While the misuse of online audio enhancements to websites earned a bad rap early on, due to startled surfers having to quickly come up with an excuse for the sudden, late night caterwauling erupting from their computer’s sound system, as their spouse leapt from bed to investigate the source of the noisy nuisance — catching hubby in an awkward moment.
In this example, it is not the expected sounds of a video clip, but the unexpected audio that may accompany a page load or elemental mouseover, especially when it is sexually explicit in nature that is problematic; and which serves as a guide for effective audio sweetening of a site. Here is a brief look at how the sparing use of sound can improve your website, boost sales and build traffic:
The enormous market base of tech-savvy mobile phone users provides a tantalizing opportunity for adult operators that goes beyond affiliate offers and paysite memberships.
Event notification. Most electronic devices offer some type of audio feedback in response to user actions — such as when dialing a telephone, operating an ATM machine, or turning off your car, as a means of reminding you to do, or not do, some further action; such as lock your keys in your car, or walk away leaving your bank card sticking out of that ATM machine….
These positive affirmations of action items are an ideal venue for audio reinforcement such as a distinctive tone or other audio cue — any means of letting your site’s user know that he has done something right (or wrong); or that the site is ready (or not) for input.
Here, triggering audio actions based on page loads, mouseovers and form submission, is a valid approach; that when executed cohesively, can yield polished results.
Custom ringtones. The enormous market base of tech-savvy mobile phone users provides a tantalizing opportunity for adult operators that goes beyond affiliate offers and paysite memberships, into the realm of direct digital downloads, including custom ring tones, or “moan tones.”
These files can take several forms, such as brief, highlighted excerpts from existing video scenes, capturing some particularly pornographic outburst or saucy saying, or they may be purposely recorded phone offerings, such as a model purring, “It’s for you, baby.”
They can also include truly custom audio, commissioned by a client that desires to hear a specific word or phrase, or even something more intimate and personalized than the generic “baby” greeting, such as the same model saying, “It’s for you, Ricky.”
While it is not a new phenomenon, the issue of “porn for the blind” recently arouse in conjunction with the anti-piracy lawsuits filed against consumers accused of illegally downloading copyrighted material — specifically Imperial Enterprises vs. Doe 2,057 — the defendant in which claims innocence based upon the fact that he is legally blind, but some contend that is not a disqualification for consuming porn.
Vision impaired consumers, you see, have long enjoyed online adult entertainment, mainly through audio clips and spoken stories. Indeed, this author’s amateur website offers free erotic stories, with site members receiving an .mp3 file of the story’s author reading each story aloud. In this case, “porn for the blind” is the offer — and a means of leveraging our creativity to mitigate some of the drawbacks of our small size operation — where in this example, having a focus on improving accessibility lead to new profits.
Whether it simply serves as ear candy, or is intended as an additional revenue stream, the tailored use of audio files on adult websites is a practical, proven and distinguishing technique that can set your site apart, while boosting your bottom line — just be sure to provide a notice on your warning page that audio is being used, or you’ll wake the wife!