Multimedia web pages are becoming more and more fashionable. Way back when Web design was new, web pages were mostly text and informational. That was back when the Internet was new and connections were still not that great.
When dial-up was the only way to get internet access and it cost a fortune. With Wireless now so freely available, there are far fewer costs and issues with connections. This makes using video or sound when it comes to your webpages so much easier. (source).
The Benefits
Having multimedia on your web pages can make them more engaging. You can present visual proof of your product and possibly even audio proof. Many consumers become more engaged in what you are offering with visual examples of what you are offering.
It can break up the monotony of constant text and this can make your product even more interesting. Not everyone has the time or patience to trail through pages of information. Having a multimedia aspect can gove the same amount of information in a shorter time frame. (source).
Having multimedia elements to your website can mean that you retain viewers. Many consumers click on a website and when they are not engaged, they click off the website. Having a multimedia aspect to your website, such as a video on your home page can retain the viewer far longer.
If they are engaged by a multimedia aspect, they will remain on the website for longer. This gives you a greater chance of selling your product. Uploading multimedia content onto your website can also reduce your reliance on external web sources and this will allow you to retain your viewers for longer. (source).
Potential issues
Multimedia elements are larger files. Larger files on your website will mean that the website will, inevitably slow down. It may not be noticeable, but then, it can be. A slower loading website also means that there is the chance that you will lose viewers because of how long it will take for the site to load.
This is a definite drawback, so a potential solution to this issue would be to break up the multimedia elements and spread it across several pages rather than all on one page. (source).
Most web browsers accommodate multimedia aspects of websites. The thing to highlight there is the word “most”. Some browser will not load the content properly, or at all and that can and will drive viewers away from your website. This can also be more expensive as you will nee more plugins for the multimedia content to work.
You will also need to be careful about where you source your content. If it is a Youtube video, for example, that video can be taken down for any number of reasons and that will lead there to be a blank space where your video was. (source).
These are just a few of the potential benefits and problems of including multimedia aspects on your website. Hopefully, this has helped you decide on whether or not to include multimedia aspects in your website.
To find out more, please contact Universal Web Design at https://universalwebdesign.co.uk/, email us on sales@universalwebdesign.co.uk or give us a call on 01206 588 000. Universal Web Design has a team of expert web designers and developer that are sure to be able to help you get the website that you desire to help boost your business.