Raise Your Hand If You Like Sound From Websites You Visit

Posted: 27th June 2009 by ê¿ê in Technology
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Picture of James Earl Jones from http://www.ho...
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One of the most often complained of attributes that a website can have is autoplaying music.  Ever since it became possible to stream music from your site, some individuals use (and over use) this technique.

Most people I talk to really have issues with visiting a site and getting an earful of music.

But what about sales pitches? We hear ads all day long on radio and television, so is it unrealistic to not find them on the web as well?

I was reading an article the other day about enhancing your web effectiveness with sound. It talked about giving your website a voice — a real voice in this case. Using voice-over to deliver a message to your visitors that may be missed by only offering text. While text is necessary for rankings in the search engines, this article tried really hard to make me believe that my visitors would love to hear a voice giving them a short, but important message.

I’m thinking that no, MY readers would NOT be impressed by any voice giving them any information — no matter if it were James Earl Jones‘ resonating tones or the dulcet voice of Beyonce doing the talking.

Now it also talked about a sound logo — something like the Tony the Tiger’s “Grrrrrrreat!” but fitting for the website. Now they might tolerate that. MIGHT.

But all in all, I think using music, voice-overs or sound-bite logo files will not be the way of this website. Call it a personal preference of mine — I like my websites quiet and visual only.

Thinking on this deeper, though — for any visitor who is visually impaired, and who isn’t already using a screen reader, having the site be able to offer them the ability to hear it would be nice. Not sure exactly how that would work unless it could be done with CSS coding and some way for the site to “know” this visitor was visually impaired — maybe a special browser for visually impaired people.

What do you think about websites that open up with someone talking? Do you click off of them as quickly as I do? If I created a sound-bite logo for this site — say that played a 10 second something that wasn’t too loud, would that drive you away? Or could you suffer that in order to read my scintillating articles?

Well, it may end up being a question that ranks right up there with using a motorcycle jack — why would you?

ê¿ê

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  1. Sandy says:
    June 28, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    I vote NO. I like the quiet and never have my sound on anyway. I often don’t like others choice of music, then again if you’re one who listens to your own music and hit a site with music…thats really annoying.

    Been waiting on to answer some of the questions I left for you a while back.

    Sandy
    .-= Sandy´s last blog ..Cayucos, California Coast Road heading North =-.

    • ê¿ê says:
      June 28, 2009 at 8:43 pm

      Sandy — I have my speakers on and don’t usually have music playing, but still don’t want to have something blare out at me from someone’s website. That will make me click off very quickly!

      What questions? I seem to have missed them….sorry!

  2. fragileheart says:
    June 28, 2009 at 3:01 pm

    I tend to view several blogs at once in different tabs, so music upon loading is a definite no no for me. I also like to have my music playing from my computer and I’m sure we all know how annoying it is when your favourite song is playing and something starts playing right on top of it… :)
    .-= fragileheart´s last blog ..An unlikely post =-.

    • ê¿ê says:
      June 28, 2009 at 8:42 pm

      Reggy — I am not in favor of having music shoved down my ears. My tastes in music are pretty definite although they are almost as eclectic as this blog :) . I don’t think you’ll ever need to worry about hearing this site :P

  3. Nieruchomosci Gryfino says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:54 am

    Music playing on the band’s website I can take. Talking and playing ads make me hate the site and the company that the ad is supposed to promote.

    • ê¿ê says:
      June 30, 2009 at 2:06 pm

      Nieruchomosci — I become a bounce statistic on those sites that have music…unless as you say its a site I go to FOR music (I still want to pick what plays, though).

  4. JHS says:
    July 1, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    If I happen upon a website that plays music automatically, I close the browser immediately and do not return. I find it incredibly annoying and do not want to be bombarded by other folks’ music, esp. when it is frequently really loud. Just my opinion! Different strokes and all that . . .
    .-= JHS´s last blog ..A Little Spice =-.