoundCloud, Vimeo, YouTube, and more.
There are a number of gorgeous podcasts themes for WordPress available, find one that fits your needs and your brand. A beautiful theme will turn your beginner’s podcast website into a professional podcast site instantly.
Create Pages and Content
After picking the perfect WordPress theme, it’s now time to create some pages and content. For your podcast website you’ll typically want the following pages:
Home Page – Your homepage welcomes visitors to your site and gives an overview of what you’re all about.
About Us – On this page, tell your visitors who you are and why you do what you do. Include a photo of yourself or team too.
Episodes – Podcasts websites need a page that lists all your episodes, show notes, and gives visitors the option to listen from their browsers.
Contact Us – Add a contact form on your Contact Us page so people can get in touch with you.
Create a new page in WordPress for each, as well as any other pages you’d like and start filling them in with content. You can also consider starting a blog page where you transform your podcast episodes into written content. Providing a transcript of your podcasts episodes is just another way your fans can consume your content. Adding more detailed thoughts to your transcripts will also position you as a thought-leader in your industry.
Install WordPress Plugins for Podcasters
Finally, you’ll want to take your podcast website to the next level with some powerful WordPress plugins. WordPress plugins are available for download within the official WordPress Plugin directory and there are thousands to choose from. First you should grab some plugins that are useful for any site like Yoast SEO (to help optimize your site for SEO) and MonsterInsights (to track and analyze traffic to your site right from WordPress). But there are a number of must-have plugins designed specifically for podcasters as well.
Image Source: https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/search/podcast/
Just a quick search brings up a bunch of popular plugins. Some notable ones include PowerPress by Blubrry (allows you to easily add podcasts episodes to WordPress), Seriously Simple Podcasting (lets you add your podcast archive, single episodes, or playlists anywhere on your site), and Amazon Polly for WordPress (transform written content automatically into life-like speech). These plugins will ensure your podcast website is up-to-speed with all of your competitors.
With Bluehost and WordPress you can easily create a top-notch website for your podcast that will impress your current listeners as well as help you gain a ton of new fans. With this guide to building a website for your podcast, you should be on your way to becoming the professional podcaster you’ve been working towards. If you still want more information on building a website, check out the Bluehost blog for more related posts.
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