Here Are 7 Reasons Why Beyonce.com Is Iconic, with Notes to Take for Your Own Website
Most images seen in this post are exclusive copyright of Beyonce.com and are used here for educational purposes.
It’s no secret that Beyoncé does a lot of things incredibly right. The music, the choreography, theatrical live performances, and iconic style are all reasons people fall in love with the legendary singer again and again. A key aspect that’s been holding it down quietly throughout her career is highly underrated though, and that’s Beyonce.com.
If you take a closer look, you’ll realize the website really is a secret weapon, and a surefire way for fans, journalists, and haters alike to stay abreast to all things Beyoncé. So we’re breaking down seven reasons that make the website stand out, and how you can incorporate it into your own web presence. “You ready? Let’s go get ‘em…”
1. Minimalism - Deceptively Simple
Beyoncé gets you right to the business and doesn't waste your time. As soon as you arrive at the site, you're greeted with full-bleed images of her latest fashions, projects, or performances. And while the site is ultimately complex and there's still a lot going on (we'll get to that next), browsing it doesn't feel overwhelming. There aren't too many ways for one to get lost, even though the site makes you want to do just that. It's well organized, has a mobile-like hamburger menu to minimize distraction even on the desktop, and it doesn't feel like you're on a website. They skipped on complex animations and excessive graphic design. It’s not about the website, it’s simply Beyoncé [dot com!].
2. Exhaustive & Thorough
Beyoncé uses her website as an archive. It's a treasure trove of not just her career, but her entire life… (or at least what she wishes to display of it). There are images dating back to eras and events long gone that can still be accessed if you're willing to take the time or you're savvy. Plus there's her entire discography, all her merchandise — whether tour goodies, Ivy Park, or fragrances — and videos galore. People should always be able to get a comprehensive look into all things you. Let them dive into the fullness of your brand in a way that's difficult to replicate on social media.
3. Strategic Use of Hashtags
Using hashtags and categories means that it's easy for people to search and round up specific media and information on the fly. If you click "Ms. Tina" under an image, for example, or type in beyonce.com/tag/ms-tina, you get all the media tagged with Beyoncé's mom, Ms. Tina Knowles. A pretty nifty way to help people source materials that could otherwise be buried and forgotten in an exhaustive website that's also an online museum. On the back end, this also makes it easier to create collections and special pages to resurface content in other parts of your site with ease. For example, she hashtags "holiday" on photos where she's being festive with family. With this functionality, she (or her webmaster) could easily set up a page that only displayed Easter Beyoncé, Halloween Beyoncé, Christmas Beyoncé, and so on if she wanted. And it'd take just a few minutes to create.
4. Intimate Exclusives
Most wouldn't think so given her notorious absence from typical media outlets, but Beyoncé actually shares a whole lot of herself, particularly on her website. You get to see not just behind the scenes of the performances and music videos, but a full glimpse of her life rarely seen elsewhere. There are pics of her family, and even an adorable snap of her gleefully holding a chimpanzee. There's an endless array of material you just won't see posted to her Instagram, or featured in a magazine. Exclusive content is a huge reason for guests to come back and enjoy the site again and again. It’s also a great way for her to control her own narrative and image. There’s no mistaking on her website that she’s just “that b*tch.” (Lyrics!)
5. Expansive/Full Screen Experience
Social media simply doesn't offer the full HD experience. Images are often cropped, have some quality removed, and then they have to compete with a lot of other noise to boot on crowded timelines and feeds. Where social media might serve as a sampler to your offering, the website can serve as the full-on dining experience. When you invest in high-quality photography, videography, or graphic design you want to give that media a place to be seen in its full glory. Especially for those that may be browsing or wish to browse later from a laptop or desktop screen.
6. Consistently & Frequently Updated
There is always something new to see at Beyonce.com. Did she attend a major charity event? A movie premiere? A museum visit? Dinner with Jay-Z? Are there new merch, music, or products to purchase? You're often going to see it there first. It's yet another reason that keeps people coming back for more. No one will stay interested in a website — and thus its subject — that's inactive and dormant, failing to rotate and update content regularly.
7. She Doesn't Go For The Hard Sell
You've probably been to tons of sites that bombard you right away with what we call CTAS or call-to-actions. These are methods to get you to take an action, whether that's subscribing to a newsletter, clicking on a particular page, or to buy something… and of course, most people want you to buy buy buy. A visit to Beyonce.com, however, will simply find you met with a stream and download CTA subtly nestled in the top right corner. It's very effective, staying with you throughout your trip on the site, but it doesn't scream at users and distract. Subtly drawing people into your brand instead of yanking and annoying them to buy something makes all the difference in how people will respond to your site. Your audience wants an experience, not just a sales pitch.
You can have your own YOU.com
Now we didn’t design Beyonce.com, sadly, but we’ve designed sites that incorporate the aspects you’ve read about above. You don't have to be Beyoncé to have a website like Beyoncé. Thanks to the magic of modern technology, you don't need Beyoncé money to do it either. Here at GHOST, we design simple, minimal, but expansive websites for artists, entertainers, and moguls alike. Get in touch with us to discuss how we can design a website that will make you feel like Beyoncé right where you're at.
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