Shows
Better Radio WebsitesWebsite Promotion Strategies Every Station Should UseYour station website shouldn’t be the best-kept secret in your market. Yet, many stations launch a great-looking site and then stop short when it comes to promotion. In this episode, Jim shares real-world examples and easy-to-implement strategies to get your website the attention it deserves—from your air staff, your sales team, and most importantly, your listeners.You’ll learn:Why on-air mentions fall flat without clear listener benefitsHow to craft compelling website promos that drive clicksThe one mindset shift that makes your team treat the website like a prioritySimple tweaks to boost engage...2025-07-2109 min
Better Radio WebsitesSales Smarts & Digital Dollars with Pat Bryson98-year-old vaudeville stage? Check. Packed broadcaster convention? Check. One of radio’s most sought-after revenue gurus sharing the mic? Double-check. Strap in, because veteran sales consultant Pat Bryson just dropped a clinic on turning radio stations—and their websites—into relentless revenue engines.Five Take-Home Truths from Pat BrysonStaffing is still the #1 pain point.Most stations lack enough sellers—or the right skill mix—to hit modern revenue goals. Pat starts every engagement by auditing talent, processes, and billing, then adds (or replaces) where needed.Even 20-year veterans need a reset.Many long-time account ex...2025-06-0219 min
Better Radio WebsitesLevel Up Your Mobile App with this In-Car ChallengeYour radio station’s mobile app can do more than just stream music. In this episode, Jim challenges you to explore creative ways to enhance your app’s impact—especially through platforms like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. From updating metadata to testing app-exclusive promotions, find out how small tweaks can deliver big results in listener engagement and sponsor value.What You'll Learn:How to customize your “Now Playing” info to include more than just song titlesWays to use artwork and sponsor messages within CarPlay and Android AutoIdeas for app-exclus...2025-05-1210 min
Better Radio WebsitesSpeed Tip: Supercharge Your 'Advertise With Us' PageIn this quick-hit episode, Jim shares a fast and effective way to improve your radio station’s “Advertise With Us” page. If potential advertisers are clicking the link, your page should be doing more than just collecting names—it should sell the value of your station.Learn how to:Present your value up frontUse strong calls-to-actionBuild trust with local examplesPromote the page across your siteDon’t let your website miss easy revenue opportunities.Get more show notes at https://www.skyrocketradio.com/182Sub...2025-05-0503 min
Radio InfluencersJim Sherwood Founder of Skyrocket RadioIn this episode of Radio Influencers, host Andy Meadows interviews Jim Sherwood, founder of Skyrocket Radio and host of the Better Radio Websites podcast. Jim shares his journey in the radio industry, from his early days in high school to his experiences on an aircraft carrier. Jim discusses the challenges of integrating digital content into traditional radio, the importance of adapting to new technologies like AI and video, and the common mistakes radio stations make with their websites. He emphasizes the need for radio professionals to embrace change and offers advice for newcomers in the...2025-03-0430 min
Better Radio WebsitesUsing AI to Create Website Content with Pete Pachal (Best Of)Pete Pachal is a seasoned journalist and media executive with over two decades of experience in technology and artificial intelligence. He has led AI initiatives at CoinDesk and held senior editorial roles at Red Ventures, Mashable, and NBCUniversal. Pete’s insights have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, TIME, PC Magazine and many other outlets.
I’ve been listening to “The Media Copilot” podcast for some time. We’re thrilled to have him share his expertise on AI and its impact on media, specifically radio stations.
Get more show notes at https://www.skyrocketradio.com/164.
Pete's Tech Journey:
P...2024-12-2332 min
Better Radio WebsitesImplementing AI in Content Creation with Pete PachalPete Pachal is a seasoned journalist and media executive with over two decades of experience in technology and artificial intelligence. He has led AI initiatives at CoinDesk and held senior editorial roles at Red Ventures, Mashable, and NBCUniversal. Pete’s insights have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, TIME, PC Magazine and many other outlets.
I’ve been listening to “The Media Copilot” podcast for some time. We’re thrilled to have him share his expertise on AI and its impact on media, specifically radio stations.
Pete's Tech Journey:
- Pete talks about his histor...2024-08-0531 min
Better Radio WebsitesStreaming Your Station to Amazon Fire and Roku Smart TVsThis past week, I attended the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters annual conference in Natchez, Mississippi, and had the opportunity to meet and talk to Jim Bob Allgood with Midsouth Broadcasting. He’s also the co-host of a world-wide syndicated TV show called “Redneck Adventures.” I think you’ll be amazed by what Jim Bob has been able to do by adding their station stream and local sports to their smart TV channels. As you listen, consider the additional revenue opportunities.
https://midsouthbroadcasting.com
https://theriver.fm
https://go.thegator.fm
https://rednecka...2023-10-0232 min
Better Radio Websites4 Ways to Harness AI for Amazing Website ContentToday, we’ll give four ways that you can harness AI to assist you in creating amazing content for your radio station website.
For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/4-ways-to-harness-ai-for-amazing-website-content.
AI-driven tools offer a plethora of functionalities that can streamline daily tasks, enhance creativity, and revolutionize how radio station websites connect with their visitors. Today, we will explore how radio station website content creators can leverage AI tools to create compelling text, captivating images, and exceptional audio content.
