Surveying the use of sound in online stores Practices, possibilities and pitfalls for user experience

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 used to overcome physical barriers between shoppers, products and the retail environment and to increase the potential for more fulfilling shopping and consuming experiences. Research limitations/implications - Research is needed to explore consumer perceptions of auditory features and their impact on experience. In particular, the effectiveness of using sound to enhance the presentation of product features online in a personally relevant way to shoppers should be examined. Practical implications - There is immense scope for improvement in the use of sound in online stores to present products and provide atmospherics. Retailers should treat the online store interface as a tangible point of interaction rather than inferior replication of bricks and mortar stores and focus on implementing features which encourage communication about products and increasing richness of the media employed to represent product attributes. Originality/value - There has been little research considering the role of sound in enhancing online shopping experiences, with most developments centring on visual aspects of the online store interface. This work provides a cross- disciplinary basis to guide initial developments in the integration of auditory features in online stores with regard to potential social and experiential implications for users.