Making Good Use of Flash on Websites:
When You Should and Shouldn't Use It
by Josh
Barinstein
If you are considering Flash for your Web site production, there are
reasons why you would and would not want to tap into this great
technology. Flash is everywhere these days, it is true. However, as we've
seen in the past, not every available interactive tool should be used in
every application! Here are some questions to answer before diving in:
1. Is Flash going to help me in communicating with my
audience?
The first thing you need to decide is whether or not it makes sense to
use Flash. Will you be able to communicate better with your audience in
how you address their concerns? You need to keep users' needs and
perspective in mind at all times.
If Flash is going to annoy them, or otherwise get in the way of you
reaching them, then simply don't use it! However, for subtle animations
that help enhance the experience, or for media-rich content, on the
opposite end, Flash is an excellent tool.
2. Will my audience have the plug-in?
Estimates say that up to 85% of users do have the Flash plug-in, with
browsers now shipping with it. That still leaves 15% without the plug-in,
and those with an outdated version. Unfortunately, many won't bother to
fetch it in spite of a smart site giving them the option.
Know your audience and if this will mean a loss of business for you.
3. Is some additional download time acceptable?
Flash can be optimized, but some movies could potentially take a bit
of time to load. Will your audience commit to waiting? Another important
question to answer. Those on the slower connections may not wait.
4. Am I trying to accomplish things that plain HTML can't?
One consideration to make is whether a static, HTML site will do
justice to your content. If your site needs to come to life in some way
because it will engage your audience better, then Flash could be the
answer.
5. Will I still have good exposure on the search engines if I use
Flash?
Doing too much in Flash will sacrifice exposure on the search engines.
In other words, the engines will not have enough text on which to base
their indexing. If access to your site through the search engines is
important to your success, be sure that you don't overdo it on the Flash
side.
6. Do I rely on non-vector graphics?
Non-vector graphics, such as photographs, are not easy for Flash to
process. This means that animations in Flash using this type of imagery
will get easily bogged down.
Another concern is that Flash does not cache (or store) non-vector
images, therefore they must be reloaded each time. Not a pleasant thing
for your visitors! This is in contrast to HTML-based scenarios where the
browser will cache the imagery for instant retrieval.
As you can see, Flash is not always the right solution. This
is true of any aspect of Web development, where you need to research your
options carefully and choose the right combination of tools that works
best for you. If you seek outside help, make sure you find a team with the
right expertise and a solid track record to back it up. Good luck!
Josh Barinstein
is President of Red Frog, Inc., a Southern California ad agency that provides
Marketing, Print
design, and Web/CD-ROM development services. Learn more at
www.RedFrogInc.com or by
calling 888-955-0550.
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