Comments on: How to add audio to your site http://www.designyourownweb.com/blog/2006/08/28/how-to-add-audio-to-your-site/ Create your own website, learn the basics of graphics design and more... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:56:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Sheila http://www.designyourownweb.com/blog/2006/08/28/how-to-add-audio-to-your-site/#comment-33 Tue, 29 Aug 2006 11:57:14 +0000 http://www.designyourownweb.com/blog/2006/08/28/how-to-add-audio-to-your-site/#comment-33 Audio a for websites is clearly the "next big thing" of website enhancement and content. It's great to be able to do this "on the cheap" - quick and easy. There are an increasing number of "record it yourself" technologies flooding the marketplace - as you've demonstrated, many of them extremely effective, very clever, low cost and generating massive volumes. Long may it continue because all of these technologies have a massive contribution to make. We've taken a long look at this at ,a href="http://www.redferry.com/audio">Red Ferry. When it comes to company websites, though, we think the rules change. In general terms, companies (whether individuals or global corporates) have websites which showcase who they are and what they do. The may also sell product, etc. The companies will have spent as much as they can afford in making the design and content reflect their brand. Now many are adding audio and video to their site and it's here that brand enhancement can turn to brand damage. This is not about technology, it's about reflecting the brand. I recently saw a Google ad for a piece of web audio technology that said "sound like the professionals in just three minutes". Erm no! Professional voiceovers, scriptwriters and producers are employed for a reason - they are professonals!. Writing for voice, recording and producing audio and video scripts, understanding marketing, brand values, the power of the spoken word - even the physical distance between mouth and microphone - are all essential skills to add to the technology. If you can package the whole thing in one, even better. It's the difference between brand enhancement and brand destruction - and ultimately which costs more in the long-term. So while getting out the headset mic and sit in a quiet part of the office to record a friendly message for your personal website for social networking is great, think carefully about exactly what you want to say about your company brand if you've got a corporate website! Audio a for websites is clearly the “next big thing” of website enhancement and content. It’s great to be able to do this “on the cheap” - quick and easy. There are an increasing number of “record it yourself” technologies flooding the marketplace - as you’ve demonstrated, many of them extremely effective, very clever, low cost and generating massive volumes. Long may it continue because all of these technologies have a massive contribution to make.

We’ve taken a long look at this at ,a href=”http://www.redferry.com/audio”>Red Ferry. When it comes to company websites, though, we think the rules change. In general terms, companies (whether individuals or global corporates) have websites which showcase who they are and what they do. The may also sell product, etc. The companies will have spent as much as they can afford in making the design and content reflect their brand. Now many are adding audio and video to their site and it’s here that brand enhancement can turn to brand damage.

This is not about technology, it’s about reflecting the brand. I recently saw a Google ad for a piece of web audio technology that said “sound like the professionals in just three minutes”. Erm no! Professional voiceovers, scriptwriters and producers are employed for a reason - they are professonals!. Writing for voice, recording and producing audio and video scripts, understanding marketing, brand values, the power of the spoken word - even the physical distance between mouth and microphone - are all essential skills to add to the technology. If you can package the whole thing in one, even better. It’s the difference between brand enhancement and brand destruction - and ultimately which costs more in the long-term.

So while getting out the headset mic and sit in a quiet part of the office to record a friendly message for your personal website for social networking is great, think carefully about exactly what you want to say about your company brand if you’ve got a corporate website!

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