Today’s episode is FULLY AI-driven. I’ve used AI tools to...2023-06-0507 min
Better Radio Websites7 Ways to Optimize Your Newsletter Signup for Maximum SubscribersE-mail newsletters remain a valuable tool for radio stations to connect with their audience, promote shows and listening, and drive engagement with your station website. However, getting people to sign up for your newsletter can be challenging.
For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/7-ways-to-optimize-your-newsletter-signup-for-maximum-subscribers.
Today, we will explore seven proven strategies to help you perfect your radio station's website newsletter signup process and increase your subscribers.
1) Craft a Compelling Value Proposition
2) Simplify the Signup Form
3) Optimize Form Placement and Visibility
4) Enhance the...2023-05-2909 min
Better Radio WebsitesBanner Ad Design Best Practices & Pitfalls to AvoidBanner ads are still a great way for your clients to promote their business or product. Today we’ll talk about how to create a compelling and impactful banner ad that captures attention, communicates your client’s message, and generates the results that will keep your clients coming back for more.
For more in-depth show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/banner-ad-design-best-practices-pitfalls-to-avoid.
When you have a popular website that brings in visitors consistently, banner ads can be a great marketing tool for your clients and a revenue generator for your station. The key is overcom...2023-05-2318 min
Better Radio WebsitesIt's Time for a Website Health Check!For more detailed show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/website-health-check.
I have an annual physical coming up in the next week or so, and that got me thinking about how often we should be performing website health checks. A website health check is a routine checkup to ensure it functions optimally. This should be done regularly because it helps identify any issues affecting your website’s performance.
Just as a physician has his clipboard of items to check in a physical, here are some things to check regularly to ensure your website is hea...2023-05-0815 min
Better Radio WebsitesShould You Import RSS Content?For more detailed show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/should-you-import-rss-content.
Several radio station affiliates have asked if importing RSS content would benefit their websites. I always answer, “What content are you providing now?” Because it’s essential to know how much you will be relying on the RSS content you’ll be importing.
RSS feeds were created to generate more traffic for the website providing them. You’ve likely seen these feeds on other websites that display the latest posts from CMT.com, MTV.com, Rolling Stone, Fox News, CNN, local tv stations, etc. There ar...2023-04-2417 min
Better Radio WebsitesSingle Website or Multiple Station Websites?If you own or manage several radio stations, you may wonder whether combining all stations into one website or keeping them separate is
better. Today, we’ll cover the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Get more detailed show notes at https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/single-website-or-multiple-websites.
Here are the big items to consider when making this decision.
Cost Factor
Time Commitment
Brand Awareness
SEO Challenges
Sellable Real Estate
There is no definitive answer to whether you should combine or separate your radio station websites. The best option for you is going to depend
on...2023-04-1016 min
Better Radio WebsitesSelling Your Radio Station WebsiteThe two most-often asked questions we get are "how do we start selling our radio station website" and "how much should we sell website ads for". The answer is always the same - "It depends. Every market is different." Today, we'll hear from someone who's been selling ads on their small market website for decades.
Melissa Boswell Townsend is the General Manager and co-owner of Boswell Media in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and a third-generation broadcaster in the same location. We had her father, Johnny Boswell, on the podcast a few times. They have a station there in Kosciusko an...2023-03-2729 min
Better Radio WebsitesHow Author Bios Can Help Engagement & SEOContent author bios are seldom discussed but they can get important and the content game goes on. With the rise of automated-generated content, it’s becoming more difficult to determine whether the information you’re consuming was written by an algorithm or an actual person who cares what the topic is about and how it affects the reader.
For more detailed show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/how-author-bios-can-help-engagement-seo. 2023-03-1310 min
Better Radio WebsitesHow a Website Usability Test Can Help You Generate More RevenueI’ve been eager to introduce you to today’s special guest. Elizabeth Pampalone is a Marketing Minimalist, Award Winning International Speaker, and Podcaster. She’s developed proven formulas that help her clients create one year of marketing content in just five days. She is called the “Gordon Ramsay of Website Audits.”
Check out her website at https://getabsolutemarketing.com.
I met Elizabeth at a recent WordPress Conference or WordCamp in Birmingham, Alabama. In her “Website Usability” session, she ripped apart skyrocketradio.com in front of an audience of about 60 people. The valuable insight we received from th...2023-02-2718 min
Better Radio WebsitesWhy All Radio Stations Need a Privacy Policy PageFor detailed show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/why-all-radio-stations-need-a-privacy-policy-page.
Do you take online contest information or regular contact form entries on your station or company website? The information you accept is likely protected under certain digital privacy laws.
Website privacy rights protect the personal information you collect from visitors when they visit your website. This can include names, email addresses, and location data. A typical intake form might be the information you collect from listeners when they sign up for contests. Sometimes you may ask about things other than their name and e-mail...2023-02-1312 min
Better Radio Websites7 Reasons to Start an E-Mail Newsletter Right NowFor more detailed show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/7-reasons-to-start-an-e-mail-newsletter-right-now.
An e-mail newsletter is a simple and effective way for radio stations to stay connected with their audience, build community, and promote their events and promotions. If you’re not collecting e-mail addresses and reaching out to these subscribers regularly, lean in. Today we’ll cover seven reasons why you should.
