webdesign articles


Flash - To Use Or Not To Use?





Out there in the WWW there are thousands sites using flash for their needs. But the majority sites are not in this list. Let's summaries some facts about flash using on YOUR web site and after that it's you who will have to decide: to use or not to use. There are some facts about Macromedia Flash Technology:

The First Fact:

Sites are look much prettier and professional with the flash animation on their pages. Users sometimes visit sites only to see flash intros if it's done in some original manner.

The Second Fact:

Flash Source Scripts cannot be stolen unlike Java Scripts or HTML code. Flash files come in "two" pieces: files with .fla extension are the actual source and .swf files are compiled version of these files. In browsers you can see only .swf files.

The Third Fact:

Flash animation files are slow to download and require flash player plug-in . Regular static graphic requires less time to download. In a couple of years when the problem of dial-up connection may be solved and fast DSL lines will be cheap and available for anyone this problem may seem not so serious, but so far we must consider this aspect, as not all users are eager to wait for a minute or two to see your flash intro. That's one of the main reason flash is not popular on the big corporate sites (but Yahoo for example displays flash advertisements on their pages)

The Fourth Fact:

Not all browser compatible with flash players. The old versions of MS Explorer and Netscape Navigator cannot display flash movies. There is a solution however: to use Java Script to check the compatibility of browser and display the static image if the player is not available for that browser. Well there is some issuer still left with browsers who cannot understand Java Scripts but there are few people who use those browsers today?but there are some?and you must keep that in mind.

The Fifth Fact:

As you may notice we used on our web page http://www.metamorphozis.com flash header. Why? The reason was simple and that is the fact number five: flash movies are cashed in special browser folder and second time you access it you don't need to wait. Flash movie will be displayed from the cache folder. Image files are also stored in browsercache and may be reused if you keep the file names and path to images the same. But we selected flash due to several technical reasons related to our needs. So we did it to reduce our page loading time. See how contradictorily it sounds with the third fact?:-) The problem is that it requires a lot of time to download but only for the first time! If you could make visitors wait that time then you will benefit from having flash header as it always there and does not need to be loaded each time you go to the other page.

The Sixth Fact:

Search engines do not like flash pages, as it makes almost impossible to crawl them. They can not crawl links on your web page and can not index your website content if it is in flash. In html you can insert flash only as object.

As you may see flash has number of advantages and disadvantages. No matter what you think about flash but it is the future of the Internet. If you cannot admit this and stay away tomorrow you will regret you did it. Just consider the flash usage on your web site. Remember! Be reasonable in design and flash usage and you'll be o.k.

About the Author:
Oleg Lazarenko
Production Manager of
Metamorphosis Web Design Studio -
Flash templates and Web Templates
http://www.metamorphozis.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Indiana Web Design Company Radically Changes Approach to Web Development
PR Web (press release)
Effect Web Agency, an Indiana web design company, redefines their entire develop process to focus on achieving sales results for clients. Effect Web Agency says they know why websites do not work for many businesses. Steve Schmidt, President and Web ...

and more »


EQuicknews

Web Design Tips
EQuicknews
Launching а website іs bоth exciting аnd potentially rewarding. A wеll planned site can have а positive effect оn уour business, wіth online sales bucking thе trend in an othеrwisе downbeat economy. Creating a website can аlѕо bе a daunting task, ...

and more »


HigherVisibility Named Eleventh Best Web Design Company by topseos.com for ...
Press Media Wire
The independent authority on Search vendors, topseos.com, has named HigherVisibility the eleventh best web design company in the online marketing industry for the month of February 2012. Their position in the rankings of top web design companies is ...

and more »


Crumpler C List Celebrity Backpack Reviewed by Intown Web Design
PR Web (press release)
Intown Web Design review of Crumpler C List Celebrity Backpack acknowledged the backpacks design and functionality. These backpacks by Crumpler were noted as some of the best backpacks for photographers. Overall, these backpacks were exactly what I was ...

and more »


Algonquin Studios Shares Thought Leadership Reports on Web Design, SEO ...
DigitalJournal.com (press release)
These are people who have started successful businesses, built enterprise-level software systems, and work hard to actively keep abreast of changes and advancements in technology, software development, web design, and online marketing,” says ...



Positive Web Design Utilises Brand New Wireframes For Clients
PR Web (press release)
The team at Positive Web Design has announced that they will be creating pre-designed wireframes and templates in order to speed up the development process for new clients. Positive Web Design, a web design and development firm well-known for its ...

and more »


Why I treat IE6 like a Nokia 3210
ZDNet UK (blog)
Webolutionary Ethan Marcotte, the chap who brung us Responsive Web Design Big Time, does battle with IE6 in his canonical classic Responsive Web Design. Essentially, IE6 doesn't support the max-width property and flexible images (pp49). The solution?



5 Top Trends in Web Design for 2012
Caribbean Media Vision
In the world of web design, what is considered to be up to the minute and trendy can quickly become outdated and old fashioned in just a short amount of time. It is important for anyone with a website to stay up to date with their web designs and make ...

and more »


SEO.in Named Fourth Best Android Development Company by bestwebdesignagencies ...
Press Media Wire
The independent authority on web design and development, bestwebdesignagencies.com, has released their list of the best Android development companies for the month of February 2012. SEO.in has been named the fourth best Android development company ...



Positive Web Design Now Able To Build Websites In Variety Of Programmes
PR Web (press release)
Positive Web Design has recently adjusted its design procedures and is now in a position to offer clients websites built in a huge variety of programmes. Positive Web Design, a website design and development company based in Chelmsford, Essex, ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
Webdesign-box © 2006