Audio adds impact to your website

Uses of audio for your website 

• Give a personal welcome to website visitors
• Training on how to use a product
• Tell a story (e.g., company history)
• Recorded testimonials from customers
• Ambient (background) sound for atmosphere
• Reading of text on the page – Automated widgets are available with human-sounding voices
• Sound samples of a product or service in action
• Samples of music and voice for performing artist websites (singers, musicians, announcers, etc.)
• Sound effects
• Click on a word or name to hear how it is pronounced

User control of audio

• Audio may be started automatically when a page loads or when the visitor takes some action. For example, when the visitor clicks on a link or button.
• Audio may play through once or be repeated in a continuous loop.

Some tips about using sound –

• Audio can be a real enhancement to other web content but can become an annoyance if the visitor has limited control over it. Lack of control over audio can drive visitors away from your site.
  • Give the user control of the volume, option to mute the sound, stop it, repeat, etc.
• Poor quality audio (e.g., inaudible parts, excessive background noise, distortion and tinniness) can also drive away your website visitors.
• Consider whether the audio actually enhances the user experience. Don’t use it if it adds nothing or detracts from it.
• Consider your audience. Don’t use sound just because you can.

The following example shows how sound can be embedded in your WordPress website.