81% of small businesses rely on e-mail as their primary customer acquisition channel, and 80% rely on e-mail for retaining customers. Why? According to the Content Marketing Institute, every dollar spent on e-mail marketing typi...2023-01-3011 min
Better Radio WebsitesProtecting Your Station Website from Image Copyright ClaimsFor more detailed show notes, visit: https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/protecting-your-station-website-from-image-copyright-claims
This week we received a phone call from a client saying they received an image copyright claim notice claiming they owed thousands of dollars for an image that appeared on their station website. That got me to thinking about what kinds of people are still posting copyrighted imagesonline. There can be a few reasons why someone may want to try getting away with using a copyrighted image on their website without obtaining proper permission. Some of the reasons may include:
Lack of knowledge2023-01-1620 min
Better Radio WebsitesThe Top Five Website-Related Skills Your Team Needs to KnowToday, we’ll cover the top five web-related skills your team members need to know for your station website to be successful. If you have someone on your team who will be accessing the website, they should have a basic understanding of each of these.
1. Basic Image Editing
This doesn’t mean everyone should learn powerful tools like Photoshop or Illustrator. Those are overkill if you need to crop and downsize an image. There are more simple tools – even online image editors like https://pixlr.com/editorthat can be used. Editors like this can be helpful...2023-01-0922 min
Better Radio WebsitesNine Resolutions to Boost Your Radio Station Website in 2023Happy new year! Do you have any goals to kick off the new year? Today we want to cover some recommended new year’s resolutions that you should have for your radio station website.
For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/nine-resolutions-to-boost-your-radio-station-website-in-2023.
1) Devote More Resources to Your Station Website
2) Add New/Different Content
3) Try a Different Color/Layout
4) Examine Your Analytics and Adjust Accordingly
5) Start a Podcast
6) Be More Social
7) Build a Local Photo Library
8) Write a Blo...2023-01-0216 min
Better Radio WebsitesAdjusting the Mindset About Your Station WebsiteFor more in-depth show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/adjusting-the-mindset-about-your-station-website.
Today we want to talk about your mindset regarding your radio station website. Why do you have a website for your radio station? Is it simply to have a place to direct people to listen online? Is it because you know every business should have one, and so you do as well? Or is it to make more money? Hopefully, your priority is “making more money.”
- Have a Digital-First Mindset
We advocate thinking of your station website as another radio station that simulc...2022-12-1914 min
Better Radio WebsitesCluttered Homepages, E-Mails, and Goals with Seth ReslerSeth Resler is a 25-year broadcasting and podcasting veteran who has worked on the mic and programmed radio stations in major markets like New York City, Boston & Seattle before crossing into online marketing. As the digital strategist at Jacobs Media, Seth works with radio stations across the U.S., helping them design and implement action plans that combine websites, social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, lead generation, and other online tools. Follow Seth's blog at https://jacobsmedia.com/category/connecting-the-dots.
For more detailed show notes, please visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/cluttered-homepages-e-mails-and-goals-with-seth-resler.
2022-12-1243 min
Better Radio WebsitesTop Five Reasons Your Station Should Be Podcasting with Mike WilkersonFor more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/five-reasons-your-station-should-be-podcasting
The podcasting audience continues to grow, and its reinvigorating audio listening and advertising. An Edison Research study shows that over half of all Americans have listened to a podcast, and one-third have listened in the last week. 41% of Americans say they listen to more podcasts than a year ago. The average podcast listener tunes into seven shows a week, consuming up to 6 hours of total listening time. Whether you like it or not, podcasting is officially mainstream media.
Check out more exciting podcasting st...2022-12-0530 min
Better Radio WebsitesHow Data Helps your Radio Station and Website with Corey ElliottHaving good information about your market can help you make decisions now, tomorrow, and into the future. Today, we’ll talk with one of the leading experts in small to medium size business data and get his insight into how it can transform how you do business in the future. Today, we have Corey Elliott from Borrell Associates.
If you haven’t seen or heard Corey online, then you’ve likely seen his work in the various charts they publish. He leads Borrell Associates’ ongoing surveys of local marketers — the largest survey of small to medium businesses in the U.S...2022-11-2823 min
Better Radio WebsitesQuick Tips: Pro Images, Security and Knowing Your WebsiteToday, we're introducing a new periodic feature of "Quick Tips". These five tips might not demand a full blog post or podcast episode but are very good to know.
Get more detailed show notes at https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/quick-tips-pro-images-security-and-knowing-your-website.
1. Instill a professional design mindset in your team.
2. Have a professional logo designed for each brand your company represents.
3. Ensure your team is using strong passwords.
4. Check your security logs periodically.
5. Test the limits of your website.
Wrap up
Those are our fi...2022-11-2110 min
Better Radio WebsitesWebsite Cache Explained: How it Makes Your Site Faster“Cache” is a term coined back in 1967 by IBM System Journal’s editor Lyle R. Johnson. It works on a simple principle: providing temporary storage for computed content to be accessed later. It acts as a memory bank, making it easy to access saved data rather than re-downloading and processing it every time you visit a website.
If I ask you what 5x4 is, you’ll know the answer is 20. You didn’t need to work out the math - you’ve done this multiplication so often that you no longer need to. You just remember the answer. That...2022-11-1414 min
Better Radio WebsitesCreate Banner Ads that Get ResultsBanner ads are everywhere because they’re an affordable, measurable, and effective way to increase brand awareness. For radio stations wanting to make any revenue online, they are essential. We drive traffic to our websites from on-air and social media to increase the likelihood that a visitor will click on a banner ad so we can get more money from those advertisers. Generating website traffic is a key step, but another is creating banner ads that generate clicks. We must create the most clickable banner ads possible.
