Flash-based sites have been a
craze since the past few years, and as Macromedia compiles more and more great
features into Flash, we can only predict there will be more and more flash
sites around the Internet. However, Flash based sites have been disputed to be
bloated and unnecessary. Where exactly do we draw the line? Here's a simple
breakdown.
The good:
Interactivity
Flash's Actionscript opens up a
vast field of possibilities. Programmers and designers have used Flash to
create interactve features ranging from very lively feedback forms to
attractive Flash-based games. This whole new level of interactivity will always
leave visitors coming back for more.
A standardized site
With Flash, you do not have to
worry about cross-browser compatibility. No more woes over how a certain css
code displays differently in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera. When you
position your site elements in Flash, they will always appear as they are as
long as the user has Flash Player installed.
Better expression through
animation
In Flash, one can make use of
its animating features to convey a message in a much more efficient and
effective way. Flash is a lightweight option for animation because it is vector
based (and hence smaller file sizes) as opposed to real "movie files"
that are raster based and hence much larger in size.
The bad and the ugly:
The Flash player
People have to download the
Flash player in advance before they can view Flash movies, so by using Flash
your visitor range will decrease considerably because not everyone will be
willing to download the Flash player just to view your site. You'll also have
to put in additional work in redirecting the user to the Flash download page if
he or she doesn't have the player installed.
Site optimization
If your content was presented
in Flash, most search engines wouldn't be able to index your content. Hence,
you will not be able to rank well in search engines and there will be less traffic
heading to your site.
Loading time
Users have to wait longer than
usual to load Flash content compared to regular text and images, and some
visitors might just lose their patience and click the Back button. The longer
your Flash takes to load, the more you risk losing visitors.
The best way to go is to use
Flash only when you absolutely need the interactivity and motion that comes
with it. Otherwise, use a mixture of Flash and HTML or use pure text if your
site is purely to present simple textual and graphical information.
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