Can Playing Music Enhance My Website?

More often than not, small businesses look for ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Small businesses need to be unique, which starts with original content and images that best represent that content. It’s the body of the website the  small business needs to worry about first; the extras can be added on later.

Sometimes, the website’s music can be melodious, a sound I want to hear or at least don’t mind hearing after a long day. But more frequently, I’ve come across small business websites with music in the background that overwhelms the website. The music turned out to be unexpected considering I was already listening to my own music when I opened the website. Turning my own music down seemed like a better option than accepting the mishmash of music tastes for however many minutes I was on the website.

So is music really necessary for a small business website?

What Does Music Do For Small Business Websites?

This really depends on the website and the products or services it sells. If your small business website is selling music or anything music-related, putting a song or two on loop could be beneficial to drawing visitors to your website. These songs need to be selected carefully so as to provide visitors with relevant information that will help them with their purchasing decisions.

However, if you are just putting in music for background noise, it is important to consider the needs of your target audience. Your small business should be very choosy about what music you use and think about whether or not it will enhance your webpage. If you see no purpose for using the music, it is best to leave it out of your website.

Why Can Music Be a Distraction for Website Visitors?

Imagine going on a website to purchase a product and you hear a song that you hate playing on loop. Or worse, a song that reminds you of someone or something from your past. In such cases, website visitors can’t wait to get off your page, even if it means leaving empty-handed. In some cases, the background noise could be a distraction. As a customer, I want to focus on the act of browsing or buying without being preoccupied with what is playing on the website. Another issue is that people have vastly different tastes in music, so it is hard to find a song that will illicit a positive reaction from everybody.

If I Do Decide To Use Music, Will There Be Legal Implications?

Each artist is different when it comes to using their music for commercial purposes. In order to avoid any problems with copyright or distribution of an artist’s music, it is best to find out this information before attempting to use any of their songs.  The worst thing you could do for your small business’ reputation is to incur copyright infringement due to using background music without the artist’s permission.

What Else Should I Consider When Making a Decision to Add Music?

This is at the discretion of the small business. Every small business should be aware of its own respective needs for their target audience. Looking at the website as a whole helps. Do you feel as if your small business is lacking some personality? Will the music add something extra to your webpages? These questions are necessary to ponder while keeping in mind your small business’s target audience. If you feel as if your website needs music, you should take the steps necessary to add it. If not, then leave it out. It’s all about what’s best for everyone involved. Good luck!