For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podc...2022-11-0713 min
Better Radio WebsitesOwning Small Business SaturdaySmall Business Saturday, observed on the last Saturday of November, was created by American Express during the 2010 recession to encourage people to Shop Small and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses.
For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/owning-small-business-saturday.
Shopping small during the holiday season is more important than ever. According to the American Express Shop Small Impact survey, 78% of small business owners have stated that holiday sales indicate whether they stay open the following year or not. This means that most small businesses are poised to accept ways to...2022-10-3108 min
Better Radio Websites15 Website Mistakes that Cost Visitors and RevenueOur podcast and blog aim to help you and your station generate more visitors and revenue. So, it's only fitting that we list out several website mistakes that could cost you both.
Get more detailed show notes at https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/15-website-mistakes-that-cost-visitors-and-revenue.
1. Outdated/No Website Strategy
2. Not Focusing on the User Experience
3. Slow Load Times
4. Not built for Mobile
5. Too Much Content
6. Weak/Too Little Content
7. No Calls to Action
8. Poor Navigation
9. Not Following SEO Best Practices2022-10-2416 min
Better Radio WebsitesOctober is Cybersecurity Awareness MonthSince 2004, October has been celebrated as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, previously called National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Now in its 19th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise cybersecurity awareness nationwide and help ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to be safe and secure online.
This year’s campaign theme is “See Yourself in Cyber” and represents that cybersecurity is ultimately about people, which means seeing yourself in cyber no matter your role.
This year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) h...2022-10-1713 min
Better Radio WebsitesUsing Contests to Boost Your Website TrafficFor more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/using-contests-to-boost-your-website-traffic.
Online contests are a great way to keep visitors returning to your website to engage with your station brand experience. Frequently touching your station builds loyalty and can turn the average visitor into a fan. Tracking those visitor numbers provides valuable data to show existing and potential online advertisers. So, contests can be a powerful tool for meeting your online marketing goals and increasing your online revenue.
Here are some best practices to keep in mind for your website contests.
1. Always H...2022-10-1015 min
Better Radio WebsitesInform Visitors with Emergency Information PagesThis week, hurricane Ian ripped through Florida and up the east coast. Before the storm, a few stations asked us to help quickly create an emergency information page so they could refer to them on-air and over social to help get essential news out to their local listeners.
Do you have an emergency information page for a natural event that may affect your listeners? It’s unlikely that a hurricane will hit a station in Kansas, but they have their share of tornados. Tornados may not frequent places like upstate New York, but locations in the northern Unite...2022-10-0311 min
Better Radio WebsitesSteps to Take Before Offering Digital ServicesYou’ve undoubtedly noticed a dramatic increase in digital sales over the last several years. Large radio groups were the first to see the writing on the wall that told them they needed to expand their sales offerings to include more digital products. And there are many options out there that your station can offer your clients from targeted banner ads, social media marketing, pay-per-click, SEO services, websites, CRM tools, and the list goes on and on.
For detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/steps-to-take-before-offering-digital-services.
In this episode:
Digital is Ab...2022-09-2617 min
Better Radio WebsitesGenerating Revenue from Sponsored ContentSponsored content started in print publications and has been around for decades. Today, we’re exposed to sponsored content daily, and most of the time, we’re entirely unaware of it. So, why offer it on your radio station website?
For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/blog/generating-revenue-sponsored-content.
Sponsored Content Works
In a 2016 research study, over 4,000 Forbes magazine readers were asked to view webpage content featuring brands like SONY, Maserati, and Boeing, followed by a post-exposure survey. The results demonstrated that:
- Brand recall, brand favorability, and purch...2022-09-1916 min
Better Radio WebsitesOur Recommended Tools and Services for Creating Online ContentWith every station website we create, we’re asked about what tools and services we use. So, in this post, we’ll cover what we use and offer some alternatives.
Image Editing Tools
Adobe Photoshop
Creative Cloud
Free Alternatives to Photoshop include Gimp and Pixlr
Adobe Illustrator
Free Illustrator alternatives include Vectornator and Inkscape.
Screen Recording
ScreenRec
Loom
Stock Images
Pexels
Envato Elements
Writing Content
Grammarly
Communication
Slac...2022-09-1216 min
Better Radio WebsitesCopyright and Your Radio Station WebsiteFor more detailed show notes visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/blog/copyright-and-your-radio-station-website.
Copyright.gov defines copyright as "a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. Copyright law covers many works, including paintings, photographs, illustrations, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, poems, blog posts, movies, architectural works, plays, and so much more!"
Investopedia defines it like this, "Copyright infringement is the use or production of copyright-protected material without the permission of the copyright holder. Copyright infringement means that the...2022-09-0515 min
Better Radio WebsitesWhat is the American Data Privacy and Protection Act and how should you prepare?As of this writing, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) is being considered in congress and it has bipartisan support. Essentially, it would regulate how organizations keep and use consumer data. Much of today’s podcast research was taken directly from Wikipediaand the bill itself.
I invite everyone to read up on it for themselves in case there’s something specific that we do not cover today. As always, details of the final bill could be more or less involved once the bill is finalized, but we want you to be aware of how it might...2022-08-2909 min
Better Radio WebsitesWhy Image Alt Tags Are Essential to SuccessFor greater detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/why-image-alt-tags-are-essential-to-success.
