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Website Music / Sounds - Are They Costing You Leads?

By
Mortgage and Lending with The Allaso Group

As I really don't seem to have anything better to do than surf around visiting various real estate agent/broker and mortgage broker websites, I continue to be amazed at how many sites are set to blare music out.  

I might be wrong, but this seems to be the default setting for at least one particular vendor's real estate agent/broker websites.  

Now, this may be just my opinion, but I can't stand it when I visit a website and my computer starts spewing music at me. Perhaps I have control issues and just want my computer to do what I tell it to do. Perhaps I just don't want to hear muzak filling my office/house. Perhaps I am a bit upset that some website decided to ruin whatever I may have been actually choosing to listen to on my computer.

Whatever the reason, I typically act quickly to regain audible supremacy over  my surroundings.  To achieve my preferred sound of quiet computer hum / white noise, I usually do one of two things depending on where my mouse cursor is currently located:

  1. Hit that little "X" in the top right corner of the browser window
  2. Press the green arrow near the top left of my browser window

Regardless of which action I choose to take, that particular website has lost me as a visitor.  There is one guarantee that comes with each lost visitor - they aren't going to be a lead any time soon.

-Joe Ramirez
Mortgage Marketing Ideas
Real Estate Marketing

 

Chad Trease
Trease Mortgage Group at PrimeLending - Overland Park, KS
Production Manager
Wow...so people are using music on websites besides myspace?  This is certainly not something to be used in a professional environment. 
Mar 15, 2007 03:57 AM
Rita Taylor
None - Sanford, NC
Sanford NC Real Estate - Homes for Sale in Sanford North Carolina

Ha! I just commented about this in another post!  I HATE this -- remember many people surf the web at WORK!

Rita 

Mar 15, 2007 04:19 PM
Jacinto Hausinger
Realty Pro Inc - Vancouver, WA
I always read that website music was a big no-no for any professional website. It is not only annoying, but it distracts the person viewing the site from what you are trying to convey to them.
Mar 15, 2007 08:46 PM
Gary Streisand
Post Your Listings - Stony Brook, NY

Hi Joe,

 Most agents don't realize when they make their web sites, that alot of buyers are searching for homes from work computers.

They don't want sound or noisy flash coming on when they are searching for homes. It attracts attention.

Music is not for content sites. Might as well throw flash intros into that too. 

 

Mar 16, 2007 04:41 AM
Joe Ramirez
The Allaso Group - Lake Forest, CA
Thanks for all of your comments.  It's good to know that I'm not alone!
Mar 16, 2007 04:35 PM
Anonymous
Erika Fultz

O.K. Joe, so are you saying that I should remove the catchy little tunes from all of our virtual tours?  It seems to set the mood, and makes junky homes just seem better.  Believe me, some of our listings need mood music!

Please advise...

Erika

www.yourrealestatespecialists.com

 

Mar 19, 2007 02:54 PM
#6
Joe Ramirez
The Allaso Group - Lake Forest, CA

Erika, that's a great question.  As long as the virtual tour doesn't start up automatically when you visit a page and start playing music, you should be ok.  Just  be sure to let the visitor know that music will play once they start the tour and give the visitor an option to play the tour w/o sound.  

-Joe

Mar 19, 2007 03:47 PM