Analysing My Website

I created a website using the software known as ‘Wordpress’. We were told to use this software to help give us the tools to design and create our own websites.

My website is based on the fake band known as ‘Burnt Toast. The band focuses on the genre of rock and alternative rock, and I included many technical and symbolic conventions to help portray this. This first technical convention I used was the layout of the website. There is a large, clear options tab at the top of the page for users to very easily and clearly find and navigate through the bands’ pages and menus. This is a crucial element to any artist or bands’ website, as it clarifies everything into specific areas for their consumers to easily find. This links in with Richard Dyers star theory, as it helps to reflect the ideologies of the band that are being used as commodities in the music industry. Some options in this menu bar include tour dates and also a gallery. Richard Dyers’ star theory tells us, in his third rule of being a successful artist or band, is that there stars must always be present yet also absent to the consumers. The use of a gallery and tour dates allows the audiences to get involved with the everyday lives with the band, to try and be as connected to them as possible. However, the true reality of the absenteeism of the band, helps the band stay desired and wanted to be seen by their audiences, which is the main component which drives up the ticket sales to concerts and festivals, as the consumers want to be physically near and there for their favourite bands.

Additionally, the website has an underlying background picture of a record being smashed, and the header image is of the band members in suits. These conventions are very symbolic as it helps to reflect the genre of music, which the band plays, and also help to portray the ideology of the band. As the genre is rock, the suits help to imply a stylish and cool look, which is often unusual to wear in everyday life, so it gives off a certain rebellious atmosphere, which is the specific ideology of the band. The background pictures of the record smashing again shows a sense of destruction and anger, which represents the genre of rock as rock is very aggressive. Richard Dyers’ star theory discusses that a band must have a certain ideology which they must keep and portray at all times they are within the public eyes. I used these conventions to follow his guidelines, as we are following the bands’ ideologies. It also links in which his theory that all artists and bands are used as a commodity. In this case, our rebellious attitude is being used to help sell as many tickets and merchandise as possible, as this is what ultimately sells to the young, male target audience as they too will be going through a rebellious phase.

Additionally, I wrote a page, which is called ‘About’ which has a brief description of each band member, and I also created a ‘Gallery’ page which includes some pictures of the band members together. Once again, I used these technical conventions to agree with Richard Dyers’ star theory of being absent yet also present and there for the consumers. These pages allow the consumers to be emotionally involved with the band members, and allow them to spot any similarities or even differences they have with them. This will drive up sales as again it makes the consumers have a desire to see the band even further, because if they have any similarities with them, they will want to go and see them live or listen to their music. Additionally, Richard Dyer discusses the idea that the artist or band must be ‘normal’ yet also ‘extraordinary’ in the eyes of the audience.  The use of a gallery helps to portray to the public that the band leads ordinary lives, just like everyone else, but then when they are performing they are seen as Gods. This allows the public to praise them like they want to, but at the same time can be exactly like them, which is great for sales as the audience can feel like they are exactly like them, which will make them feel better about themselves.