6.16.2008 Why To Avoid Building A Flash-Based Website Flash is a proprietary web-based technology for providing animation, advanced interactivity, and rich content (including streaming media). The tool makes it easy for non-programmers, graphic designers, and just about anyone to build what appear to be very attractive websites. However, there are severe limitations to consider when using Flash to build a modern website. Flash was originally created as an animation tool. It later developed into a full-featured means of developing interactive websites easily without advanced programming skills. The 90s ushered in a “rush to the web” attitude, which forced some to choose the easy way of building nicer looking (and acting) sites. Meaning they chose Flash as their platform. Larger corporations realized this was not enough and also developed more traditional HTML sites to accompany their Flash destinations. This approach was expensive, inconsistent, and ultimately phased out. For informational and business websites, the modern and more acceptable approach is to embed Flash components on a web page as content rather than building the entire site using Flash. Some newer web developers and businesses continue to develop Flash based websites, despite the well-documented drawbacks in terms of search engine optimization and usability. Many are those that don’t truly understand web technology or have entered web development late in the game (including traditional advertising agencies and those that are scrambling to adopt newer technologies to stay competitive). It’s important to note that Flash is a great tool when used effectively - but is often abused for profit. When used well, Flash can be a great tool for the presentation of rich content, video, and interactive media. But pure Flash websites, though they may look good, can annoy visitors and cause a number of accessibility problems. Here are some important points to consider: Flash Requires Bandwidth And Processing Power There are still lots of people surfing the web on older computers via dialup or other limited bandwidth connections - like basic DSL. Flash files, especially those using sound effects, embedded video, or photographic images can take a long time to load and require a lot of processing power. A computer as recent as two or three years of age will typically be stretched to its limits by a modern Flash website. Thus running the site slower or not at all. Flash Disables The Back Button Because visitors are not able to use the Back button on Flash sites, they will click the third most important navigation element - the “X” button in the top right (exiting the site). And, if someone is going to promote a Flash site using pay-per-click advertising, they should be aware that Google doesn’t approve pages with a disabled Back button. Flash Requires Propriety Editing and Content Management A business paying for a Flash website from a “developer” might face some serious troubles with that developer in the future - or end up paying a lot more than they bargained for. Most of these developers code their projects to prevent them from being edited or updated by anyone but them. Thus forcing their customers to hire them over and over again as they need to do even the smallest of modifications or updates. Unlike a more modern Content Management System (CMS), where the site owner can update their own content, Flash sites typically must be edited using proprietary software and the original files. Cha-Ching! Search Engines Do Not Like Flash Perhaps the most important point of all is that not every search engine is able to crawl and index the content of Flash sites. Even those search engines that can capture content from Flash sites often do so with great error. This is especially the case of websites fully implemented in Flash using only a single file (which is most of them). What this means for site owners is that their site will not rank very well on major search engines. A losing proposition in the modern business world. Flash sites also do not allow for content on pages to be searched by browser software using the “find” command. If someone is looking for a specific word on a page, they’ll have to do it visually. This typically turns visitors away quickly. Flash Is Inaccessible and is not A.D.A. Compliant While Macromedia and now Adobe have made some changes over the years to try and improve accessibility for Flash (and continue to do so), it remains a roadblock for many disabled users who browse the internet with screen readers. Like the problem it experiences with search engine crawlers, Flash is essentially a graphical “movie” which doesn’t allow the computer access to it’s text content. Meaning, blind or vision-impaired computer users cannot access Flash websites. Other accessibility problem areas have included issues printing pages, too much focus on the mouse for navigation, lack of keyboard functionality, unusual navigation techniques, and the inability to increase text size for visibility. Government and civic organizations that fall under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements typically cannot legally build sites using Flash. Specific Pages Cannot Be Bookmarked Most Flash sites are built around a single file posted to a single web page. Even though the “site” might be seen as a complex destination with many pages and attached files, it’s really only one file with embedded sub-pages, images, and other media. What this means is that individual pages within the site cannot be bookmarked by site visitors. Only the home page can be bookmarked by browser software - which can also decrease repeat visitation. Flash Crashes Browsers Visitors using a previous version of the proprietary Flash plug-in software have been known to experience crashing issues. Flash is not part of the browser, but rather a separate “third-party” plugin that must be downloaded and updated separately of the browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.). This choice is in the hands of the individual user. Flash technologies are rarely “backwards compatible” which means if a user visits a site without the proper plug-in version, they may not see that site properly, or the site may crash their browser (or their entire computer). This happens quite often and can be very frustrating for site visitors. Flash Does Not Work Well With Mobile Devices Current popular mobile devices like the Blackberry, Treo, and iPhone are not able to view Flash content or sites. They just can’t process the files. What this means is that people attempting to visit a Flash site on their phone will only see a broken link to the Flash file. Nothing more. Some Users Disable Flash Savvy web surfers have learned to disable Flash in their browsers to avoid animated advertising and/or to improve page-loading times using slower connections. Regardless of the reason, a disabled Flash website looks like a blank page. Flash Doesn’t Mix Well With E-Commerce - Not Yet Although Flash and Flex (its newer derivative for complex applications) allow for better and easier integration of interactivity with technology, Flash for e-commerce should still be avoided for two primary reasons. One, Flash stores can be very complex requiring overly complicated programming and untested methods for achieving what standard HTML sites can without much issue. In essence, it costs more, takes more time, and can be buggy. And Two, E-commerce conventions are very powerful. For the last decade, online shoppers have become accustomed to how e-commerce sites work. Any major derivation from what they’re used to will often result in lower sales or lower shopper confidence. Although some Flash carts look very nice and have more functionality than their HTML counterparts, the proof is always in the sales report. HTML e-commerce sites almost always outperform Flash carts. Eventually this may change, but so will just about any site in three to five years. Most should wait a while before choosing this route. Considering these points, it’s important for businesses and organizations that are looking into developing a website to be informed and aware of the differences. They should always use a savvy and experienced web developer. They should also look for a track record of success - and a knowledge of available technologies from the companies they seek bids from. Be sure they are comparing apples to apples in other words. Modern websites do use Flash, but only as a component. Professional sites are still built using HTML and CSS or more preferably with other dynamic database-driven technologies like ASP/.Net, PHP, ColdFusion, WebObjects, RubyOnRails and others. Sites that allow content to be changed or uploaded by non-technical users are far more commonplace now. Web 2.0 sites are all built using dynamic content control features. So many sophisticated features are available, it’s hard to keep up. But it’s important to avoid building an all-flash website. If your developer doesn’t tell you this or doesn’t agree, find another developer. Period. << Back
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