What You Need to Know About Using Audio on Your
Web Site
http://www.medrocket.com/tools/articles/article090501_01.html
By Kevin P. Richardson
Healthcare Internet Marketing Consultant
Millions of people are listening to audio on the
Web every day. They're not just teens downloading MP3 audio clips of
their favorite songs, either.
Maybe you're among them. They're people at home
and work listening to on-demand audio on topics running the gamut from
financial advice to relationships to technology to entertainment. And
yes -- they're even tuning in to health and wellness topics.
With so many health sites on the Web, using audio
well can set your site apart from the pack. Audio also can be a
powerful way to attract site visitors and keep them coming back. It's
considered "sticky," meaning visitors will come to listen to your audio
and stay around a while. Audio players are plentiful and best of all
they're usually free to download.
The only way to determine if audio works for you
and your Web site is to get the creative juices flowing and try it.
Testing 1,2,3 -- How Should We Use Audio?
Your site can feature audio versions of popular
health education articles, health seminars, news updates, descriptions
of medical procedures, special health product offers, and patient
testimonials.
Adding an audio greeting to site visitors lends a
personal touch to your site and humanizes the user experience. (For an
idea check out the greeting on the MedRocket home page at http://www.medrocket.com)
Audio features are also a good way to make your
site more accessible to visually impaired web surfers. The
possibilities are almost endless. You can even include the audio links
in email messages.
Delivering the Goods -- Streaming Audio
In the olden days of the Web the quality of audio
was pitiful. It was just barely passable AM-radio quality. More
recently though, Web visitors can hear very good quality audio even
over relatively slow Internet connections (28.8 Kbs).
Audio quality isn't the issue that it once was and
the choice of content delivery now comes in two basic flavors --
streaming audio and downloadable audio.
As the name implies, streaming audio sends the
audio data from a server to the user's browser in a more or less
continual stream. This is good because it lets people listen to the
audio as it arrives without waiting for the entire audio file to
download.
Pick Your Favorite Format
In the streaming audio arena, RealPlayer from
RealNetworks claims roughly 90% of the market. The other common
streaming formats are Windows Media Audio and Shockwave audio. Recently
even MP3 files can be streamed, which has excellent quality audio
though usually requires higher connection speeds.
Conversely, downloadable audio usually requires
the entire MP3 or WAV file to download before it can be played on the
user's computer. The up side of this method is that the audio can be
much higher quality -- near CD quality, if you will -- than is possible
from streaming media over a slower Internet connection. It is possible
now to stream MP3 files.
Generally, I recommend using streaming audio for
most uses, unless you want to provide your Web visitors with a
high-quality audio presentation that they can download to their
computer and listen to at their leisure without an Internet connection.
MP3 files can also be loaded into portable digital audio players and
some PDAs.
Cue Talent -- Creating Your Audio Content
Once you've decided on the purpose and focus of
your audio content, you're ready to begin the process of creating a
script, recording, converting to digital format, and delivering the
files.
If you decide to create the audio files on your
own, here's the basic sequence of events that will take place:
Scripting --
Prepare a script for narration. Unless you're simply providing a
verbatim audio version of an existing text or HTML document, you should
write the script in a conversational tone. Remember to write for the
ear and not the eye. Some words and phrases look fine on paper but
sound muddy (even slurred) when spoken aloud. Read your script aloud
before you have it narrated. Make sure it sounds natural.
Record the Narration --
You can either record right into the computer or record to a
high-quality analog or digital recorder and then transfer the recording
to the computer. The two crucial elements at this stage are the quality
of the narration and the quality of the microphone.
Professional voice talent knows how to control
their voice and deliver the script with feeling. You might be able to
have an on-air personality at a local radio station record the script
for you for a reasonable fee. Otherwise, find someone with a great
voice in your organization or track down a professional. As for the
microphone, the little one that came with your computer won't sound
nearly as good as a studio microphone. Use the best microphone you can
find.
Digitize the Audio --
Whether you record the narration directly into the computer or onto
audiotape first, at some point you'll have to get the audio into the
computer. Most late-model computers have the capability to digitize
audio. Record the audio at the highest quality possible; 16-bit audio
at 44.1 kHz is the common setting.
