Successful Flash design | Dont skip on Flash | Search engine friendly design

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Dont skip on Flash

Flash design can cause many web designers to disagree; users and website owners seem split. We often have customers say I like what you did on that site and wouldn't mind some Flash animation on our company site as long as it isn't annoying to the user. Why would any company design a site that's annoying to users? Flash design has also had some bad reports because of accessibility and SEO considerations; as well as annoying users when used badly in design, Web design companies are also guilty of using Flash in a way that stops search engines indexing content and ignore accessibility. However this does not have to be the case and if used well in web design can deliver a powerful message both quickly and efficiently. Flash design and web animation can and does if used correctly immediately communicate to users the fundamental purpose of a website, whether that is to deliver products, services or information to the user.

Ineffective use of Flash design

We don't need to look to far to understand why flash has developed this reputation as I'm sure most of us have experienced tedious Flash introductions that some may find provide them with little more than a search for the 'Skip Intro' button. Does this just give visitors a pointless waiting room that many will abandon in favour of a competitor's site; allowing immediate access to products and information? Most of us are likely to have witnessed some weird effect that communicates only annoyance to the user probably along with an irritating sound effect or whatever the designer decided to impact the user with. Who wants to create a barrier to the search engines and put it on their site? Could its relative invisibility in the search engines defeat the purpose of the website in the first place - to reach customers? The answer is it doesn't need to, but no wonder so many site owners and businesses are cautious about using flash design.

True Flash integration

It is this track record combined with many misconceptions of flash design that seems to associate Flash design with such a poor reputation. It is unfortunate that poor design has tarred this amazing communication tool with such a bad name. It does not need to be the case. Flash if used correctly can aid usability, improve loading times, even improve accessibility and not affect search engine rankings. Flash is a very powerful communication tool enabling the multimedia elements of sound, animation, interactivity and video to be experienced through a website. As the old saying goes, a cliché I know, but true. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Flash design and animation can communicate an experience; spark a user's imagination about a product and change an atmosphere of a space and environment. Flash web design can invoke and reflect those qualities that will convey products, services and unique selling points to a target audience in a way that static text and images alone can not.

So how can this be done without causing the Search Engine Ranking and Accessibility alarm bells to ring? The solution is to use Flash by its strengths, as an integral part of Web design and to consider Flash as a part of a goal orientated solution. Flash can be an integral part of a HTML website. This hybrid solution if implemented correctly, can deliver all the benefits of both Flash and HTML content for web design.

Search engine friendly

With a hybrid site nothing prevents the creation of a fully optimised search engine friendly website that can rank well in the search engines. There are so many alarmist articles and reports that suggest that a Website that uses flash design will not rank well in the search engines. A website that is designed completely in Flash will be a lot harder to rank in the Search Engines, though not impossible, however I won't digress. The point is that the combination of both technologies means that even if the homepage is Flash heavy, it can still be optimised with html content and headers to allow search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN index a website effectively. This can include search engine visible links to other content within the website. Flash does not need to be a hindrance for websites to be seen. Web sites with flash content can be ranked in the search engines for primary keywords as well as being accessible to users.

Flash Design by Rhubarb Media

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