Website Design for Podcasting Smarter

A Strategic Guide for Small Business Owners

Podcasting is a powerful tool for building brand authority, connecting with audiences, and generating new business opportunities. To fully leverage its potential, small business owners and podcasters must consider how their podcast is hosted—whether through an embedded RSS feed or self-hosting—because this choice impacts website design, user experience, and overall brand strategy.

According to Edison Research’s 2024 Infinite Dial survey podcast consumption in the United States, especially among women, has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. As of 2024, an estimated 192 million people have listened to a podcast in the U.S. alone.

View fullsize

The survey found that “47% of the U.S. 12+ population has listened to a podcast in the last month, up 12% year over year; [and] 34% of the U.S. 12+ population has listened to a podcast in the last week, up 10% year over year.”

As website designers and marketers, we’re often asked whether it’s better for a small business to host its podcast directly on its website, or embed an RSS feed from a third-party hosting service like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Buzzsprout.

Our recommendation: Embed an RSS feed. For most podcasters, using a third-party host and embedding an RSS feed on their website is the best balance of convenience, cost-effectiveness, and audience reach. However, self-hosting could be a great option if you want full control over content and monetization (and have the technical know-how).

Both options have advantages and drawbacks, and some podcasters may even benefit from incorporating a video-based version of their podcast on platforms like YouTube. Below are considerations for both approaches to website design for podcasters.

Embedding a Podcast RSS Feed on Your Website

Uploading your podcast to a professional podcasting service automatically provides you immediate access to an audience of nearly 200 million podcast listeners in the United States alone. Small business owners and podcasters should evaluate the risks and benefits of using a service like Spotify or self-hosting their podcast to determine which option is a better fit for their business. We provide you with some of those advantages and potential disadvantages below.

Pros:

1. Provides Seamless Integration & User Experience

• An RSS feed automatically updates your website with the latest episodes without requiring manual uploads.

• Listeners can easily access and stream episodes without leaving your website.

2. Increases Website Traffic (Improves SEO)

• Search engines prioritize fresh content, and embedding an RSS feed ensures regular updates to your site.

• Encourages visitors to explore your website further, increasing engagement and potential conversions.

3. Saves Hosting Space & Bandwidth

• Audio files are large, and hosting them can slow down your website.

• Third-party platforms optimize streaming performance, reducing strain on your server.

4. Affords Professional Podcast Hosting Features

• Services like Buzzsprout, Libsyn, and Anchor provide audience analytics, syndication to multiple platforms, scheduling, and monetization options.

• Ensures reliability and faster load times for listeners.

Cons:

1. Less Control: Platforms set the rules, and you rely on their distribution policies.

2. Limited Monetization: Some platforms take a cut of ad revenue or restrict sponsorship options.

3. Potential Platform Changes: If a host shuts down or changes its terms, you might need to migrate your podcast.

4. Cost: Many podcast hosting platforms require a subscription fee, and free plans often come with limitations on storage, audio quality, or branding control.

Hosting a Podcast Directly on Your Website

The podcast self-hosting route presents some additional complexity for website hosting and audience reach. The podcast producer, rather than a third-party service, will need to manage file hosting and manually set up RSS feed distribution to other podcast service platforms to maximize reach. It’s important to note that unless the last step is taken, a podcaster’s show will have limited discoverability if the only place it lives is on their website. Because the audio files are quite large, podcasters may also incur higher hosting costs and slow website performance.

Pros:

1. Full Control Over Content: No reliance on third-party platforms or terms of service changes.

2. No External Branding: Keeps the user experience aligned with your brand.

3. Direct Monetization Options: Ability to sell subscriptions or integrate custom ad placements without third-party cuts.

Cons:

1. Increased Server Load: Hosting large media files can slow your website and increase hosting costs.

2. Limited Distribution: Without an RSS feed, listeners must visit your website rather than accessing episodes on popular platforms.

3. Time-Consuming Management: Requires more manual effort to upload, organize, and distribute content.

The Case for Video Podcasts & YouTube Integration

Another valuable podcasting strategy is to offer a video version of your podcast and embed YouTube episodes on your website. This approach provides several additional benefits:

1. Expands Audience Reach

• YouTube, owned by Google, is the second-largest search engine, making video podcasts more discoverable.

• Appeals to visual learners who prefer watching over listening.

2. Boosts Potential Engagement & Social Sharing

• Video content may generate more interaction, including comments and shares.

• Viewers are more likely to subscribe and follow your brand.

3. Enhances SEO

• Embedding YouTube videos improves on-page engagement and time spent on your site, which can positively impact SEO rankings.

• Video transcripts provide additional keyword opportunities.

4. Provides Monetization Opportunities

• YouTube offers ad revenue sharing, sponsorships, and super chats for monetizing content.

• Helps diversify income streams beyond traditional podcast sponsorships.

The Best Strategy

For most small business owners and content creators, the best strategy is to combine embedding an RSS feed for audio podcasts and YouTube videos for visual versions. This maximizes accessibility, engagement, and discoverability without the downsides of self-hosting large media files.

By leveraging professional, third-party podcast and video hosting and strategic website integration, small businesses can maximize their podcast audience reach while keeping their website fast, functional, and search engine-friendly.

Need help with a design that optimizes your podcast presence on your website? Let’s chat! At Elevate Next, we specialize in website design, content marketing, and digital strategy to help businesses build their brand(s) effectively.