Audio on your website: Sound off or on?

There is an ongoing debate on whether or not to use audio on your website. It reminds me of the debate 10 or 15 years ago about whether to use graphics on the web. Today, we cannot even imagine a website without graphics. Advances in technology made that happen and advances in technology today are making using audio, and even video, on the web more feasible.

Let’s look at a number of reasons why you should seriously consider using audio on your website.

Audiences are increasingly hungry for multimedia. The proliferation of personal audio devices, such as MP3 players, makes sound a natural addition to text and images. All age groups are embracing the use of these devices, whether it’s for listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks.

Your website is there to educate your visitors, be it about your services, your products, or a particular point of view. People learn in different ways, some by reading, some by listening, some by doing, and some by a combination of these methods. Adding audio to your site gives your visitors another “learning” option.

Surveys have shown that websites with audio lengthen user life, and the longer visitors stay on your website, the more likely they are to buy your service or product.

Can audio:

** Make a good first impression

** tell the visitor something about the site

** summarize site content

** give additional information

** highlight highlights

** help the user to navigate the site by pointing out the pages not to be missed

** instruct the visitor to perform actions such as downloading information, completing a form requesting more information or taking advantage of a special offer

** reinforce the written word

** give your website personality

One of the best uses for audio on the web is to add punch to online presentations, demos, and virtual tours.

There are a number of things to keep in mind if you decide to add audio to your website. Make sure you know your target audience and broadcast the audio to them. Always give your website visitors the option to turn off the sound. Not everyone has high-speed access and not everyone likes to hear sound when surfing the net. Some people prefer to get an idea of ​​your site, your product, your services, before hearing what you have to say.

Make sure your audio file loads very fast. To do that, reduce the size of the file. Do not use stereo as it doubles the file size. Don’t make audio a barrier between your visitor and your website. Also, make sure your audio file doesn’t open in a new window, pushing your visitors away from the main site. Don’t make the sound too loud. Remember that people listen through headphones, in public places and in office cubicles. Don’t use audio just to have audio. If you decide to use only music, for example, make sure the music you choose is connected in some way to the content on your website.

Here’s a quick overview of the requirements to achieve high-quality audio on your website. While you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a microphone, the small microphones that come with your computer generally won’t give you clean sound. Also, the sound card that came with your computer may not have the capabilities to record clean sound. Pay attention to your recording environment. You don’t want to hear your computer fan, air conditioner, neighbor’s lawn mower, or dog barking in the audio file you plan to put on your website. You also need software to record the sound and upload it to your web server.

Remember the old adage, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Make the sound professional and clean. Make sure a professional writes your copy and it is worth hiring a professional to record it as well. Lastly, make sure the music you use is royalty-free or that you have received permission to use it (which generally means paying a fee).