51. The sound and the celluloid

By using sound files and movie files you can wow your visitor and get your message across quickly and effectively. So plug in and turn on…

The eyes and the ears are the way to your customer’s wallet….

Sonic Boom

Using sound on your web site can give you two means of communication running simultaneously – the user can listen to the sound (it can be music or speech) and read the text on the page. If you get it right, you can impress your user visually and aurally.

The most common use of sound on a web site is when interactive noises are ‘created’ when the user clicks on a link, a button or a new screen. But don’t overdo it. Although there is a novelty factor associated with a high-pitched scream every time we use a button, it quite soon wears very thin. As soon as your hilarious sound becomes an annoyance you’ll be driving visitors away. Likewise, overpowering users with too many gimmicks (whether audio or video) can be counter-productive. The last thing you want to instil is confusion.

The effective use of sound can show users the personality or personalities behind a web site. Whether this is a comic exchange, the managing director’s report to the AGM or satisfied customers advocating the use of your products and services – they all give weight to what it is you are trying to achieve.

White Noise

If you’re going to do something, make sure you do it properly. The decision to use sound should go hand in hand with the decision to use the best quality sound files you can. In this age of digital audio, there really isn’t any excuse for poor recordings. To minimise problems with quality, it’s worth recording the audio digitally in the first place (if possible) rather than trying to convert later.

Any large audio file (say, more than 30 seconds of music or 1 minute of voice) should be options that the user chooses to listen to, not have forced upon them. Use graphics to alert users to the fact that sound files are available, but understand that not everyone will want to listen, especially if their connection speed is a bit limp or if they need a specific audio player installed. Even if the download is free, the option to download anything from the internet, no matter how trustworthy you think the provider is, won’t wash with more timid internet adventurers.

Any audio features that you add to a web site must come with an obvious off button. Users have this right and will be very annoyed if it is denied to them.

And, Action!

Most of the rules about using audio files carry through for moving images, whether they are movie files or animation such as Flash. The major concern has to be the file size and the streaming quality for users who don’t enjoy the same connection speed as you. A relatively recent and clever way round this problem is to offer the same files in hi-res and lo-res and through multiple viewers. If you’ve created a movie file it’s easy enough to create these options. And, because you’ve made it so easy, you’ll enjoy far more downloads as you’ll be appealing to a much wider audience.

How did it go?

Q. The IT department are really keen on the idea but marketing argue that offering different viewers is going to confuse the users into downloading all four options instead of just one. Could this be the case?

A. Not at all – your users are highly intelligent! Although it would be bold to say that absolutely no confusion will occur, the vast majority of internet users who recognise that clicking on a link will download an audio or video file will also understand that the options are just giving you the chance to appeal to as many users as possible.

Q. Marketing don’t want to use any audio or video files – is this a nail in our own coffin?

A. Not at all. Only add features that add value to your offering. Keep noise to a minimum.

Here is an idea for you…

If you’re currently using audio or video files on your site try converting some of the most important or popular ones for use with different viewers/players, and offer a low-res and hi-res option. Have your developers add a traffic monitor to each of the links and after maybe four or five weeks you should have enough data to determine your users’ most popular choice of viewer/player and preferred resolution. Be sure to offer some players that are not Microsoft products, such as Real Player and QuickTime.

Defining idea…

‘Of all noises, I think music is the least disagreeable.’

Samuel Johnson

Defining idea…

‘Big nations are like chickens. They like to make big noises, but very often it is no more than squabbling.’

Albert Schweitzer

Defining idea…

‘Music makes one feel so romantic – at least it always gets on one’s nerves – which is the same thing nowadays.’

Oscar Wilde