In updating my local site, havre de grace – the meeting place, I was double checking links when I discovered a number of local businesses using sound on their websites and blogs. Now, I don’t really mind that at all. In fact a lot of it I truly enjoy!

But let me ask you this: Do you get annoyed when watching tv and the commercials come on blaring? Do you listen to your computer via headphones so that you’re not bothering anyone else in the family?

Well, then. Maybe all those folks creating sound that starts automatically upon bringing up a website might want to think again. It may seem innocuous. But, believe me, if I have headphones on (or it’s late in the evening), a jarring audio on a website will have me growling phrases that should not be repeated in public!

Plus, if there is lots to read – and I am one of those that loves to read, it is most annoying to hear the music repeat over and over and over ad nauseum. Interestingly, some sites don’t even have a way to quickly turn it off. You can’t even find the little audio skin with controls to turn it on or off.

It’s the same problem as those flash entry pages that say you can “CLICK HERE” if you want to move on to the actual site! Why wouldn’t I want to get to the actual site. That’s most likely what I searched for, maybe even directly typed in the URL. Yep, it’s all cute and flashy, but is it what your visitor wants?

Here are my suggestions if you want your site to be visitor-friendly:

  1. If your site is promoting your business and you want folks to linger and learn more about you, do NOT have your audio automatically play. Place an audio bar and highlight that they can turn it on and listen.
  2. Do NOT have audio on every page, especially if it’s repeating automatically. (I may love your restaurant but hate the site’s Italian Opera, Hungarian, Greek, whatever!)
  3. Have you created an audio-message for your visitor? Again, make it one that they click to listen to it. After all, you want them to return again and again. They’ll get sick of hearing the auto-repeated message if they’re frequent visitors. Note: If you change it regularly, find a way to let them know that by a title frame, date, etc.

Okay, there are always exceptions. But I can’t think of a reason to have sound come blaring on without being polite enough to ask my permission to listen. This means placing a comment, title frame, etc. on the skin that says “Listen here”

Think about the last time you were annoyed by a loud ad, or a change in the volume on the tv. Now ask yourself if you want that same reaction from the visitors to your website. Remember, it’s not cute if I just growled at you. And it often will cause a visitor to decide to not return.

If you place audio (or audio in your slideshow or video) on your site, be user-friendly. Invite them to turn on the audio. That way, if you’re leaving relevant information for your visitors, they’ll be more apt to return to listen to what you have to offer. Your concern for their comfort (and eardrums) will go a long way towards creating a positive relationship via your website and blog.

Success to you… warmly,

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