A radio station’s website should be designed to engage listeners, provide essential information, and offer various interactive features. The main reason listeners go to the website is to hear the stream.  For others, they want to know the weather or what songs have been played recently.   Here’s a comprehensive list of elements that a radio station’s website should contain:

Homepage

  • Clearly display the station’s name and positioning statement.
  • Display the current show and DJ with a link to the show schedule. 

Listen Now

  • “Listen Live” should be displayed well at the top of the home page. When clicked, the programming stream should immediately start.  Don’t require to click another start button.
  • Consider selling a client a commercial pre-roll before the programming begins. This can be a 10-second TV commercial.  Consider having a timer like YouTube to show how long the spot is: “(Station Name) is seconds away.”  

Music and Content

  • Display what song is playing now and the last ten songs played.
  • For News and Talk stations, display the top breaking news stories.
  • For Podcasts, display an archive of past shows for on-demand listening.
  • Provide the latest updates on music news and events.
  • Design the website to be local in appearance yet global in functionality, providing useful info like weather, local sports, school closings, road construction zones, or delays. National-World News is only needed for News-Talk stations. 

About Us

  • Have background information about the station along with profiles of the DJs and key staff members.
  • Provide an easy way to reach the station phone numbers and emails of individuals, plus the physical address.
  • Display an interactive map for locating the station. 

Community Events

  • Display a calendar of upcoming events, concerts, and promotions.
  • Provide photos, videos, and recaps of past events and station involvement. 

Contests and Interactive Features

  • Provide information about ongoing contests, sales promotions, and how to participate.
  • Have a form or contact info for song requests.
  • Interaction is important, Have options for listeners to provide feedback or suggestions. 

Social Media Integration

  • Provide icons and links to the station’s social media profiles.
  • Have live feeds from social media platforms.  Eliminate dated postings
  • Provide social media options, including ways to stream the station – via the website stream, mobile app, or web player. 

Advertising and Sponsorship

  • Have an “Advertise with Us” section with information on how businesses can advertise on the station, reasons to advertise, and who to call – with names, emails, and phone numbers.
  • Have a station merchandise store where one can shop for station-branded merchandise. 

Legal Information

  • List the company’s Privacy Policy with details on how listener data is handled.
  • Have the FCC Public File with required public file information for U.S. radio stations.

By including these elements, a radio station can create a comprehensive and engaging website that serves the needs of its audience and promotes its brand effectively.  Go through the website and click every link to be sure they function correctly and fix any errors.

Pic designed by ArthurHidden for Freepik.com.

John Lund is President of the Lund Media Group, a radio programming consulting firm with specialists in all mainstream radio formats. Did you find this article useful?  You can leave a comment below or email John at John@Lundradio.com.