Flash-based websites 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 primarily based websites have been disputed to be bloated and unnecessary. Where exactly do we draw the line? Here’s a easy breakdown.

The good:

Interactivity

Flash’s Actionscript opens up a vast field of possibilities. Programmers and designers have utilized Flash to create interactive functions ranging from very lively feedback forms to attractive Flash-based games. This entire new level of interactivity will always leave visitors coming back for more.

A standardized website

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 usually appear as they’re as long as the user has Flash Participant installed.

Better expression via animation

In Flash, one can make use of its animating functions to convey a message in a much more efficient and effective way. Flash is really a lightweight option for animation because it is vector primarily based (and therefore smaller file sizes) as opposed to real “movie files” that are raster primarily based and hence much larger in size.

The poor and the ugly:

The Flash participant

People need 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 probably be willing to obtain the Flash player just to view your website. You’ll also need to put in extra work in redirecting the user to the Flash download page if he or she does not have the player installed.

Website optimization

If your content was presented in Flash, most search engines wouldn’t be able to index your content. Therefore, you’ll not have the ability to rank well in search engines and there will probably be less visitors heading to your site.

Loading time

Users need to wait longer than usual to load Flash content compared to normal 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 guests.

The greatest method to go would be 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 easy textual and graphical information.

Carol Lee is an expert author specialized in web design and development.

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