Flash-Based Sites: Could Make Or Destroy Your Online Business
Flash-based sites have been a craze since the past few years, and as Macro media compiles more and more great features into Flash, we can only predict there will be more and more flash sites around the Internet. Nonetheless, 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 Action script opens up a vast field of possibilities. Programmers and designers have used Flash to create interactive features ranging from very lively feedback forms to fascinating 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 as regards cross-browser compatibility. No more woes over how a sure CSS code displays distinctly in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera. When you position your site elements in Flash, they will Regularly appear as they're as long as the user has Flash Player installed.
Better expression via animation
In Flash, one can make utilize of its animating characteristics to convey a message in a much more streamlined and effective way. Flash is a lightweight choice for animation because its vector based (and hence smaller file sizes) as opposed to actual "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 may view Flash movies, so by utilising Flash your visitor range will decrease considerably because not everybody 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 would not be able to index your content. And so, you would 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 lengthier than usual to load Flash content compared to regular text and images, and a good number of visitors might just lose their patience and click the Back button. The lengthier your Flash takes to load, the more you jeopardy losing visitors.
The optimal way to go is to use Flash only when you absolutely require the interactivity and motion that comes with it. Otherwise, employ a mixture of Flash and HTML or utilize pure text if your site is purely to present simple textual and graphical information.
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