What's more annoying than being assaulted by blaring sound upon entering a website? Not being able to turn it off! What is the average visitor going to do when confronted with displeasing sound or music on a website? Some will click away immediately, not even giving the site a chance. The majority, however, will look for a way to turn it off. What happens if there is no way to shut it off? At this point, the visitor has two options. They can either turn off their speakers, or they can navigate away from the page. Because the internet is such an enormous place, and since they are already irritated by the lack of a way to stop the music, talking, or whatever, what do you think they will do? Personally, I leave & don't look back, and I am not alone. After all, I can find the information I need on a less offensive website, and that's how most people look at it. The goal is to drive traffic to your website, not to drive your potential customers into the arms of your competitors, so to speak. Even the vast majority of music related sites provide a stop button on their streaming audio players. What's the moral? If you absolutely must have sound on your website, try to do it in new and interesting ways. If you have to play music, make it quiet, and provide your potential customers with the option of shutting it off. Remember, you're not going to be able to defend your niche if you offend your customer base. Here is a tip: If you want your site to contain some auditory interest, try using a mouseover (rollover) sound effects on your links. For example, a very quick & simple "click" can be heard when the link is hovered upon. This is far less offensive than loud music, talking, explosion sound effects, etc. Your visitors will probably even think it's pretty neat. Regards,
Danielle Dandridge
CEO/Website Solutions Specialist
Paradigm Shift Website Solutions, LLC
http://www.pswebsitesolutionsllc.com/ |
