Unlike an online store, a physical store can play with scents, lighting, product layout and music, among other things.
In fact, it has been proven that vanilla scent doubles sales in women’s fashion stores, while rose maroc does the same in men’s stores.
As consumers, however, we don’t pay much attention to the background music in a store or restaurant. We usually sing along if we know the song, but we don’t care at all if we don’t like it or don’t know it. Yet behind every track playing in big, well-known clothing brands there is research showing that one type of music or another affects consumer behavior.
For example, a study carried out in a UK wine shop showed how music influences the buying process. On days when French tunes played in the background, French wine sales soared above Spanish wine, while on days with Spanish music, Spanish wine sales rose compared with French wine.
Music has the power to change people’s moods, regulate emotions and even alter heart rate. But should we add music to our online store?
Here are several reasons why we DON’T recommend using music on your eCommerce site.
Professionalism
Unless your eCommerce business sells music or music events, background music can make your online store look unprofessional. Your users aren’t visiting your store to listen to music, but to get information about the products you sell.
Think of big eCommerce players like Amazon, Apple, Mediamarkt… none of them has music on their site, and why not? They have the resources and budget to study whether music matters on websites.
Now think of the last website you visited that had music: did it seem trustworthy?
Musical taste
Not everyone has the same musical taste. What some people love, others hate. Finding the perfect song is impossible, even if it’s a number 1 hit.
Music is the first thing users will get from your website, even before they see the content and products on offer. If the song doesn’t click with them, they’ll leave your online store before seeing any content.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth usage goes up every time a new visitor connects to your site and the background music starts playing (a 4-5 minute song), repeating over and over (quite annoying, by the way).
Save on your online store’s monthly usage by investing in better banners and images, which will convert more than background music.
Repetitive music
Related to the previous point, a 4-5 minute song will affect your bandwidth, increasing your bill at the end of the month. The fix would be to cut the song into 15-20 second clips that repeat endlessly for as long as the session is open. Who do you think will last more than 1 minute?
Music mix
Wearing headphones at work has increased in recent years. Open-plan offices have led younger generations to work plugged in to escape the background noise and concentrate. Everyone has their own music, so imagine browsing from site to site and getting a mix of tracks.
The quick fix is to leave the website, since the “stop” or “mute” button is rarely easy to find.
Public spaces
Nothing like being at work when Justin Bieber’s What do you mean? starts blasting at 300 decibels. Definitely not a good idea.
The only websites that can make noise are those specializing in video and music, where users know music will play after clicking a link. Doing it automatically without the user choosing it will annoy users and stop them paying attention; instead they’ll turn down their speakers and startle whoever is around them.
In the end, the user will close your online store and is unlikely to return.
Legal issues
Do you have the legal rights to play this song in your online store?
Unless you created the song yourself or bought the rights to play it, what you’re doing is not legal.
The more visits you get, the more likely it is that someone will notice you’re playing songs illegally. Fines and legal issues like these are best avoided.
Browser compatibility
Not all browsers play every type of file. Depending on the user’s browser version, the store may freeze because it can’t read the music file, which means your online store may not load completely.
Conclusion
At Trilogi we recommend not using background music in your online store. While it can work well in a physical store, in eCommerce there are more important features to focus on that will set your store apart from the competition.
