Silence Sells

The presentation of a website is the key to its perception. We understand how crucial good web-design is and thought we’d share one of those simple golden rules to help you avoid putting a serious downer on the appeal of your site; silence sells.

Background noise on the internet is a bit like organ donation; most people would prefer to ‘opt in’ than ‘opt out’.

While the most successful and highly visited sites on the web do often incorporate sounds and music, whether it’s Google, Youtube or Amazon, they all follow the ‘opt in’ approach to sound. Myspace was perhaps, at one time, the exception to the rule, but social media veterans are quick to complain about its overly elaborate displays in contrast to the slick usurper to its cyber throne, Facebook.

Context is everything when it comes to delivering web content and when it comes to representing goods and services online, a credible, professional image is vital. A simple ‘less is more’ approach can help to keep things free of clutter and enhance the way people think about your site and business.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s a consumer and to recognise, from experience, how irritating and off-putting sound can be on the web. Like most people you’ve no doubt experienced something of the horror and embarrassment of quietly surfing the web in the library or in the office, only to fall off your chair in shock as the theme from Star Wars trumpets fear into the room like the war cries of an angry Wookie.

Give people engaging content instead of distractions. Stylish images alongside well written and presented copy are much less invasive and far more enticing than even the most mellifluous background noises.