Are you creating so many podcasts that you forget you can use audio in personal or business Web sites? I recently used audio in my new Web site KenMorico.com after reading in the Mediapedia book how powerful slideshows can be. Audio really does add another dimension to a traditional Web site. It certainly makes a “personal” site more personal. The Web is getting a little more personal than it used to. People are now using their real names and photos on Facebook. Many are using their real names on Twitter. (I am one – I highly recommend it.) Some of the most successful social media personalities use their real name and photo. We are more likely to trust them – giving them instant credibility. Audio allows web designers to take this extra leap in personalization.
So why should this be a big deal now? HTML5 has been moving forward – allowing many devices to play audio from HTML pages without plugins. Mobile phones like iPhones can play audio from a Web page with one click. iPads can as well. With an HTML5 standard, it makes it worthwhile to place audio on a Web page.
