Good to Know

"Flash or not to Flash"

Flash has become immensely popular as it offers a convenient way to make the websites interactive. A lot of websites use flash for their requirements but there are many exceptions too. Using flash has its set of advantages and disadvantages. Websites look professional as well as attractive with flash animations on the pages.  Original flash intros attract a lot of users to website. Unlike HTML code or Java, flash scripts cannot be lifted as these files come in two sets -.swf files and .fla files.

One of the drawbacks of using flash files is that downloading them takes a lot of time and they require a flash plug in too. The static and regular graphics take lesser time to download. In the near future when DSL lines would be cheaper and dial up connection problems would be solved; this would not be a disadvantage anymore. Right now this is one of the major reasons why large corporate websites do not use it. The failure to fulfill useful purpose adds to its disadvantage. It just provides the websites with animated flash presentations that do nothing more than enhancing interactivity.

A lot of browsers are not compatible with flash which works as its setback. Old versions of Netscape Navigators and MS Explorer cannot display flash movies. Search engines also do not really like flash page. It becomes impossible for the search engines to crawl through your web page and index it, if the content is in flash. Flash is not at all Search Engine friendly and that is the reason the flash based sites are not ranked well in SERPs. Search engines like to quick and simple to follow pages on web.

In case you are developing the website for roping in prospective clients for your company, it is advisable to limit the Flash use to specific portions of the site. If the purpose of your website is to offer visual effects to visitors then flash is ideal choice for you. For proper use of flash on your websites, you should be sure of the purpose of your website- better rankings or client entertainment.

Flash websites needs updating on regular basis as they become obsolete in some months. Maintaining the flash website is an expensive process. The cost of maintenance is higher than the other conventional websites that makes use of HTML.  But all the drawbacks of using flash can not really overshadow the benefits of using flash intros. If you make use of interactive and animation features properly, you can make the flash catchy.

You can thrill the visitors by using flash. If your visitors have a higher bandwidth, you can showcase your corporate objectives in the best possible way through flash. Building interactive menus in flash into is much easier and attractive for the visitors of the website. These serve as great navigation guides for visitors.

Flash has a mix of advantages and disadvantages but it surely is the future of internet. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of using flash before you actually decide to use it in your website.