Usually, web designer steer clear of using any kind of sound files on their websites. The simple reason for this is the fact that it can get increasingly annoying for the visitor as they may not be expecting for any audio in a website. Besides, the type of music chosen can hurt the ears immensely. Since as a web designer, you are unaware of the kind of audiences that will grace the website, you cannot always judge how each individual will take the inclusion of sound on your website. Therefore, a web design company is always too sceptical of allowing its designers to include sound in a website. While most web designers recommend going against it, you can essentially opt for music in your website so as to take the user experience to another level. However, using the right sound is very important to make sure that a visitor gets mesmerized instead of leaving the site completely uninterested. Enlisted are some nifty web design tips that will make sure that you make the right use of sound when designing a website.
Get help from a professional sound designer:
Essentially, since you are a web designer, you may not be very well versed with the methods and tactics used by sound designers to create good quality sound. Therefore, if you wish to create a superlative user experience, it is always a good idea to get professional help from sound designers so that they can help you with the right use of sound for the website.
Avoid the auto play option at all times:
Usually, when a visitor comes across any website, a sudden rise in the decibel levels is something that a visitor least expects. Therefore, if you do wish to include sound files, make sure that you never code it in a way that it begins playing as soon as the website loads. This can mar the user experience to a great extent. Instead, offer an option and include a button, which when pressed will begin playing the sound file. This ensures that the visitor willingly wishes to listen to the music designed for the website. At the same time, it is equally important that you include buttons to stop or mute the music and in a way that is visible too. If the visitor is unable to do so, he may simply get frustrated with the site and walk away thus costing you a customer.
Interface sounds is a good option:
If you wish to include some kind of sound to a website, a good option would be including it as interface sounds. Usually, you could consider adding soft sounds like pings and dings to buttons or menu options on your site. These should be designed in a way that is not too loud that they take away from the user experience but not too soft that it will not be heard whatsoever. A web design company usually makes an effort when it comes to designing web pages with interface sounds as it makes the website more interactive. This is more visible when designing gaming websites.
Keep in mind the theme of your website when designing the sound:
Ideally, there has to be some kind of a connection between the design that you work on for the website and the corresponding sound that you select. The visitor’s experience needs to be enhanced instead of left flustered. Therefore, if your website design is more playful and vibrant, the sound must also reflect the same for maximum effect.
Guest article written by: Roger Allen is a website designer and has been working with a well known [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]web design company[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]web design company[/tp] for nearly 8 years now. He is also a blogger and loves to write about his experiences on web design and offers in depth video and written tutorials on web design.