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 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 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.
|
