Should a Website Sound Off?
Last week, while digging through the usual debris brought up in a Google search, I found a relic of the old days of free web-hosting, when too much was never enough. It was a pet website, but any thought of cute, little animals was driven from my mind by a sudden blare of loud, tinny music. Not sure what it was, but it sounded like an antique music box on steroids. I may have set a speed record in hitting the mute button.
While trying to forget the whole experience, I started to wonder whether having music or sound effects on websites is really a good idea. For the most part, I don’t think it is. It’s distracting and it depends far too much on individual taste. Let’s say you have a personal website to share your hobby of collecting Art Deco doorknobs. You might think a soundtrack of Glenn Miller will add to the experience. Well, maybe it will, but what if someone who just inherited a dozen Art Deco doorknobs visits your site looking for someone to buy them at a bargain price? If it’s someone who loves Big Bands, you’re in luck. But what if they hate any music older than Oingo Boingo? Rather than taking the time to hit the mute button, maybe they’ll just move on to another site run by your biggest rival and you’ll be hearing about your missed opportunity for the rest of your life.
There are exceptions, of course. If you have a site devoted to Halloween or to horror films, maybe some spooky sound effects will make it more fun. If your business is music, adding your band’s work to your website is a good idea. The same goes for record labels. But let’s say your site is music related, but it’s for your retail business that specializes in cds and merch related to Swedish Death Metal. Yes, most of your target audience is likely to love a soundtrack with their shopping experience, BUT do you want to risk giving Grandma a heart attack if she drops by your site to spend a few hundred dollars on Christmas presents?
Go ahead and laugh, but think about it. Before adding anything to your website that may be distracting, or that may be something your audience just doesn’t like, think long and hard about whether it serves a useful purpose and whether it will enhance your message or run the risk of detracting from it.
About the author
A loose cannon by right of descent, Jeffrey developed a fascination with figuring out anything related to computers precisely because he never even saw one in school. He's been writing for thirty years and blogging for four, primarily on local history, medieval history, church architecture, and religious art. Jeffrey describes his interests as, "too confounded many for a well-ordered life."
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