For a web developer, Flash is undoubtedly a powerful tool. But it is a fact that it cannot be used to resolve every kind of problem. Here we will try to understand Flash with the help of its merits and demerits. After that you can easily reach on to a conclusion whether it is productive to go for Flash website development or not. Of course, our ultimate target is to benefit the visitors by good information.
The Good:
- Flash is friendly to nearly 95-98% of the Web browsers. If you have applied Flash to build a website then it is surely going to be viewed by every user who has Flash plug-in. It is not dependent on browser or operating system.
- In today’s world, if you are going for animation then Flash is must. It has wider application in the field of animation.
- Most applications that are based on flash are easily picked up by video players like Quick Time
- Flash games have absolutely no bandwidth limitations and that is what makes them most interesting and favored.
- Graphics, like animations, are best brought out by flash. The same goes for images too. You should know that flash supports script actions
Disadvantages of Flash websites:
- Slow speeds are a nightmare for flash websites since they rarely load fast enough to meet a user’s expectations.
- With Flash websites The ‘BACK’ button is
- Screen readers often have a less than pleasant time when they are trying to figure out some of the images that are engrained into the flash based web sites.
- If you are going to have a flash website, make sure you use HTML since the language is necessary for the algorithms of search engine to pick them out for search results.
- Not all among the internet savvy understand the function or the role that is played by the flash applications. In most of these cases, the unknowing internet users take them to be eye candy and this is bad especially if the user in question was a potential buyer.
With all the details tabled, you are in a better position to judge whether you really need a flash website of not. But here are the facts. If you are hoping to achieve some financial returns at the end of the day from your website then it’s clear that you need to stay away from flash anything. It’s better to invest in SEO so that you get as many hits as possible. Flash websites do not reach all the markets but ordinary websites do. At the end of the day it breaks down to what you would like your site to do for you.
Tags: Quick Time, Flash Plug, Bandwidth Limitations, Flash Websites
