It all starts from here
The key to FanStar is its simplicity.
Everything is run from the easy to use control panel, there's no coding, no learning JAVA, HTML or the latest geeky language. It's just drag and drop and typing the content you want.
To add an application just drag it from the toolbox and drop it into the page.
FanStar integrates all the applications that you see below to allow everything to talk to everything else.
Unlike many sites, that send your fans off to websites masquerading under your banner, with FanStar it's all in one place. This allows you to get the most from the information that's gathered.
Once you're used to it you can start to use some of the more advanced tools and really make it fly!!
Its Easy
Easy as 1,2,3
How easy can it be?
You build the website using the wizard and the templates.
To add content you select the file you want through the usual Windows style 'Browse' view.
Then add it to the web page you want.
It's that easy.
The file can be MP3, Jpeg, AVI, - anything.
To add an application such as a blog, forum, music player or store you just drag it from the toolbox and drop it into the web page. Done.
Share your images and videos
You have probably already done this on countless other social networking websites. This is no different.
It's dead easy to create gallery 'sets' and publish your photos. You can tag photos with keywords to enable your fans to browse and sort the images they want to look at.
Video works exactly the same - just upload it and publish it to your band's website!
You can even restrict who sees what, so you can reward your most loyal fans with exclusive material!
Let them see and hear you
Create as many multimedia playlists as you like, then stream it to the masses.
Uploading your MP3s is as simple as selecting the file on your computer and hitting the 'upload' button.
With the option to select who can view or hear individual pieces of media within your website, FanStar allows you to reward your most active or diehard fans with exclusive material.
Who, what, where and when?
Wouldn't it be great to know ;
- Who is looking at your band website?
- What are they are looking at ?
- Where are they are in the world ?
- When are they are active on your website ?
With the inbuilt statistical analysis tools FanStar gives you all the answers.
Armed with this information you can deliver targeted content to your fans on a local level - whether this is by tailoring your website to the popular pages or planning tour dates to meet local demand.
Sell your stuff!
MP3s, Tickets, T-Shirts, Badges, CDs, Hats, your Grandma*, sell it all through your online store. It's simple to add different types of product to your store, including 'Fan Packages' that are only available to specific subscription level fans.
Because FanStar puts everything in one place, all the historical purchase data is stored into your fanbase management system within your website. So you know who buys what and when.
If you'd rather jam with the band than become a logistics manager or your bedroom doesn't have the room to stock 1000 XL T-Shirts, we partner with global fulfilment companies who hold and ship out your product from the orders on your site.
You are not a shop keeper, you're a musician... let FanStar get behind the counter!
* FanStar does not endorse the sale of Grandparents.
Know your greatest asset
So you have 10,000 'friends' on your social network but what do you really know about them?
The most important part of what you do is your fans, without them you don't move from first base.
Understand what they want, what they blog about, how often they visit the site, what they buy and their interaction with other fans.
This is the key to a succesful career in the music industry and it's all built into FanStar.
Create different levels of user subscription, either free or paid for, and give your fans access to as much content as you like.
Don't repeat yourself
Now you have to update MySpace and your official band website - but where is the time to practice or play gigs?
Whenever you publish a News, Event or Blog Post on your website FanStar can update your other social networks for you.
You can even do this from the side of the stage or the back of a tour bus!
Offer your 'friends' the chance to join your official mailing list and become true friends by embedding the signup form on your MySpace or Facebook pages.
Go on, get to know who your friends really are.
Put the word on the street
Blogs and forums get your fans contributing to your band website. They grow community, build loyalty and provide you with invaluable feedback.
The tools to do this and capture the information are built into FanStar. The advantage that this has over other blogs and forums is that the information gathered is integrated into the fanbase management system.
Update your news items on the fly or through official press channels as and when it happens. RSS feeds for all news, event and product information are automatically generated when you make the post.
Your very own 'What's On'
Publish your gig dates online and directly to your fans. Put in as much detail as you want, such as venue details, how to get there, and entry fee.
Link this all into your shop, so fans can buy tickets directly from you and because they are buying from your shop and not another 'Ticketing Website' they might just buy a T-Shirt to wear to the ball as well!
Don't forget all this data gets stored in your fanbase management system.
As with any other diary management tool, recurring events, like club nights or band residencies can be automatically updated to appear in your calendar on regular dates.
A little help from your friends
In the unlikely event that you get stuck, the FanStar system has some hand holding built in.
Video guides, walk-throughs and user contributed forums should all help you to find the answers you need to build an effective band website.
If all else fails just drop us a line - we need to know if you are having problems.
Don't forget if you look good, we look good