When (If Ever) To Use Flash...
While Flash has proven itself as a useful tool and outstanding platform for a variety of means in the past—creating movies, designing games, running media players, and displaying animations, to name a few—the truth is that it's just not effective for developing and maintaining a successful website. As a general rule of thumb, you should never use Flash when you can achieve the same or better result with another platform. In any case, understanding the components of Flash when it comes to developing a great website is crucial. If you are looking for the best way to build me a website, look no further.
Reasons to Avoid Flash on a Website
#1. Poor Search Engine (SEO) Rankings and Placement
Flash pages are most often indexed incorrectly in search engines as “search bots” are unable to properly read Flash content. Using Flash rather than a traditional website platform means that no matter how attractive your site is, visitors will never find it. In addition, Flash can actually hurt the site’s search engine ranking, as these sites appear to have Meta content unrelated to the site’s actual content.
#2. Hindered Content Loading
On a typical website, the content is instantly viewable when landing on a page. With a Flash website, however, none of the content is viewable until the entire page has loaded. In addition to this delayed loading, the visitor must have the current Flash plugin loaded on his or her computer to even be able to access the site, making it more inconvenient to rely on Flash content.
#3. Restricted Mobile Viewing
Today’s society is one on the go, so much of the time individuals are accessing the internet; it is via a phone or mobile device. Most mobile devices do not support Flash, so that means that most Flash based websites cannot be viewed using mobile devices—a real negative in today’s world of smartphones...
Reasons to Use Flash on a Website
#1. Content Presentation
While other options likely exist, Flash periodically serves as a very effective way to present a large amount of content in a quick, concise format—think a video about a service offered.
#2. Viewer Interactivity
Some sites require viewer interaction, and Flash can serve as an effective way to present the concept. Flash can be used to program tasks that facilitate this user interaction.
Whether you believe your website content requires flash or not, the reality is that your site will be more user friendly and accessible if you can avoid the use of flash. If you are wondering who can build your website without Flash and still have the same catchy effect, look no further. Contact us today and we can help you build a website that is attractive and eye-catching with no Flash required.
