The website, still a must for voice talents

The industry of voiceovers has become so competitive these days that as a matter of course any voice actor needs to build and enhance his online presence. This means for voice talents deploying an active role on social media of course, but also having website which is both functional and trendy in design as well as convenientely ranked in the browsers.

Even for experienced actors with a loyal clientele, it is becoming a real need to have a website, because the site is like a card, a brochure. If you intend to stay active in business in the coming years you need one site that can be used on any computer tablet or mobile phone and where you can showcase your artistic abilities, references, experience and of course audio demos.

You might still ask, Why a website? Why do I need to spend time and money in a website? Please read on…

According to recent research, a large percentage of men and women in the world are online mainly because of one reason in general: to have easier access to things they want to find. And as someone who wants to be seen and listened to you need to take advantage of this opportunity.

At “Marketing Tips for Beginner Voice Over Actor” there is a clear overview of why a website is a need for every voice actor:

• It’s like a digital office space where people from around the world can visit anytime.
• A properly made website will showcase your talent as a voice actor.
• It contains your samples and demos, as well as other needed information, which is a big factor for employers when they are looking for voice actors.

At  “SEO Tips for Voice Actors”, Jodi Krangle says that unless you are someone who has already established a household name, no one will be looking up for your service in the Internet by your name. These users will most probably use generic keywords such as “professional voice actor”, “male voice actor”, “female voice actor”, and more. You would want these keywords to appear in your website so it will come up when someone searches for those keywords. We will discuss more of these later.

First, you need to know that a personal website for voice actors is like any other website. So, it very much needs almost the same elements as other personal websites need.

Jessica Pierce, a career transition expert, trainer, and professional speaker, listed six must-haves that pretty much speak of what a VO personal website also needs:

1. Online Resume. Your website should have a separate page where you put your online resume. Include information that is needed such as skills, strengths, and achievements. Information like your home address or your objectives are not that needed so omit them.
2. Professional Portfolio. For a voice actor, this is the area where your samples and demos go. Keep a section where visitors can check out your samples. Put it in such a way that these people can tell that you will be a valuable employee to them.
3. Social Media Accounts. Include links to your social media accounts. This will show that you are socially active and that you have many connections which maybe also valuable to your employer in the coming days. Do not create a social media account and never use it. It will speak of how you cannot finish something that you started which is a negative feedback from an employer.
4. Keyword Rich. In connection with Jodi Krangle, Jessica Pierce said to not overuse keywords. Though this will be how your visitors will find your website, too much keywords will penalize your website from appearing in search engines; thus, decreasing your chances of being seen.
5. Links to and from other Websites. Not do these links show that you’re interested in other stuff aside from voice acting, it will help with your ranking in search engines.
6. Blog. Another thing that works like the links is a blog. Include a blog page where you can showcase your interests and tell your visitors that you have more than just voice acting to offer.

Now, let’s get back to Jodi Krangle. She included some points to avoid when you develop your site. This will also help in the Search Engine Optimization of your site.

• DON’T opt for “splash” or “entry” page. Yes, it looks awesome but most of your visitors, especially the potential employers, will look for the content and not the aesthetics. This will not also be helpful for SEO since search engines will not be able to crawl/read Flash-generated websites.
• DON’T have less text. Like the point above, search engine will only see texts. So if you have little of those, these crawlers won’t have something to crawl on. Also, it would be frustrating for your visitors to not get something sensible from your website.
• DON’T have an audio playing once someone lands on your website. We understand that you are a voice actor who wants to showcase your skills. But these employers do not actually prefer hearing you instantly. They want to press the Play button on their terms—not yours. Allow your audience to listen to your samples if they want to, not because they have to.
• DON’T forget to put a title and a description meta tag. These are important elements for both your visitors and the search engine. Your visitors want to know at a quick glance what your website is all about. The search engines would find it easy to categorize your site once it is included in their database.
• DON’T neglect to buy your own domain. Having your own domain will increase your credibility. Besides, a domain these days does not cost that much. Do this if you are really serious about voice acting.

These are just basic stuff that you ought to know as a voice actor. It is already the time to step up in the game and move along with the advancement of technology.

What are your thoughts of having a personal website for voice actors? Share with us! Comment below.