A lot of us in radio view the process of adding images to a website as a step that needs no additional work. Find a legal image and upload it to the website - done. However, it’s very important that the images are edited to sizes that match the rest of the site and are optimized to load fast on mobile devices. That’s before you upload the image to the website. There are small additional steps involved once you upload the image and those a...2022-08-2209 min
Better Radio WebsitesWhy Your Radio Station Needs a Digital Content ManagerI recently received an e-mail from a station owner asking what the title of their digital point person should be. And it’s great they are asking this question because it means they are putting a bigger priority on their digital assets.
Much like a Program Director is the point person when it comes to everything on-air at a radio station, a Digital Content Manager will be the point person when it comes to everything online. We recommend that every radio station or group have one “go-to” person with this title or this responsibility.
What Does a D...2022-08-1519 min
Better Radio WebsitesShould You Enable Comments on Your Website?For more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/blog/should-you-enable-comments-on-your-website.
We get the question often about enabling comments on the radio station websites we create. Are they worth the time? Do they work? What options are there?
Personally, I never thought about comments that much because they took a lot of time to moderate, approve good comments and remove the spam comments. However, Lou Vito at his group of stations at peakofohio.com is very passionate about including website comments.
Blogging experts out there are divided in their conclusion on the...2022-08-0822 min
Better Radio WebsitesOptions for Streaming Audio FilesToday we talk about available options you have when it comes to streaming audio files on your website.
Being in radio we’re bound to have audio bits that we want to share with our audience that are on-demand. The streaming audio we are referring to today is not listening to the station live or podcasting. We are referring to shorter one-off audio files that interviews, news segments, weather reports, on-air bits, or even commercials where you might be showcasing your creative work.
You have multiple options when it comes to streaming audio files on yo...2022-08-0114 min
Better Radio WebsitesHow the Psychology of Web Design Affects Your VisitorsFor more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/blog/how-the-psychology-of-web-design-affects-your-visitors.
There are hundreds of websites with great content and perfect promotion on-air and on social but never really take off. Most visitors come once and then never return. Have you had a website like this and wondered why? This is where the psychology of web design comes in.
The choices that go into your website design can make or break your site’s success. Research shows that 94 percent of users don’t trust websites that are poorly designed. And we’re talking about more than j...2022-07-2513 min
Better Radio WebsitesBenefits of Adding a Corporate Website for AdvertisersFor more detailed show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/benefits-of-adding-a-corporate-website-for-advertisers.
Having a website has become so “normal” that advertisers and the public simply expect all companies to have a website no matter what business they are in. An active presence for your radio station on social media is great, but it’s very hard to close an advertising sale there. You need to have a website that advertisers can find when they are looking to advertise.
If you don’t have a corporate/group/market website, here are some reasons why you should consider...2022-07-1813 min
Better Radio WebsitesWhat Your Small Market Website Can Do Better than a Big Market WebsiteGet more detailed show notes at https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/what-your-small-market-website-can-do-better-than-a-big-market-website
Most of the websites we serve are in smaller markets. And being in a smaller market, it's natural to compare your radio station website against those in large to major markets. But keep in mind that the dynamic is completely different in those bigger cities than in your market.
Their website may be a good place to look for more modern designs, but certainly not for "what should I do" in the content department. The content you choose for your radio station website shou...2022-07-1113 min
Better Radio WebsitesPreventing Cyber Attacks on Your Radio Station WebsiteFor more/deeper show notes visit: https://www.skyrocketradio.com/podcast/preventing-cyber-attacks-on-your-radio-station-website.
If you’ve ever been hacked or had your identity stolen online, you likely have some PTSD from it and view security differently now. So many of us haven’t been hacked or had our identity stolen, so we continue to do things that open ourselves up to intrusions.
It seems like every day or week there’s a new headline about another app or website being hacked. Cyber-attacks happen much more often.
A successful intrusion can result in a huge loss i...2022-07-0424 min
Better Radio WebsitesOur 15 SEO Tips for Showing First in SearchFor more extensive show notes, visit https://www.skyrocketradio.com/blog/our-15-seo-tips-for-showing-first-in-search.
A month or so ago, I received a call from a station owner who Googled for help with his radio station websites. He couldn’t remember exactly what he Googled but he was quick to say that never clicks on the paid search results that appear at the top of those results (neither do we).
He clicked on us because we were the first search result after those paid ads. I explained that we simply do the right things, that don’t cost a...2022-06-2718 min
Better Radio WebsitesProtecting Your Radio Station's Digital Assets After You DieI've known a few radio stations and several website clients who have lost access to their digital assets after an employee, friend, or family member passed away. So, it's very important that you make an inventory list of all your radio station's digital assets and include access information so that the people you leave behind can access those assets and continue your legacy.
If someone other than you or your station holds the keys to any of your digital assets, get control over those right away. You don't want to wait until something happens to them that ma...2022-06-2013 min
Better Radio WebsitesIntegrating Local Discounts Offers and Rewards with GetintheLoopPromoting local discount deals, coupons and special rewards on your radio station website is a great way to bring back visitors on a daily (or even hourly) basis.
Today we talk with Matt Crowell, the CEO or GetintheLoop. GetintheLoop is the fastest growing Franchise in Canada and has the largest network of local merchant offers in the Country. Now, they're expanding into the United States.
