- Autoloading sound files take time to load and start. This can cause severe problems if your visitor has a small cache - the error message pops up, but he has already clicked elsewhere on your page [scrolling down perhaps] and so the error message gets hidden behind the main browser window. And the only thing he can do in many cases is close his browser completely. Is that visitor going to return????
- College students often use computers in busy labs, where there are lots of people on the net at the same time. Then there are those who are sneaking time on the net while at the office, and do not want anybody to know about it. And those with older sound cards and junky speakers usually hear something that is not pleasant at all. Even if these people unplug their speakers, they still have to wait while the sound file loads - and many become impatient.
- Most importantly, if your autoloading sound file is on a table of contents page, then the music restarts every time your visitors come back before going to another page on your site. So if they didn't like the music in the first place, they will probably not stay very long on your site.
Website Design Tips
Sound Files
Why this is Important
Many people enjoy autoloading sound files, as long as the music is appropriate. However, it is important to keep in mind these possible problems:
How to Fix It
We recommend not autoloading your sound files, and definitely offering your visitors the option of turning the sound on and off themselves. If you do decide to use autoloading sound files, choose ones that are not very large, and put them on pages that do not have a lot of links.
For more information see the HTML Goodies Tutorial on Sounds.
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