Recording simple sounds on your computer is fairly
simple. However making a good-quality recording suitable for broadcast
on the Internet is more challenging. The only way to determine if your
equipment and technique are up to the task is to record a test and
listen to how it sounds streaming from a server.
Adjust Audio Quality --
Once the audio is on your hard drive you should open the file in an
audio-editing program like CoolEdit. Check Downloads.com http://download.cnet.com
for other freeware and shareware packages. Crop the narration to cut
extra silence at the start and end. Then adjust the equalization levels
(cut 100 Hz and lower and boost between 1 and 4 Khz). Then normalize
the audio track, which optimizes the loudness of the recording in
relation to the loudest segment. Other adjustments in compression and
noise reduction can also be made at this time. Save as a WAV or AIFF
audio file.
Encode the File --
Decide how you'll be delivering the final audio file. If you are using
Real Audio, then you need to use the Real Encoder (http://www.real.com)
to transform (encode) your WAV audio file to a Real Audio (RA) file.
For Windows Media Audio, you'll need to use the Windows Media Encoder
(http://www.windowsmedia.com) to create a Windows Media Audio (WMA)
file.
Upload to the Server --
After you've successfully encoded the audio, upload it to your Web
server using an FTP program. Depending upon the number of people who
might access your audio file at a time, you may need to place your
audio files on a special server, such as a Real Audio server. For
testing however, a basic Web server should work fine.
Create Links --
Add a link to your test audio file on a simple test HTML page. Click on
the link and see how it sounds.
Seems like a lot to do, I know. If you don't feel
comfortable with digitizing audio, resolution, sampling rates, file
format, compression rates, and other nuances of audio production, don't
despair. Let's look at a few audio production alternatives.
Ready, Roll Tape. -- Your Production Options
There are several ways to add an audio health
experience to your health site. You'll need to consider your expertise,
available time, and budget to determine the best solution for your
situation.
They range from a do-it-yourself approach to total
outsourcing to licensing audio health content. Here's a run-down of
some of the possible solutions.
D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself):
If you, or someone at your organization, has the
necessary skills, your could create, produce, and deliver the content
yourself. Most marketing teams don't have the resources available for
this route, but it gives you the greatest control. Recording audio on
your PC has become so easy that it's worth looking into.
Script and Outsource:
You could develop and script the content on your
own, and then outsource the narration, recording, audio encoding, and
delivery. This allows you to take advantage of the writing skills of
your marketing staff and hand off the more technical details to other
professionals. Just remember that writing for the ear is different than
writing for the eye.
Outsource Everything:
If you're used to working with advertising and
public relations-type agencies, then you'd probably be comfortable with
outsourcing to an audio house for scripting and creating professionally
produced audio content. Just be sure your project management expertise
and budget are up to the task.
License Audio Content:
You can also license free or fee-based audio
health content for use on your site. In many cases the licensing also
allows you to link to the files on the content provider's site, which
saves you from dealing with most of the technology issues and allows
you to get up and running quickly.
How Are Your Ratings?
Now let's say you've included a few audio tests on
your Web site for a month or longer. What kind of feedback have you
received? What do your server logs tell you about the number of hits
your audio features have received? Are more people bookmarking your
site?
If Web visitors liked what they heard, and your
content is fresh and interesting, they probably bookmarked your site
and will return for another listen -- sort of like setting their car
radio presets to a favorite station.
You CAN use audio to improve your "ratings" and
keep Web visitors coming back. The longer they are at your site, the
greater the chance you have of communicating key messages, selling
products, raising awareness, and pursuing other important marketing and
public relations objectives. Done well and used creatively, audio could
be another secret weapon in your online marketing toolbox.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Kevin Richardson is a healthcare marketing
consultant, executive coach, and writer who provides fresh perspectives
and expertise about online healthcare marketing. Sign up for his FREE
"MedRocket Ezine" newsletter and discover how to profitably attract and
serve healthcare consumers online. Subscribe at http://www.medrocket.com
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