We had a chance to meet and talk with Matt at a local broadcasters convention and he shares his story and how they help radio stations generate revenue and expand th...2022-06-1308 min
Better Radio WebsitesAdding Video to Your Sports BroadcastsAdding video to your local sports broadcasts can take your game to the next level. Today we interview Gabe Edney with Paragon Sports TV. They can help your station get started or help to improve the level you're at now.
Best of all, you're able to bring this video into your radio station website to keep bringing traffic back game after game.
Reach out to Gabe and his team at https://www.paragonsportstv.com. 2022-06-0612 min
Better Radio WebsitesWe Interview Cool Radio StreamingBeing a small company, we love partnering with other small companies. Skyrocket Radio recently presented at a broadcasters convention in Alabama and got a chance to talk with Tom Dobrez, the owner and CEO of Cool Radio Streaming.
Cool Radio Streaming is a small company dedicated to bringing you a quality streaming service at a reasonable price. They are also radio station owners, so they know what matters. Every tech support call is actually answered by Tom.
It's tough to beat their pricing too. Check out https://www.coolradiostreaming.com.
2022-05-3012 min
Better Radio WebsitesThe Importance of Optimizing Website ImagesThe speed that your radio station website loads matters – maybe more than you realize. Overall, we have grown increasingly impatient with the amount of time we’re willing to wait for things to load. In fact, many studies show that about forty percent of people will click off a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. This can have real, tangible impacts on any business whose website is underperforming in the speed department.
There are many different factors that can affect your site speed like your hosting plan and the code that makes up your...2022-05-2318 min
Better Radio WebsitesCharging Subscriptions for Website and Streaming ContentYou and your team work hard to generate great content for your radio station website. You have listeners coming back day after day and you have the stats to show it. You may think to yourself, “Why don’t we lock down some or all of this content and charge a subscription for access to it?”
When a website blocks access to its content and asks you to get a paid subscription, that’s called a paywall. Many online news publishers use paywalls including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur.com.
Website...2022-05-1614 min
Better Radio WebsitesContent Ideas for No-Staff Radio StationsFor more details show notes visit: https://www.skyrocketradio.com/blog/content-ideas-for-no-staff-radio-stations.
We’ve always said that the best radio station websites out there killing it with revenue are the ones killing it with content. We’re talking about fresh new content added daily which is shared with newsletter subscribers and social media channels so that listeners are coming back to the website on a consistent basis. However, what if you simply have nobody to create this content?
No matter what size radio station you have, it’s important that your website not be a brochu...2022-05-0916 min
Better Radio WebsitesMigrating From Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4Google Analytics was initially built during a time when people had hit counters on their websites. Since then, the way we use the internet and the data businesses need to track has dramatically changed. People are using multiple devices and using various apps, all of which are completely different ways to access information on the internet.
As a result of this ever-changing environment, Universal Analytics has finally come to a point where it can’t keep up with everything. There are some things Universal Analytics simply cannot track and some things it was tracking but it wasn’t ve...2022-05-0213 min
Better Radio WebsitesPromoting Your Website On-Air and on Social Media ProperlySadly, I find that more and more stations are not properly promoting their websites as they should. If you treat your website(s) as a separate radio station(s) that you can generate traffic and revenue from, then it only makes sense to consistently drive your listeners and followers there as often as possible. It’s not like you’re asking them to do something rather than listening to the radio station. In fact, you’re asking them to become more involved with the station.
The stations that I hear promoting their website, most often tag the websit...2022-04-2512 min
Better Radio WebsitesStop Promoting Social Media Channels on Your WebsiteYou read that headline correctly but please don’t get me wrong. I am a big advocate that every radio station should be on whatever social media platforms their listeners are on so they can engage with them there and share out content that ultimately leads back to the station website so that traffic can be monetized. Once you have visitors on your website, where you want them, why send them back to social media?
We advocate using the properties you rent (social media) to drive the properties you own, like your website, newsletter, stream, etc.
...2022-04-1812 min
Better Radio WebsitesRemoving Old Content to Help Your Website GrowThis week we got a call from a station asking if their news posts could be set to automatically expire after a certain day and time. For example, you post a local news story about a new farmer's market being held in your town square this Saturday. On Sunday, the news story will be old news and you'll run the risk of someone reading and thinking that it's the following Saturday instead of the one that just passed. So, their question is a valid one.
However, there are certain implications to consider when you remove any content fro...2022-04-1112 min
Better Radio Websites5 Things to Check Often in Google AnalyticsGoogle Analytics is a free tool to help you tell how well your website is performing and it can give you all sorts of valuable insight, such as where your website visitors are coming from, which pages are most popular, and how long visitors stay on your site. Once a week, radio programmers and the appropriate staff members should take some time to review their website statistics.
We spoke with Johnny Boswell, the owner of Boswell Media in central Mississippi, about how he utilized Google Analytics in his online strategy. Johnny has three radio stations and two u...2022-04-0422 min
Better Radio WebsitesConversation with "Digital Dot Connector", Seth ReslerSeth Resler is a 25-year broadcasting and podcasting veteran who worked on-air and in programming at several major markets before crossing into online marketing. He’s now the digital strategist at Jacobs Media working with radio stations across the country, helping them design and implement action plans that combine websites, social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, lead generation, and other online tools. I've followed Seth on his personal blog years before he became the "Digital Dot Connector" for Jacob's Media.
Here are posts that reference the topics we talked about...
