Your website’s auto-play music may be losing you clients

While it was the first piece of advice in our open letter to photographers, let’s talk more about auto-play music and why it’s killing me your business.

Business owners and wedding vendors, you know I love you, but I have to get honest with you about something: the auto-play music on your website is NOT ok.

A recent example: I was waiting for my flight at LAX, and I was getting in some work during the down time. While writing one of my kick-ass advertorials, I clicked over to the vendor’s site and got blasted by surprise music. It scared the shit out of me, it scared the shit out of the sleeping dude next to me, and left me feeling embarrassed. Not to mention not feeling good about someone taking control of my computer speaker’s without my consent.

From Offbeat Bride’s analytics, we know that a large percent of our readers read us from their work places. Chances are good they’re probably at work while they’re on your site, too.

Now, let’s imagine that I’m a potential client…

I’m sneaking in some wedding planning at work… in my quiet office… with my boss within hearing distance… and I click on your website and BOOM! Auto-play music blares on my speakers. Yup. Not only would that have scared me, and the rest of my co-workers, it also would have probably gotten me in some trouble with my boss.

Here’s Ariel with a little skit to illustrate my point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwAaBDxYbZs

Bottom line: Your website’s music, though you may love it, and no matter HOW tasteful or fun it may be, is NOT doing you any favors. In fact, it may be losing you customers.

We at the Empire are so strongly against commandeering other people’s computer speakers that, if we’re going to write a post about a vendor who uses auto-play music, we actually ask them to turn off that feature for at least the week that they’re being featured at the top of Offbeat Bride. We love our readers and don’t want to get them into any trouble. Or scare them. Or embarrass them in public.

So think about killing your auto-play music feature (hey, you can always make it an electable option!) before you kill your potential business.