Surveying the use of sound in online stores

Purpose – To examine some of the issues surrounding the integration of auditory features at online stores with reference to social and experiential implications of implementing auditory atmospherics, product presentation techniques and other features to the online context.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 70 online retail, manufacturer and representational web sites are surveyed recording and categorising their use of sound. Discussion is developed on projected directions for the use of sound online, adopting examples like product demonstrations to highlight conceptual and practical differences.Findings – Of the small number of web sites using sound, most are large corporations who employ audio features to enhance the display of products and within multimedia features. Sound is not used consistently for all products on offer or all parts of the store. Discussion centres on potential impact of auditory technologies for social and experiential aspects of shopping online and on how sound may better be...

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