Jacobs Media: You...2022-03-2832 min
Better Radio WebsitesRegular Admin's Guide to Protecting Your Website from Cyber AttacksIt seems like every day or week there’s a new headline about another app or website being hacked. And these are typically the higher profile websites. In fact, a hacker attack occurs every 39 seconds in the US, affecting one in three Americans every year.
A successful intrusion can result in a huge loss in traffic and revenue if your site has crashed or been suspended on your hosting provider. It could even result in identity theft of your admins and members if you run a membership site. Personal data like passwords could be at risk.
...2022-03-2115 min
Better Radio Websites15 Things to Check Each Month on Your WebsiteOur WordPress maintenance checklist covers a list of essential things you should do religiously each month to ensure that your website runs smoothly across multiple devices. While this is a monthly list, you'll see better results if they can be performed weekly or even daily.
1. Perform a website speed audit to ensure it’s loading quickly: Page speed can affect SEO and user experience. GTMetrix, WP Checkup, and Google’s Page Insights are great tools that pinpoint where your slowness could be coming from. This could be large images, a heavy homepage with lots of elements, or even...2022-03-1411 min
Better Radio WebsitesIs Your Radio Station Website a Destination or Disappointment?I spend a lot of time navigating radio station websites all over the world and consider their efficacy from both a marketing and user perspective. I’m often surprised by odd navigational choices, inconsistent calls-to-action, and content that provides little informational value, much less a reason or me to return again tomorrow.
Your website should have fresh and relevant content, but it should be attractive so that it invites visitors back. Visitors flock to attractive destinations. A website with a great design and relevant content provides a better user experience that can help in building your station br...2022-03-0715 min
Better Radio WebsitesThe Best Way to Add Video to Your Radio Station WebsiteThere are a few different methods to display a video on your website and the advantages of using a third-party service like Youtube and Vimeo versus uploading and displaying video from your hosting provider.
Downsides of hosting video yourself
Uploading large video files to your website can not only take forever but they could be denied by the hosting provider due to upload size and timeout limits. If you have multiple people watching your video at once, it can slow or even crash your website due to exhausting those resources.
One video format...2022-02-2814 min
Better Radio WebsitesGet a Free Alexa Skill for your Radio Station StreamThere’s a new way to enable people to play your radio station directly on Alexa without having to write a single line of code. Thanks to the Alexa Radio Skills Kit, radio stations no longer have to build out a new skill from scratch. Instead, they can simply provide the streaming URLs and metadata for their radio stations via a simple intake process.
Once the station is tested and launched, customers will be able to say, “Alexa, play [Station Name]” to play the radio station directly on Alexa. They can also ask Alexa to play a station...2022-02-2103 min
Better Radio WebsitesDecreasing Load Times of Your WebsiteMost of these podcast episodes come about because sometime in the week prior, something has come up for me to spawn discussing it for everyone. This week I discovered a few client websites were still adding large images to the article posts even though they were taught to optimize them in a way that would be faster to their visitors.
What is page load time and why is it important?
Load time is the length of time it takes a web page to be downloaded from the hosting server and displayed onto the requesting web...2022-02-1413 min
Better Radio WebsitesDIY Web Builders vs Developers vs Website ServicesHaving a website dedicated to your radio station is essential. It can do so much more than simply being a spot to put your "listen live" button. It can provide you with unlimited opportunities to generate additional revenue by clients sponsoring the content you create and promote there.
Not so long ago, there would have been no question of hiring a pro to get the results you want, but thanks to the rise of website builders, it has become much easier for people with very little web experience to build a decent website. Just because you can...2022-02-0718 min
Better Radio WebsitesThe Pros and Cons of Using RSS FeedsRSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS typically uses XML files that can be read by a user’s feed reader, which converts the files into an easy-to-read format. This content is distributed in real-time so that the top results on the RSS feed are always the latest published content for a website.
RSS Feeds FROM your Station Website
If you own a WordPress website, you can easily find your RSS feed by typing the domain and putting a “/feed” at the end (ie https://www.skyrocketradio.com/feed). This will display all of your latest...2022-02-0121 min
Better Radio WebsitesRadio Station Website Spotlight: Boswell MediaPeriodically, we’ll talk to station owners and digital content directors about the great things happening in their market and with their websites. It’s fitting that we kick off the first one of these segments with Johnny Boswell, owner of Boswell Media in Kosciusko, Mississippi because Boswell Media was our first Skyrocket Radio client. We had a chance to catch up with Johnny at the recent Mississippi Association of Broadcasters annual convention.
Be sure to check out Johnny’s websites breezynews.com, kicks96news.com, and boswellmedia.net.
Need help making your radio station website...2022-01-2414 min
Better Radio WebsitesDifferences Between the Radio Station Website Getting 20K Visitors/Day Versus 100 Visitors/DayWe believe more radio people should adjust their mindset and think of your station website as a sister radio station. You want visitors to come back day after day. So, just like your radio station, this requires “programming” the content that pulls people back on a consistent basis.
Think how easy of a sell it would be to walk into a business and show them that their banner ad will be in front of 20K visitors tomorrow.
Over the years, we’ve noticed that there are some specific things that set the 20K visitors/day radio...2022-01-1720 min
Better Radio WebsitesCreating Effective Radio Station NewslettersWe’ve always preached here to do all you can to drive traffic back to the website where you can monetize it. Newsletters are an awesome way to do that and inform your listeners. Have your doubts? Rest assured that newsletters remain an effective communication channel for radio stations to keep in touch with their listeners.
