Flash is a multimedia platform that is used for adding animation and video to websites. It is considered to be a brilliant tool for interactivity and also provides the right look and feel. For many reasons, you might be considering Flash website design. Although, this may be the right step forward from a business point of view, it is a wise decision to understand the pros and cons of Flash website design at this juncture. At times, only Flash can give you the results you are looking for. Occasionally, Flash is at best judiciously used.
Therefore, let us first consider some of the merits of utilizing Flash.
- Flash is Cross-Browser Compatible
You can use any browser to view Flash as long as the Flash plug in is properly installed. Your HTML as well as CSS code will be correctly interpreted in different browsers. The plug in installation in the user’s computer makes Flash browser independent. - Flash Supports Better Interactivity
With Flash, it is possible to handle advanced video and interactivity. With Flash, it is also capable of handling audio, animation, and even advanced video handling. Therefore, Flash helps to make a website more expressive as well as interactive.\ - Better Animation And More Lightweight
With Flash, it is easy to put interactive and animated movies on your website. Therefore, it is a great tool for a website intro. Flash puts the power of animation right into the hands of the layman. Besides, as Flash is vector based, it is easy to provide an animation in a smaller file size rather than a raster based file, which requires much larger file size.
Having considered the advantages of Flash, one might consider that making an entire website in Flash will be a great idea. However, there are certain demerits of utilizing Flash despite the fact that it can be used for brilliant delivery of games, shopping carts, animation, vector graphics, and a range of sound effects.
Therefore, utilizing an entirely Flash website may not be entirely logical. In this case a HTML-Flash combination website could be the right solution. The same logic applies for elements such as Flash navigation, all Flash website, and even storing the entire content in a Flash movie. As a business owner, you should consider the following facts before you ultimately give Flash the green signal.
- Requirement Of A Plugin
Flash sites do not work without a plugin. The Flash plugin has to be installed by the user. In some cases, the Flash plugin may not be of the correct version. Therefore, not all people will view your website. Some users even disable Flash to improve the speed at which the website loads. - Mobile Flash Issues
More and more people are using mobile phones to surf the internet. Most mobile platforms such as iPhone and even BlackBerry are incapable of displaying Flash websites. Therefore, your Flash website could be rendered incapable on the upcoming mobile web. - SEO Issues
Since Flash is all about images, most search engine robots will be unable to read the Flash based website if you have an all Flash website. Moreover, Flash takes longer to load, so if you are considering speed, then it is better to avoid an all Flash website.
Despite these disadvantages, Flash is still considered to be the best option for making your site as visually attractive as possible. Many website utilize Flash in a subtle manner, rather than using it in a very loud way. Thus, Flash can be conveniently merged with the overall objective of the site. This is done by making the site more visually appealing for that ‘sticky’ effect – meaning thereby people who once visit the site will find it more appealing and will sense a heightened visual appeal. This will make them stay longer and be convinced to buy more.
