A Realtor asked me yesterday if I could put music on his website. I can – but it’s probably not a good idea. Here’s why.
To begin with – unless he happens to be a realtor who’s particularly known for being a musician – it has nothing to do with his business. It’s a distraction that adds no value.
That’s the first thing to consider – why would you add music? What value will it bring to your website visitor? How does it help YOU? And will they expect it?
If you’re promoting a band – absolutely, have sound clips on your site. It’s relevant to your business and knowing the type of music you play and how well you play it is also important to a site visitor who’s considering hiring you.
Second, music or audio that is not expected – that starts immediately when you visit a site, for example – is annoying to a lot of site visitors. Annoyed visitors click away! Imagine that someone is surfing the ‘Net at work – or while the baby is sleeping – they find your site and all of a sudden your voice comes blaring out of the speakers. Will they expect that? Will they appreciate it?
If you do put music or audio on your site, NEVER start playing it immediately. Give the visitor a choice – e.g. “Click Here to Play Sample Clip” or “Click here for Jane Doe’s testimonial.”