So, why send regular newsletters?
Drives brand awareness for your radio station (keeps it top of mind).
Keeps subscribers up to date with what is happening at the station and in your community.
Creates trust and authority.
Keeps subscribers engaged wi...2022-01-1011 min
Better Radio Websites4 Tips to Boost your Website TrafficJust because you’ve built a website for your radio station does not mean visitors will start flowing in. Thankfully, there are some tactics that you can employ right now to boost your visitors. These are not tips you can do once or twice and expect to gain numbers. These are tips that need to become of your daily routine.
Before we get to the tips, you must think of visitor page views and unique visitor numbers as ratings that need to improve upon month after month and year after year. Unfortunately, many stations do get this co...2022-01-0315 min
Better Radio WebsitesNew Year Resolutions for your Radio Station WebsiteEvery year at this time it’s customary to look back on the previous year and examine things you could be doing better, and this should include your station website. Here are eight website resolutions that we think are worth considering.
1) Devote More Resources to Your Station Website: The importance of your station website across all departments should be equal to the importance of programming your radio station. Your website should entertain and generate its own revenue. It won’t do that if it’s not being consistently maintained.
2) Add New/Different Content: While it’s great...2021-12-2717 min
Better Radio WebsitesChoosing the Best Image File Type and FormatWe’re visual by nature and visually driven. We perceive pictures faster than words, so images are scanned first, before the text. It’s important to include images on your station website. Unfortunately, one of the most proven ways to slow down your website (especially on mobile) is to use images that are not sized and compressed properly for online use. This can vary depending on the file format.
Images on the web come in many file formats, such as JPEGs, GIFs, PNGs, and many others. Understanding the basics will give you confidence in being able to deci...2021-12-2014 min
Better Radio WebsitesCreating a "Best of" Online CampaignOne of the neatest and surprisingly easiest ways we’ve seen to engage with your local community is to offer a “Best of” campaign on your radio station website. These are created for your listeners to submit and/or vote on their favorite local businesses like restaurants, auto service shops, coffee shops, best pizza, etc. It’s sure to generate a buzz on-air and through social channels… not to mention revenue.
We're joined by Michael Brannon, Executive Video President for Radio Alabama. They have several radio stations across Alabama as well as news and sports websites. Each year they ru...2021-12-1329 min
Better Radio Websites10 Mistakes to Avoid That Annoy Your VisitorsAny successful website, whether it’s for a radio station or not, needs to do all it can to keep visitors coming back regularly… multiple times per day is ideal, but at least once per day. Great content is the number one reason for visitors to return often. Let’s say you have great content covered whether it be local news, events, etc. There could be some mistakes you’re making that can leave a bad taste in your visitor’s mouth that forces them to leave and not return – ever.
1. Disregarding page load times. It’s important that...2021-11-2913 min
Better Radio WebsitesFree Website Speed Testing ToolsThe speed of any website helps form the first impression for a visitor of that website and the business it represents. Developers and content creators strive hard to make a website aesthetically pleasing as well as functional by adding numerous features, content, and functionalities. However, if these features or the content are not adequately optimized it may adversely affect website speed.
How fast a website loads is instrumental to anyone visiting the site. According to research, 47% of people don’t wait for more than two seconds for a web page to load.
It is a hu...2021-11-2209 min
Better Radio WebsitesAre Visitors Reading Your Content?You can spend a lot of time creating content so that your listeners and website visitor stay informed. This great content helps with search engine optimization as well. But what if there were evidence that many of your visitors are not finishing the articles you publish? Would you still take the time to create extensive news articles and blog content and if so, would you feel bad about dedicating large amounts of resources to that content that you knew wasn’t being read?
A few years ago, Chartbeat and Slate.com published a research piece that analyzed ho...2021-11-1507 min
Better Radio WebsitesDefining Your Radio Station Website GoalsBefore you sit down to make your list of website goals, you need to know why your site exists. Please don’t say, “because everyone including my competitor does” or “for better branding”. Neither of those is the proper response. What action do you want your website visitors to take? What do you want them to do or know once they’ve left your website?
Do you want them to…?
- Give you their contact information?
- Be converted in some way?
- Be informed?
- Click on client advertising?
- Stream the station.2021-11-0812 min
Better Radio WebsitesSeven Reasons Why You Need a Market/Corporate WebsiteEach week we explain ways to make your radio station website more appealing to listeners, but what are you doing online to attract more advertisers? How are they finding out about all the opportunities that your radio station has that could benefit them? This week we’ll talk about why your station or group of stations should have an additional dedicated corporate/group website.
Having a website has become so “normal” that advertisers and the public simply expects all companies to have a website no matter what business they are in. Being active on social media is great, bu...2021-11-0112 min
Contractor RadioRoofers Helping Roofers with Jonathan SherwoodIn this episode of Contractor Radio, Head Coach Jim Johnson is joined by the man behind "Roofers Helping Roofers", Jonathan Sherwood to talk about his story. You are not going to want to miss what he has to say!Be sure to check out Roofers Helping Roofers here: https://www.jonathanbsherwood.com/roofershelpingroofersGet a Free Assessment of your business here: https://bit.ly/CTR-podcastA huge shoutout to this year's sponsors that you know you can trust! Thanks for making Contractor Radio possible!Signpost - helping home service businesses attract...2021-10-2754 min