The best website features for performance artists are a strong portfolio, mobile-friendly design, easy navigation, clear calls to action, and an updated events calendar. These features clearly show your work and turn visitors into paying clients.
This is important because many performing artists struggle to show their dynamic, physical work online. At NoBudgetPerformance, we help Brisbane performers build professional websites without stretching the budget.
And we get it. You might be stuck with a site that looks generic or feels like every other template out there. Or maybe your platform is a pain to update, and the navigation leaves people clicking around without finding what they need.
But your website is often the first impression for collaborators, fans, or event bookers. So an outdated site can cost you gigs. In this article, we’ll walk through the best website features for performance artists so your site actually reflects your talent and brings in results.
Ready? Let’s begin.
Top Website Features for Performance Artists and Creatives
As we already mentioned, a professional website for performers should include a multimedia portfolio, mobile responsiveness, clear navigation, and tools that help visitors book or buy. Together, these elements showcase your artistic style while making it simple for potential clients to take action.
So, below, we’ll break down each feature so you can apply it to your own website.
Portfolio Website Tips
Your portfolio is the heart of your site, and it’s where people go to see what you actually do. So start with adding a gallery that includes high-quality images and videos of your performances. We’ve learned that visuals do most of the talking for performers, so this is the place to put your best work forward.
From there, organise your projects into clear categories with short descriptions. For example, you could have sections like “Theatre Shows,” “Dance Performances,” and “Workshops,” with a one‑line description under each to explain what visitors will see. This helps website visitors find what they’re looking for without endless scrolling.
Also, don’t forget to add an events calendar with direct ticketing links so fans can grab seats straight from your page. And if you’re a musician or audio-based artist, embedding media players will let people hear your demos right on the spot.
Website Design Elements that Elevate Your Style
Your website’s design should reflect your artistic vision. Simple design choices, like a high-quality performance photo, consistent typography, and unified branding, can have a strong impact. These elements will create a great first impression and make your homepage tell your story at a glance.
So let’s say you are a contemporary dancer. Here, you can try using a striking action shot from one of your shows as the main banner, which can immediately show visitors your style and energy.
The goal is a homepage that immediately shows visitors who you are and what you bring to the stage.
Prioritising Mobile Responsiveness and Mobile Friendliness
Did you know that over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices? That means mobile-first design is the standard, and you can’t afford to treat it as an extra feature. Your site needs touch-friendly navigation and fast load times to keep people around. If buttons are too small or pages drag, visitors will leave before they even see your work.
Choosing the Right Web Design Tools
If you’re building your own website, platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress are solid starting points. Squarespace is known for its stunning templates, while Wix offers strong SEO and marketing tools. But if you’re just starting out, the free WordPress is your best option for a flexible site that can grow with you.
Just make sure to choose a platform with features that let you sell art, promote shows, or take bookings directly from your site.
How to Engage Website Visitors as a Performance Artist
You can engage website visitors by showcasing your best performances, highlighting important events, and making it easy for visitors to take the next step. And any good web design will balance how your site looks with how well it works.
Here’s a look at how to make your site do more for your business.
Understanding What Visitors Want from a Musician’s Website
People landing on your site usually want one of three things: they want to see your work, find out where you’re performing, or get in touch. That’s why your navigation should be simple and obvious from the moment they arrive. Even if cluttered menus fit your artistic style, they tend to confuse visitors and make them leave faster.
On top of that, your calls to action need to be easy to spot. No one expects to search for the “Book Now” link when visiting an artist’s website. So make sure your buttons for bookings, streams, and downloads stand out on every page. If it’s hard to find, visitors will quickly leave (and form a poor impression of your site and professionalism).
Using Social Media to Amplify
Social media links are useful, but they shouldn’t distract from your main content. We recommend placing your feeds or icons in the footer or sidebar instead of the center of the page. This way, your portfolio will stay the focus while visitors still have a way to connect with you on social platforms.
However, heavy social embeds can slow your pages down too. This makes your site harder to use and can hurt your search engine ranking. Keep your site light by limiting large social embeds and unnecessary widgets, and let your work speak for itself through your portfolio and key content.
Turn Your Site into a Stage for Commerce
If you sell art, merchandise, or albums, your website should let you handle sales directly. Platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce work with most site builders. But you still need to match your shop’s design with your artistic style so the whole site feels seamless.
There’s another benefit here, too. Selling through your own website means you keep more of the profit compared to third-party marketplaces. For instance, many marketplaces charge around 8-15 % or more in fees per sale, so you can keep a noticeably larger share when you sell directly.
Track, Test, and Tweak with Analytics
You can’t improve what you don’t track, and that’s where analytics can help. Tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar can show where your visitors click, scroll, and leave your site. You can use this information to make changes and improve your website based on user behavior.
Improve Your Website to Attract More Clients and Gigs
So, how does your current website measure up against the features we’ve covered? If you noticed a few gaps along the way, that’s completely normal. You now know that most of these fixes are not that complicated.
The main point is that your website should reflect your artistic vision while also being easy to find, mobile-friendly, and designed to connect with people. But first, you need a good idea of what your audience wants when they land on your page.
You can start by going through your current site and checking it against this list. Then focus on upgrading the features that are most important to your goals. Think about how you want the world to see your work, and design around that.
If you’d rather have someone handle the challenging parts, get in touch with us at No Budget Performance. We help Brisbane performers build professional websites that actually showcase what they do best.
