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HELPFUL BUSINESS TIPS

A Full Flash Site vs. Flash Components

If you are considering a new website design for your business and are debating between a full flash site or a standard site with flash components, here are a few facts you should know to help you decide.

Full flash sites, while they may look professional and modern, they have a few disadvantages that make it second choice to most web designers who focus on marketing.  For starters, it takes a long time to load before it even gets to the intro.  It's hard to keep your viewer interested long enough to get to the actual website, which was the viewers main intention in the first place.  Most viewers want a quick response in return for information they are searching for.

The biggest disadvantage, which is important from a marketing standpoint, is that it's bad for search engines.  A flash site is created with images and text which is put together with animation to create a movie. Search engines cannot pick up the text embedded in a movie, therefore will not rank well.  A standard site is made up of images and text.  Search engines can properly read the text from a standard website making it easier to give you a higher ranking when someone is searching for information that might be included in the content of your site. 

Flash Components:  It is possible to have a standard site and still have the same clean, professional and modern look as a flash site.  Having images panning or fading on your homepage is one way you can display your work if you are an architect or landscaper for instance, but still have your content easily read by search engines. (Click here for an example) Your viewer can then make their own decision on whether they want to focus on the catchy flashing images or read the information they were looking for.  This is a more interactive approach to web design as opposed to presentational.  Another great advantage is that a client is able to have dynamic pages added to their site.  If they need to update a page often, a dynamic page can be created with a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) that allows them to put in their own content and images when needed.  This may be expensive upfront but will save them a lot of money in the long run.  Dynamic pages are not offered in flash websites because it is all created in one movie that a web developer/designer needs to create.  Flash banners and ads can also be added to a standard website to add more presentation but also serve a purpose by displaying promotions. 

These are just a few helpful hints to keep in mind when creating a website.  If you are more concerned with the presentation of your website and you aren't worried about the amount of time it takes the viewer to navigate through the site, then a flash site is the right choice for you.  If you are more focused on marketing, then a standard site with flash components is a better option.