Should I use Flash effects in my business website?

Most everyone agrees that Flash effects offer a lot of eye candy. However, is eye candy necessary or beneficial for a business website? It depends on what type of business you have. The consequence of using Flash can be anywhere from extremely productive to absolutely harmful. After a brief discussion of what Flash is, we’ll look at the benefits and disadvantages of using Flash content for a business website.

What is Flash? Currently developed by Adobe, Flash is a way to add animation and interactivity to a website. Examples include advertisements, mouse rollover effects, and picture slide shows. Flash also enables video to be integrated into web pages. The Adobe Flash Player, available for free, enables a web browser to display Flash content.

What are the benefits of using Flash? Flash design saves space on a web page making layout easier and adds to the overall visual appeal of the website. For example, a long list of items can be displayed using one collapsible drop down menu. Clicking on a link can activate a pop up window containing a video or photo slide show. Link identification is clearer with mouse rollover effects. Flash can also simplify the process of filling out online forms.

What are the disadvantages of using Flash? The two primary issues associated with the extensive use of Flash website design is accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).

Despite the ease with which Flash displays multimedia, Flash design may actually detract from website usability because text selection, scrollbar usage, and mouse right-clicking may act differently than with a non-Flash web page. Disabled visitors may not be able to benefit from Flash effects, and website accessibility may be limited. For example, people who are visually impaired, or who need large text fonts and/or high contrast color schemes, may find Flash sites unusable. Also, people who do not have the Flash Player installed and active on their computers cannot view a Flash website at all. Those who do, may have Flash or pop up blockers installed and won’t see the Flash effects anyway.

As for SEO, don’t expect natural search methods to yield great results with a Flash website. Flash content is invisible to search engines. Websites that are based on Flash design must resort to more expensive paid advertising techniques to get search engine visibility. If your website relies on SEO for traffic, a Flash site is not for you.

What kind of websites should utilize Flash? Multimedia and entertainment websites that require a heavy use of sound and video can benefit a lot from Flash design. Medium to large e-commerce websites can use Flash to more efficiently display products and streamline the ordering process.

The bottom line is to look closely at your requirements and see if you really need a Flash website. If possible, try to minimize Flash design. Your website will cost less to build and promoting it will be easier.

View samples of flash ad and banner design:
Interactive Websites With Multimedia Flash Effects