Pros and Cons of Using Flash in Your Designs
We often receive a lot of requests to develop websites in Adobe Flash. Like any request, we try to get an analysis of why our clients need what they need. Do they simply want something because they think it looks cool? Or are they using a program because it actually solves a problem?
There is no doubt that since Flash appeared on the market in 1996, designers have done amazing things. From moving vector graphics to moving bitmaps, Flash is truly in a class of its own. The introduction of actionscripting and server-side Flash applications have also helped companies develop truly cutting-edge programs with a completely customized design.
Some pros of Flash are:
The Cons:
The average client focused on the user's experience will soon realize the limitations of Flash. However, I want to talk about the following negative traits of Flash.
Accessibility: The original accessibility complaint that has always existed is that a user's browser might not have the right plug-in to see the Flash work on your websites. However, the reality is that any programmer worth his salt is going to program code into the site that will prompt the user to download the most recent version of Flash. So I am not really that concerned with this issue. The major concern is this: the mobile market.
Over 90% of mobile search is done using the Apple iPhone and/or Blackberry (Crackberry for those who actually have one). To date, Flash does not work on mobile phones. Therefore, if your site is designed entirely in Flash or has critical sections of it designed in Flash, you are cutting out a major share of the market. (And if you are wondering how many people actually view websites on their phone, 2008 studies show over a billion page impressions a month… so um… a lot.)
Next major concern: SEO
SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. These everyone has with a website, whether you are a large company or an independent blogger. You can have the greatest website in the world, but if nobody can find it, what's the use? It's not like finding a needle in a haystack, it's like finding a needle in a stack of needles.
So in order to be found in the biggest mall in the world (aka the world wide web), you need to utilize the SEO techniques that major search engines look for. This is not a problem for a website that utilizes the standard CSS/xhtml. However, when you add Flash into the mix, the spiders that are used by the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN) get confused and they do not index your pages with the same fashion as a standard coded page. SEO requires the use of proper keywords and inbound links. When you use Flash, these techniques are not readable. The end result is that Flash can have serious negative effects on your websites SEO campaign.
So if these negative attributes of Flash are so bad, why use Flash? My recommendation to clients is always the same in regards to Flash: try to only use Flash in the non-critical areas of your websites. Usability studies do show that users are often captivated by moving graphics. However, after the first few, they are often more annoyed than dazzled. So if you are going to use Flash, by all means, do it. But save it for less critical areas of your website that will not affect the users' ability to view important information. Also, unless you have a specific marketing strategy, only use Flash in specific parts of your websites so that your pages can still utilize the keywords, metatags, and other SEO techniques that are preserved in your CSS/XHTML pages.
There is no doubt that since Flash appeared on the market in 1996, designers have done amazing things. From moving vector graphics to moving bitmaps, Flash is truly in a class of its own. The introduction of actionscripting and server-side Flash applications have also helped companies develop truly cutting-edge programs with a completely customized design.Some pros of Flash are:
- Harnessing its rich graphics and animation capabilities
- The introduction of the flv format which allows users to view highly compressed, fully optimized, streamed video to be viewed over the web
- Sophisticated smooth animations, color blending, and opacity
- Accurate typography
- Relatively small file sizes
The Cons:
The average client focused on the user's experience will soon realize the limitations of Flash. However, I want to talk about the following negative traits of Flash.
Accessibility: The original accessibility complaint that has always existed is that a user's browser might not have the right plug-in to see the Flash work on your websites. However, the reality is that any programmer worth his salt is going to program code into the site that will prompt the user to download the most recent version of Flash. So I am not really that concerned with this issue. The major concern is this: the mobile market.
Over 90% of mobile search is done using the Apple iPhone and/or Blackberry (Crackberry for those who actually have one). To date, Flash does not work on mobile phones. Therefore, if your site is designed entirely in Flash or has critical sections of it designed in Flash, you are cutting out a major share of the market. (And if you are wondering how many people actually view websites on their phone, 2008 studies show over a billion page impressions a month… so um… a lot.)
Next major concern: SEO
SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. These everyone has with a website, whether you are a large company or an independent blogger. You can have the greatest website in the world, but if nobody can find it, what's the use? It's not like finding a needle in a haystack, it's like finding a needle in a stack of needles.
So in order to be found in the biggest mall in the world (aka the world wide web), you need to utilize the SEO techniques that major search engines look for. This is not a problem for a website that utilizes the standard CSS/xhtml. However, when you add Flash into the mix, the spiders that are used by the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN) get confused and they do not index your pages with the same fashion as a standard coded page. SEO requires the use of proper keywords and inbound links. When you use Flash, these techniques are not readable. The end result is that Flash can have serious negative effects on your websites SEO campaign.
So if these negative attributes of Flash are so bad, why use Flash? My recommendation to clients is always the same in regards to Flash: try to only use Flash in the non-critical areas of your websites. Usability studies do show that users are often captivated by moving graphics. However, after the first few, they are often more annoyed than dazzled. So if you are going to use Flash, by all means, do it. But save it for less critical areas of your website that will not affect the users' ability to view important information. Also, unless you have a specific marketing strategy, only use Flash in specific parts of your websites so that your pages can still utilize the keywords, metatags, and other SEO techniques that are preserved in your CSS/XHTML pages.
