9 Best Practices for Virtual Tour Audio

Created by Holdcom | www.holdcom.com | 800.666.6465

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INTRODUCTION

Often, Virtual tours focus only on sight.

Audio makes content more memorable and informative.

Use audio to increase engagement and viewer take-away/knowledge retention.



BEFORE YOU BEGIN Be sure you’re starting with high quality images.

For creating professionally produced virtual tours, Holdcom Partners with:

Real Tour Vision

VT 360

Virtualvue

Understand your audience


http://www.holdcom.com/main/aboutpage/partners-page�

http://www.holdcom.com/main/aboutpage/partners-page�


1. INCLUDE A WELCOME VIDEO

A welcome video is a good way to introduce your tour.

The video should play before you tour starts and should be less than a minute long.



1. INCLUDE A WELCOME VIDEO

Content Tips:

Greet Visitors Warmly Explain a little bit about your business,

property, or facility Encourage visitors to enjoy the tour, and

contact you if they have any questions.


Where else can you add audio to your virtual tour? Click here to learn


http://soundcommunication.holdcom.com/blog/bid/70085/Where-to-Use-Audio-in-Virtual-Tours�

2. OPEN YOUR TOUR WITH AUDIO

Play your audio logo first

Audio logos, like visual logos, create branded associations.

Begin to associate a particular sound with your property, facility, or brand.


Creating an audio logo is the first step in building an audio or sonic brand. Click here to learn more about Sonic Branding.

http://www.holdcom.com/audiologos/�


http://soundcommunication.holdcom.com/blog/bid/73236/Sonic-Branding�

http://soundcommunication.holdcom.com/blog/bid/73236/Sonic-Branding�

2. OPEN YOUR TOUR WITH AUDIO Highlight some key features, like:

Your exceptional staff

Recent Upgrades

A great location



3. PLAY APPROPRIATE BACKGROUND MUSIC

Search for music that matches the tone of your facility or property.

Family resorts upbeat, contemporary music

Healthcare facilities calm and soothing music

Click Here to visit our Music Themes Library


http://www.holdcom.com/main/samples/music/themes-industry�


3. PLAY APPROPRIATE BACKGROUND MUSIC

Don’t Vary Music Too Much

Using one track creates consistency

If you want to use more than one track:

Choose music from one album or genre

Make sure your tour is long enough to support multiple tracks.

Discover frequently used themes within your industry


http://www.holdcom.com/main/samples/music/themes-industry�


4. CONTINUE AUDIO THROUGHOUT THE TOUR

Audio can have an impact on the entirety of your tour.

Make sure audio contributes to the visual experience.



4. CONTINUE AUDIO THROUGHOUT THE TOUR

Use audio to introduce rooms as visitors enter them

Include the room’s name and it’s function

Use audio to point out room details that aren’t obvious.

Background music ties different rooms together, making an authentic experience



5. INCLUDE NOISES PRESENT IN YOUR FACILITY

Every space makes noises: Offices have keyboards

clicking and copy machines

Restaurants have quiet chatter and clinking glasses


Ambient Noise can help make a virtual experience more realistic.


http://soundcommunication.holdcom.com/blog/bid/44222/Virtual-Tour-Audio�

5. INCLUDE NOISES PRESENT IN YOUR FACILITY

Best Practices:

Keep ambient noise in the background.

Lower the volume of ambient noises during narration.



6. CHANGE SOUNDS TO GRAB ATTENTION

Every time audio changes, it signals to the listener that something is different.

Changing sounds too often will overwhelm visitors.

Two Strategies

Change Music

Change Narrator



6. CHANGE SOUNDS TO GRAB ATTENTION

Musical changes can be especially effective—or distracting.

Use them sparingly, like when you move from an outdoor to an indoor space.

When changing sounds from room to room

Experiment with different ambient sounds

Alternate between two voiceovers for emphasis



7. GIVE YOUR TOUR A REAL CONCLUSION

After your final room, don’t leave your audience confused.

Use audio to conclude your tour, thanking visitors for checking out your property and encouraging them to visit other parts of your website.


Celebrate the end of your tour! Use the conclusion to give visitors more information on your website.





7. GIVE YOUR TOUR A REAL CONCLUSION

Your voiceover can tell visitors where they should go next

Consider what information they need after the tour: Healthcare Facilities: Departments, Award-

Winning Services

Hospitality Properties: Reservations, Maps

Entertainment Venues: Tickets, Event Calendar



8. MAKE YOUR TOUR USER-FRIENDLY If a virtual tour isn’t intuitive, people won’t

keep participating.

Explain navigation so users know how to get the information they’re looking for.



8. AUDIO CAN MAKE TOURS USER-FRIENDLY

Use audio as a tutorial, showing them how to move and zoom.

Highlight essential commands

Combine audio with visual cues, like arrows



9. LET YOUR TOUR BE INTERACTIVE

If you don’t let visitors interact with your material, they’re basically watching a movie.

Interactivity turns a passive tour into an active experience.



9. LET YOUR TOUR BE INTERACTIVE

Example: If your facility is large and you are featuring many rooms, use a floor plan to “map” where users will be going next.

Let users click different rooms and see that portion of the tour.

This is especially useful for visit-planning at museums and entertainment venues.



THE REAL WORLD ISN’T SILENT

Your virtual tour shouldn’t be, either.


Use these tips to add compelling audio content throughout your Virtual Tour


CONCLUSION

Properly designed and executed, virtual tours can recreated the experience of “being there”.

You can’t mimic all aspects of reality online, but adding audio to your virtual tour is the first step in establishing realism and creating an experience.



9 Best Practices for Virtual Tour Audio

Self Improvement

include noises

make tours

change sounds

ambient noise

entertainment

changing sounds

tour user

virtual tour