Would you put audio on your website?

pro's and cons

[claimsweb]

I am looking for some tips on using audio with my websites. Specifically Im thinking of targetted audio clips for certain pages within my site that elaborate on the service we provide etc. Not blurb or ad man garb but carefully chosen scripts to guide the visitor.

Not something you come across very often in corporate websites but it occurs to me that if you can deliver a message in two different ways - using audio and visual methods - that cant be a bad thing.

Or can it? I dont see this at all in my sector and maybe there's a very good reason for that. Might even have an effect on your serps ranking if Google decides it doesnt like the intrusive nature of the output or has a problem with the code.

Just read that people retain 10% of info they read, 20% of info they hear or 50% if you can combine the two. Given that 99% of people presenting these stats usually make them up - who knows what to believe!

Id appreciate views from anyone who has experience of this perhaps in different sectors.

<sorry if this post is in the wrong place - I cant obviously use the search facility to home in on prev threads>

Thanks
C

[kevinpate]

If you elect to include audio, do so in an opt-in manner only.

I firmly believe the visitor, and only the visitor, is in the best position to decide whether he/she should be subjected to an audio file.

All sites that force audio on me will lose me as fast as I can click the back button.

I am very much not alone in this view.

[ken_b]

As long as the user has the option to turn the sound on, meaning sound is off by default, it might be worth trying.

[topsites]

Some business sites use video / audio clips of their stuff in action, presented via a text link to the clip.

As for me, I don't appreciate being tag-teamed with solicitation efforts, however, if the files/text are specifically made for presentation / information and not because someone is trying to make their sale, that I find acceptable.

So don't tell me the car has plenty of power, but do feel free to tell me I can keep the pedal to the floor until the rpm needle pegs the redline governor, and would I like to take a test-drive so I can see what it feels like...

Now if the sound file only garbles back what I can read in the text, that is an insult to my intelligence. However, if the sound file is a recording of the engine at full throttle (which is something you can not emulate in print), then you might have my attention.

As far as whether or not I will remember it, if it is as good as it looks and sounds, I will RUN out and BUY it before I forget!

[claimsweb]

Thanks for your feedback

Any decent scripts out there that are easily configurable?

Particularly like the idea about the "opt in" feature